Cheka And The Red Army example essay topic
444 words
Through the use of coercion from the Cheka and the Red Army, the Bolsheviks were able to maintain the control of the Revolution. The Bolsheviks used a system of terror to reinforce ideas and to force the people of Russia to bend to its will. The cheka and the red army were used to reinforce War Communism, from 1918-1921, under which every single industry, including small shops, were state own. Later the cheka went on to reinforce the New Economic Policy from March 1921. As part of these policies the peasants were to give up a part of their grains that they produce, to the government. And if the peasants refused to give them up the Requisitions Squad would turn their. ".. machine guns... on them". In fact if anyone tried to or did oppose Bolshevik orders or polices they would have been tortured, executed or exiled. Even within the Red Army, officers would not hesitate to kill those that tried to desert them or those who were disloyal, e.g. Kronstadt Rebellion 1921 and during the Civil War 1918-21. These acts of horror spread a reign of terror amongst the people and it was through this method that the Bolsheviks were able to maintain power over the revolution. The cheka and the Red army were absolutely disregard less to justice, in fact they. ".. have no need for justice.
' They used any means possible to suppress opposition. Members of the Bourgeoisie class were sent to labor camps, where they were worked to death. (Very similar to the concentration camps in WWII) They also used their Ok rana skills to obtain 'confessions' from the people- the confessions weren't really confessions because the people would say anything to stop the torturing. During 1918-19, it was believed that 128,010 people were arrested and sent to labor camps and 8,724 people were executed.
It was not an uncommon practice for people to be killed without trial. The Russian people deeply feared the cheka and the red army, and would join them just for their safety. The people's fear of the cheka and the red terror helped the Bolsheviks maintain control over the revolution. The Cheka and the Red Terror was "a legalized plan of the regime for the purpose of mass intimidation, mass compulsion, mass extermination... a calculated register of punishments, reprisals, and threats of means of which the government intimidates, entices and compels the fulfillment of it's imperative will. ' It is for these reasons why the Cheka and the Red Terror, maintained Bolshevik control of the revolution..
