Question by : Why did people support Lenin and the Communists?
Discuss both Russians during the Revolution and Civil War and foreigners afterwards.
Here’s what I have so far:
The masses were desperate. War and violence had been happening, and they needed food. Lenin promised peace and bread. He also promised to take land from the upper classes and redistribute it to the peasants. Another promise was to end Russia’s involvement in the first world war which had hurt Russia. It killed thousands and led to widespread famine.
Answers and Views:
Answer by j p
Communism also put all people equal, no social classes. In theory, it would be a good system but in practice it’s flawed. People followed Lenin because he made promises and was charismatic. Make people believe in you and they do what you ask of them.
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Paul says
They had been oppressed by their government for hundreds of years and when Russia got involved in World War I they saw there sons being killed for a regime that oppressed the peasants. When the Communist Revolutionaries promised food and equality it sounded pretty nice to them so they supported them.
moravianhawk says
somewhat good summary. The situation was more complex in Russia, before the war, during the war and after the war, which made situation unpredictable and situation was swing toward radicals, represented by communists, because their country was attacked. Russia experienced revolution in 1905, which was defeated because the middle class sided with the wealthy aristocracy against the masses. However, in 1917, Russia was defeated country, yet again, for the third time since 1850. This caused the shift between the wealthy and the rest of the country. On top of it, Germans were penetrating deeper into Russia, and were approaching their capital, Petrograd, where occupation of it was imminent. The Russian revolution was in fact a two revolutions, one that was in February lead by urban middle class, and second by Bolsheviks in October. Middle class wanted to continue with the war, but soldiers on the front line received the news of the February revolution and removal of the aristocracy; therefore, they abandoned the post and came at home to take over the aristocratic properties and land, because they believed it belonged them. Karensky decided that soldiers need to return to war and was arresting in mass the deserters and the workers unhappy with the changes. This lead to second revolution led by Bolsheviks. Lenin was serious to sign a peace with Germans and prevent occupation of Pertrograd. Germans were in Estonia and landed in Finland and took over Kiev to the Don river. People wanted peace and communists achieved the treaty with Germans to end the war in the eastern front with Brest-Litevsk armistice. For masses, they believed that bolshevik is peacemaker, while the rule of Kerensky and bourgeois were warmongers. The masses decided to strike against them and changed the outcome from middle class to bolshevik revolution and any representative of the tzarism (Total failure in the eye of Russians) and Kerensky bourgeoisie (warmongers).
Lenin could not implement all the changes he desired, but he managed to end the war. But Russia found itself with a war against entire Europe and people stick to leadership once they felt being threatened. Tzars did not care about the masses, but at that time people believed that they have a government that does care about them. While not everyone was eager for communists and left wing radicals often revolted against the Bolshevik, the army and masses was loyal to them.