widespread temporary recovery within Russia. However,
despite his attempts to improve the standards of living in Russia under the
NEP, he was intent upon maintenance of power at all costs. He introduced a
repressive secret police force known as the CHEKA; they were responsible for removing
any revolutionary threats after the victories of the Red Guards.? This body was extremely effective in its
repression of the ?Whites? and through the use of coercion the ?Whites? were
pacified.? This repression is often
referred to as the ?Terror?, which commenced in September 1918 and resulted in
the deaths of about fifty thousand people.?
However, the ?Terror? achieved its objective in securing power for the
Bolsheviks, and repressing the revolutionary forces within Russia that sought
to overthrow them. Lenin?s
multiple strokes during 1922 and his eventual death in 1924 brought an end to
his plans for Russia, the result is that we will never know what his long term
plans were. Lenin?s primary objective at this stage was to retain power, and he
was willing to go against his own ideologies and beliefs in the short term, in
order to achieve his future ambitions.?
This shows that, perhaps had Lenin lived, Stalin?s tyranny and
repression would never have come into being, resulting in a less repressive more
Marxist communist state. In
conclusion, the Bolsheviks successful seizure of power in 1922 was due to
several reoccurring factors.? Lenin?s
genius combined with Trotsky?s organisation and discipline allowed the party to
seize power.? Without these two, the
Bolsheviks would have remained a revolutionary party. The fortunate Kornilov
affair was an unexpected bonus for the Bolsheviks who exploited it to full
effect. The gain of weapons and support was vital to the eventual Bolshevik
success.? The capture of the main
industrial centres and the transport between them (Moscow and Petrograd) gave
the Bolsheviks excellent transportation and supplies, vital to their victory in
the civil war.? The disorganisation and
lack of cooperation between the ?Whites? as a whole made the ?Reds? victory in
the civil war much easier than it could have been.? The CHEKA and the ?Terror? repressed after Red Army victories had
been obtained removing revolutionary elements of society that could have risen
up once more.? Finally, the ability of
the Bolsheviks and Lenin is particular to adapt to situations.? Lenin was determined to secure power at all
costs, for example, when he realised the theory of war communism was not
working in practise, he introduced the NEP which satisfied the people and got
Russia back on its feet.? These factors
all contributed to the success of the Bolsheviks in attaining what they set out
to achieve.? However, the deciding factor
in the success of failure of the revolution was the leadership of the Bolsheviks.? Without Lenin and Trotsky, the revolution
would have never occurred, nor would power have been secured, the combination
of these two inspirational leaders was vital to the outcome of the seizure of
power and civil war.? They can be held
accountable for the Bolsheviks gaining power in 1922.? ???