Bolsheviks Primary Source

Source A is supposed to be a valuable one because it’s adapted from Lenin’s April Theses for Peace, thus offering a perspective on the Revolution from the Bolshevik Party leader himself. However, the fact that it’s ‘adapted’ lowers its credibility, as the document might have suffered misleading changes, meant to portray Lenin and the Bolsheviks in a certain way. Moreover, the extract is published by the official communist newspaper which indicates a clear bias in favour of the Bolshevik Revolutionaries, making it a secondary source. In terms of content, the extract states that the Soviet Government enjoys support from the working class and the peasants and that victory of the Bolsheviks is just a matter of time. The second point tries to …show more content…
It shows the inefficiency of the economic system, the endemic corruption and the cruel way it was dealt with. The tightness of the regime points out the fear of the Bolsheviks and the fact that the Government didn’t have the situation under control, after all. However, the positive tone Bessy adopts in her book and the way she tried to put blame on the mobs in order not to damage the bolshevik’s reputation puts this source and doubt and lessens it’s value to an historian. The most important conclusion one can draw from this document is that the Bolshevik’s economic approach wasn’t functional and it was starting to cause food shortages and unrest within the population, ideas which are reinforced by Source …show more content…
Accordingly, it takes into account a larger range of events and happenings. At first, the content of the extract might seem slightly weird, considering that the Kronstadt sailors were considered unquestionable supporters of the Bolsheviks while here they seem to be their worst enemy. But this very useful to a historian, because it portrays the Kronstadt rebels in the final phase of the Revolution when they have already been pushed to their physical and psychological limits. The language used is very literate but the tone is very emotive. Source C explains the loss of faith in the Bolshevik Government with the food shortages, the poverty and the state of general ruin. This is a primary and highly valuable source because its purpose is to make the voices of the people directly involved in the Revolution heard. The Kronstadt rebels have been strong supporters of the Bolsheviks, fighting along with the Red Army in the 1917 October Revolution.The Kronstadt sailors are claiming to be a more authentic and legitimate representation of labourers. During 1917-1921 they have found themselves on both sides of the Revolution and had to fight against those they once supported, therefore they can offer an assorted perspective on the