How far do you agree that the Bolsheviks consolidated their hold on power in the years after the October/November revolution mainly through the use of violence against their opponents?
With the Bolsheviks it is important to remember that they had many opponents to their power, some who wanted Tsarism back or the Provisional Government or wanted the elections to go through for a Constitutional Assembly, so causing the Civil War. Throughout this they had clear leaders who knew what they were doing and how they were going to get there. However it was the use of violence that lead them to be able to suppress the unrest among the people, win the Civil War, get rid of any threats to power and so keeping them in power. If they had not used violence then their opponents would have had the upper hand and would instead be in power.
Violence was the main way that the Bolsheviks held onto power not just because of its effect but because they used it everywhere within their regime, so using the Cheka, grain requisition, and Red Army and Kronsdat sailors. One way they used violence was the Cheka, they were the secret police that Lenin had created to get rid of any political threats. It is estimated that between their creation and 1921 over 30,000 political "enemies/threats" were killed and many more were imprisoned or tortured. They would also track down the deserters and either force them to fight or kill them for running away from the war. The Cheka had a big effect on the opposition within the Bolshevik power they were terrified that if they said anything or tried to strike then they would be killed. So this helped them to keep power, as the people obeyed the rules even if they did not completely believe in them, so there seemed to be little unrest. Another way they use violence to keep power was the grain requisitioning. This was when they had War Communism in place, this caused the peasants to start hoarding the grain as they did not want to just give it away, and this meant here was not enough for the people in the towns and cities. So the Bolsheviks had to start sending in people to get the grain form the peasants. If any of the peasants tried to
Violence was the main way that the Bolsheviks held onto power not just because of its effect but because they used it everywhere within their regime, so using the Cheka, grain requisition, and Red Army and Kronsdat sailors. One way they used violence was the Cheka, they were the secret police that Lenin had created to get rid of any political threats. It is estimated that between their creation and 1921 over 30,000 political "enemies/threats" were killed and many more were imprisoned or tortured. They would also track down the deserters and either force them to fight or kill them for running away from the war. The Cheka had a big effect on the opposition within the Bolshevik power they were terrified that if they said anything or tried to strike then they would be killed. So this helped them to keep power, as the people obeyed the rules even if they did not completely believe in them, so there seemed to be little unrest. Another way they use violence to keep power was the grain requisitioning. This was when they had War Communism in place, this caused the peasants to start hoarding the grain as they did not want to just give it away, and this meant here was not enough for the people in the towns and cities. So the Bolsheviks had to start sending in people to get the grain form the peasants. If any of the peasants tried to