Establishment of One-Party Control (AQA A-Level History): Revision Notes
Establishment of One-Party Control
Bolshevik ideology and the rejection of liberal democracy
The Bolsheviks seized power in October/November 1917 with the claim that they acted in the interests of the proletariat (the ordinary working people of Russia). They encouraged the population to view the October revolution as a popular uprising that fulfilled the wishes of the masses.
The American communist journalist John Reed, in his account Ten Days that Shook the World (1919), suggested that Bolshevik success came from "accomplishing the vast and simple desires of the most profound strata of the people." This narrative became central to Bolshevik propaganda, portraying their seizure of power as a genuine expression of popular will.
Lenin and his colleagues rejected Western concepts of democracy. For Lenin, the notion of liberal democracy—political systems such as Britain's where citizens vote, different views exist, and policy emerges through discussion and argument—belonged to an outdated, class-ridden world. Lenin did not believe in competing for votes or allowing political debate through electoral processes.
Instead of liberal democracy, Lenin advocated for what he termed the dictatorship of the proletariat, which he saw as the first step toward true socialism. This fundamental rejection of democratic principles would shape all subsequent Bolshevik policies and justify the establishment of one-party rule.
Revolutionary morality and justification for repression
Lenin's conviction that a dictatorship of the proletariat must be established led him to accept the active repression of counter-revolutionary elements (those who opposed Bolshevik rule). His thinking was shaped by Marxist ideology, particularly as outlined in his work State and Revolution, written in August–September 1917.
The Concept of Revolutionary Morality
In State and Revolution, Lenin argued that revolutionary morality—the idea that the ends justified the means—permitted strong action against opponents. This doctrine provided the ideological foundation for ruthless suppression of dissent and became the justification for all subsequent repressive measures under Bolshevik rule.
Lenin showed no hesitation in acting ruthlessly against those who opposed the Bolshevik programme. He believed that because the Bolsheviks represented the interests of the working class, this alone gave them all the authority they required. There was no need for popular consent expressed through elections or parliamentary procedures.
The structure of Bolshevik government
In October 1917, Lev Karakhan, a member of the Bolshevik Central Committee, described the intended structure of the new government to John Reed. This conversation, which took place at the Smolny Institute on 21 October 1917, reveals how the Bolsheviks planned to organise their rule:
Karakhan's Vision of Bolshevik Government
The new government would operate as a loose organisation, responsive to popular will as expressed through the soviets (workers' and soldiers' councils). Unlike the Provisional Government, which Karakhan claimed obstructed local democratic action, the Bolshevik system would allow local forces full scope for action. The initiative for change would come from below rather than from above.
The government would be modelled on the constitution of the Social Democrat Party. A new ruling committee would answer to frequent meetings of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets, which would serve as the parliament. The various ministries would be headed by committees instead of individual ministers, and these committees would be directly responsible to the peoples' soviets.
This description suggested a government more democratic and responsive than the Provisional Government. In practice, however, the reality proved quite different.
Key developments in 1918
The year 1918 witnessed a series of measures that consolidated Bolshevik authority:
January 1918:
- The Constituent Assembly met and was immediately dispersed
- A decree established workers' control of railways
- The Red Army was created as the Bolsheviks' military force
- Church and state were formally separated
February 1918:
- A decree nationalised industry, bringing it under state control
March 1918:
- The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ended Russian involvement in the First World War (though at enormous territorial cost)
- The Bolsheviks renamed themselves the Communist Party
- The capital was moved from Petrograd to Moscow
July 1918:
- The Constitution of the Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic was formally adopted
These measures reflected Lenin's determination to establish firm Bolshevik control. The dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, the creation of the Red Army, the nationalisation of industry, and the adoption of a new constitution all served to entrench one-party rule. The separation of Church and state and the move of the capital to Moscow symbolised the break with the old order.
Key Points to Remember:
- Lenin rejected Western liberal democracy as a class-ridden system unsuited to revolutionary Russia. He advocated instead for a dictatorship of the proletariat.
- The Constituent Assembly elections of November 1917 showed that the Bolsheviks had only 24% popular support, with the Socialist Revolutionaries winning 53% of the vote. Lenin dissolved the Assembly in January 1918 after one day.
- Lenin's concept of revolutionary morality, outlined in State and Revolution (1917), justified ruthless action against opponents and provided the ideological foundation for one-party dictatorship.