How Significance to the development of Russia was Lenin?
The aftermath of the February Revolution in 1917 led to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, and the formation of the Russian Provisional Government. A period of dual power followed, during which both the Provisional Government (bourgeoisie and capitalists) and the Soviets (workers and soldiers) held power. To Lenin, the provisional government was a “dictatorship of the bourgeoisie.” As a result, he “advocated instead for direct rule by the workers and peasants in a dictatorship of the proletariat.”[1] The Provisional Government were preoccupied with the ongoing war against Germany, which led to the downward economic spiral and deprivation within the country. This was the juncture Lenin was waiting for, as it meant that the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, were able to successfully exploit the discontent of the masses; “the situation climaxed with the October Revolution”[2], when the Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government. In this context, the significance of Lenin up to 1921 refers to the extent of his impact in the drastic reshaping of Russian ideology; his importance with regards to the rise and consolidation of the Bolshevik Party and Communism, and also the changes that he brought upon Russia’s socio-economic structure. Whilst in power, Lenin transformed Russia into a stronger nation industrially and economically. He revolutionised the country politically from 300 years of monarchy to a new era of Communism that would affect Russia internally, and externally for decades to come. In short, Lenin was instrumental in initiating the transformation of Russia into the country it is today. However, Lenin had achieved all this at an immense human cost, heavily impacting millions of lives.
Politically, Lenin was of immense significance to Russia up to 1921. He masterminded the overthrow of the post-Tsar Provisional Government, enabling the Bolsheviks to seize control within Russia. When Tsar Nicholas II abdicated, Lenin saw the fall of the Imperialistic rule as his chance to free Russia from the control of the elite classes and to deliver it into the hands of the masses. On the evening of November 7th 1917, the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin and Trotsky, stormed the Winter Palace, taking full control of the State. It is stated that “Lenin was the overall planner of the revolution, he also dealt with internal divisions within the party and provided tight control, and a degree of discipline which the other parties lacked.”[3] Significantly, Lenin’s ‘April Theses’ was an inspirational manifesto that delivered to the masses precisely what they craved. It demanded for an immediate end to the war, Soviet power, and peasant ownership of land; he simplified this into the powerful slogan “peace, bread and land”. This helped mobilise large numbers of young revolutionaries, and propelled the Bolshevik party’s popularity. Without Lenin’s initiatives and ability to unify, the Bolsheviks would not have been able to seize power when they did. Thus, the long term impact of Lenin seizing the right opportunity for a revolution is evident; he was significant in drastically reshaping the political map of the country into the precursor of what it is today. Conversely, it can be argued that although Lenin had a huge impact on the takeover, the Provisional Government was already weak and unpopular, and so “circumstances helped enormously”, “power literally fell into the Bolsheviks’ laps” and “it was likely that the Soviets would have taken power anyway, even if Lenin had not intervened.”[4] Whilst this may be true to some extent, of greater significance was Lenin’s visionary leadership, and ability to galvanise the Bolsheviks, that empowered the party with the crucial ‘leap forward’, without which they would have failed to effectively seize power.
Following the takeover, Lenin was incredibly significant in the next stage of strengthening and consolidating Bolshevik power. The Russian Civil War of 1918 involved the Bolsheviks (known as the Reds) fighting the ex-Tsarists, Social Revolutionaries and Capitalists (known as the White Army). Strategically, Lenin galvanised his army by promising them land on victory in the Civil War. Although the war resulted in the death of millions, it resulted in victory for the Reds, thus firmly establishing Bolshevik control within Russia. The Civil War also resulted in the execution of the Tsar and his family. Lenin is described as “one of the foremost revolutionary leaders of the 20th Century. As a politician, he was characterized by remarkable determination, ruthlessness and cruelty. It was Lenin's clarity of vision that ultimately guided the Bolsheviks to power.”[5] Without Lenin’s outstanding leadership, the Bolsheviks would have been a weak party, unable to retain power. Lenin’s role in the Civil War had long-term and far-reaching consequences, including the outright end to the monarchy and the strengthening of a Communist government, as well as a long-term hostility towards capitalism. While it is impossible to ignore the role that Lenin played in establishing the Bolshevik Communist rule, it can be argued that Trotsky was of greater significance. It can be debated that Trotsky’s commandership of the Red Army, and his excellent oratory skills, were imperative to the outcome of the October Revolution and the Civil War. However, the unification and “structure of the Party boiled down to Lenin”[6], and therefore, were it not for Lenin’s good political judgement and adaptability, the Bolsheviks would not have been able to maintain their long-term grasp on power.
Lenin’s tough policy of War Communism was of notable significance. The Civil War had helped cement Bolshevik power. However, it was at a great cost to the masses, resulting in tremendous shortages of food, fuel and raw materials. Lenin introduced the policy of War Communism to tackle the economic crisis and establish a structured socialist economy. Under the policy, food production was organised by the government, discipline for workers was strict, peasants had to hand over surplus food production to the government, and food was rationed. The policy misfired, resulting in severe food shortages; it was estimated that “7 million Russian people died in the famine.”[7] Trade came to a halt and industrial production fell, as many migrated away from the cities to grow their own food on farms. Furthermore, living conditions plunged into abject poverty; Moscow was described as “a city completely dead, no electricity, no heat, because there was nothing. People were just dying.”[8] The War Communism policy could be defended as having achieved Lenin’s aim of feeding the soldiers fighting the Civil War, however, it came at a price. Bolshevik support faltered, attitudes towards the Party became hostile, and opposition grew. Without Lenin’s harsh policy of War Communism, the terrible two year hardship that Russia endured, would not have occurred. It is evident that Lenin’s tough policy had a significant short-term social and political impact, as millions of people suffered and support for his party was threatened.
Lenin also played a crucial role in improving the Russian economy. In 1921, as a result of his failed policy of War Communism, the economy of Russia was in ruins and industrial production had fallen disastrously. Hence, Lenin introduced a New Economic Plan (NEP). The NEP involved the increase in agricultural production, and the introduction of workplace incentives and bonuses. Under the NEP, an Anglo-Soviet trade agreement was signed. Lenin’s NEP was of phenomenal importance to Russia as this marked the beginning of increased trade with the West, which gave a huge boost to the economy. Without Lenin’s NEP, Russia would have remained an undeveloped, agrarian nation. For many workers and business owners, the NEP meant opportunity and better days. Moreover, without Lenin’s initiative of the NEP, there would have been a good chance that the Bolsheviks would have been overthrown if socio-economic conditions did not improve. While it is impossible to ignore the enormous growth in industry during the NEP, it can be argued that the impacts of Lenin’s NEP were short-term, and Stalin’s subsequent Five Year Plans worked more efficiently. However, it is evident that Lenin’s NEP had a broadly significant economic impact, as it turned around Russia’s economy and helped forge ties with the West.
Lenin was hugely significant in establishing instituted socialist ideology and Marxist values, hence eradicating capitalism. During Lenin’s lifetime, he developed a variant of works codified as Marxism-Leninism. He wrote many novels, such as “The Development of Capitalism in Russia”, which all emanated from the adaptations of Marxism. In these works, Lenin presented the communist view, and argued that capitalism rapidly destroys the peasant commune. As a result, Lenin’s doctrine resonated deeply with the working classes. His works instilled hope, and something for the peasents to believe in; resulting in lives of the masses improving greatly in the long-term. Through his works, he shaped the long-term political ideology of Russia, implementing the worldwide system of Marxist socialism, called Communism, that is recognised today. In this respect, the long term social and political significance of Lenin’s Marxism-Leninism theory is evident, as his works not only greatly improved the lives of workers and peasants, but also introduced Communism to the world.
Lenin was responsible for terrorising and massacaring millions of people. In December 1917, Lenin set up the Cheka, which was the secret police force aimed to fight couter-revolution. “The Cheka became a fearful organ of Bolshevik power; in Poltava, eighteen monks were burnt at the stake and in Odessa officers were boiled and ripped in half.”[9] By some estimates, the Cheka may have executed as many as “100,000 so-called class enemies during the Red Terror between September and October 1918.”[10] Furthermore, in the summer of 1918, the Soviet government, under Lenin's leadership, launched the Red Terror, which was “a brutal campaign aimed at eliminating political opponents among the civilian population.”[11] Moreover, many were imprisoned in Gulag labour camps where they experienced extreme hardships and death. Lenin’s instruments of terror had a long-term impact, as his successors such as Stalin chose to adopt a similar concept, through the NKVD. In this respect, the social impacts of Lenin’s brutal instruments of terror are hugely evident, as they resulted in the deaths of millions not only in Russia, but also worldwide, including Soviet states such as Ukraine.
In conclusion, Lenin was of huge significance to Russia up to 1921. He radicalised the political ideology of the country by transferring power from a post-Tsar Provisional Government to the common masses. Although the Provisional Government was weak and could have been easily overthrown by any other party, Lenin had the instinct to seize the right moment and to lead the people to an ideology that benefitted their lives. The social and economic devastation caused by the Civil War, and the famine resulting from War Communism, impacted enormous numbers of people in urban and rural areas. Lenin’s initiation of the NEP served to turnaround the country’s economy and paved the way for Russia’s development and emergence as an industrialised nation. However, with all that Lenin delivered to the masses, one cannot overlook the significantly negative impact he had in massacarring and torturing millions through his instruments of terror, such as the Cheka and the Red Terror. It can be said that Lenin’s political impact is of most significance to Russia, as it radically transformed an Imperialistic-Capitalist nation into a Marxist-Communist one, and established an alternative ideology to Capitalism throughout the world.
Bibliography
- GCSE Modern World History (First Published in 1996, Second Edition - First Published in 2001, by Ben Walsh)
- Russia & The USSR 1905-1941(First Published in 1996, by Terry Fiehn)
- “Sources on Russia 1905-41” Booklet (Provided by City of London School for Girls)
- Years of Russia, the USSR AND THE Collapse of Soviet Communism by David Evans and Jane Jenkins
[1] https://www.history.com/topics/russia/vladimir-lenin
[2] Wikipedia
[3] “GCSE modern world history” Ben Walsh, source 43 page 115
[4] Source pack, Source D ‘Did Lenin make a difference?’
[5] https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/shared/minitext/prof_vladimirlenin.html
[6] ‘From Tsar to Soviets : The Russian People and their Revolution 1917-21’, Source 8.10 page 164
[7] “GCSE modern world history” Ben Walsh page 123
[8] “Russia and the USSR 1905-1941” Source 6 page 64
[9] Source pack, Source D page 9 ‘The methods used by the Cheka’
[10] https://www.history.com/topics/russia/vladimir-lenin
[11] https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/shared/minitext/prof_vladimirlenin.html