Peace land bread

Answer 1

In early July 1917 in Russia the new Provisional Government that took control after the abdication of the Tsar launched a major offensive in the war effort in Galicia in hope it would increase its power and influence, it was disastrous and in Petrograd dissatisfaction with the regime culminated in the spontaneous July Days riots, by industrial workers and soldiers. The revolutionary group the Bolsheviks lead by V.I.Lenin seized upon this and introduced a new slogan "Peace, Land and Bread". On the 7th of November that year the Bolsheviks stormed the Winter Palace seizing power in Petrograd, Lenin set up his new government called the Sovnakom (Council of People's Commissars). But he knew that to stay in power he had to push ahead with the measures he had promised: to end the war (peace), to give land to the peasants (land) and to get food to the cities (bread). Otherwise, his support would disappear.

In the first year of the war Russia had lost 4 million men, by 1917 the situation on the war front and back at home was becoming worse. With the 15million men being taken out of the farming industry to fight in the war food shortages became apparent. Bread rations had gone down for 1 ounce per a day in March to ¼ of an ounce per a day in October for the people at home. Fuel also along with food had been diverted to the war front, which led to cold hungry people at home becoming desperate and wanting for the war to end. Conditions on the war front weren't much better and Lenin knew that Russia had to pull out of the war. With Lenin's promise of 'Peace" he had gained many supporters who had wanted the war to end. Thus when Lenin finally became in power he had to keep this promise or he would of lost much of his support and may have lost power.

Lenin sent his Commissar of war Leon Trotsky to meet with the Germans and negotiate a peace treaty. Trotsky at first walked away from the meeting because he thought the Germans had demanded too much in the treaty. However, Lenin told Trotsky that he must sign the treaty because he knew that the Bolsheviks would only stay in power if the war were to end quickly. The result was harsh- 'The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk' that was issued in March 3rd 1918 marking Russia's final withdrawal from World War I as an enemy of her co-signatories, fulfilling, on unexpectedly humiliating terms, a major goal of the Bolshevik revolution of November 7, 1917. But although the fulfilment of peace was completed, the very land given up had great economic importance, as they were some of the most fertile farming areas in Western Russia. Lenin did argue that the treaty was harsh but with the withdrawal of Russia from the war it meant he could focus more on maintaining his power and fulfilling the other promises.

When the Tsar had abdicated on the 15th or March 1917, the peasants believed that at last they could achieve their dream - to own their own land. But the Provisional Government would not give it to them. So Lenin promised in his slogan "Peace, Land and Bread" that if the Bolsheviks were to gain power they would redistribute land to the peasants and give them power within their rural communities and they would set up workers soviets in factories which would work to improve the working conditions and general lifestyles of those who worked in the industrial cities. Such a mixture of beliefs was genuinely popular in both urban and rural areas and it also ensured that the Bolsheviks appealed to the two largest social groups in Russia. So in November after the Bolsheviks had assumed power, a decree was passed taking all the land away from the Tsar and the old landlords. Land was given to the peasants, who would form committees to divide it up evenly. With the majority of the population in Russia being peasants it was certain that Bolsheviks needed to appeal to them to gain their support. The offer of land being given back to the peasants was an important factor in the Bolsheviks gaining power.

By 1917 hunger and starvation was gripping Russia. Food and fuel supplies had stopped being sent to the cities and were on train to the war front to support the soldiers fighting in WW1. Many people in Russia were sick of the war and sick of being cold and hungry. Food rations had become very strict and people had become desperate. When Lenin introduced his slogan "Peace, Land and Bread" he had promised to get bread to the cities. When he came into power he made it an absolute priority to fulfil this promise. But when peasants didn't want to sell their produce at the prices demanded by the Bolsheviks because they believed they were to low and they would be unable to make a living of the income, so he sent out the 'Cheka' to take it the food by force. The Cheka was Lenin's secret police that arrested people who were considered dangerous or doing the wrong thing. So although food was sent to the cities to feed the hungry, peasants weren't happy with the prices paid for their goods. Yet it was still essential that the Bolsheviks promised what the majority of people wanted. And that was bread.

The Tsarist rule in Russia had already been overthrown in the February Revolution of 1917, but the problems that had led to that revolution persisted even with the new government. In three words, Lenin captured the needs of the Russian people and convinced them that he and his Bolsheviks would satisfy their demands to the extent that many but not all were willing to support him in setting up another government. But he knew that to stay in power he had to push ahead with the measures he had promised: to end the war (peace), to give land to the peasants (land) and to get food to the cities (bread). Otherwise, his support would disappear. Lenin did fulfil these promises and they were a huge factor in his party gaining the support he needed to take over the Provisional Government.

Answer 2

a play between lenin and kerensky on the fate of russia