Writing Essays

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Writing Essays

• History Focus Day
• Friday 9 December 2005

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Consolidation of Power in Russia, 1918

• 1918 Consolidation of Power

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Introductions

• Explain title and what you intend to show
• A map of the area to be explored
• Provide necessary background / context
• Arouse the readers interest
• Explain your approach
• Define key terms
• Dont give away your conclusion
• This essay will explore / examine / evaluate.

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1918 Consolidation of Power

• INTRODUCTION

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Contextualise, Define and Interest

• The year 1917 was a dramatic year in the history
  of Russia. It saw two revolutions, the ending of
  the Romanov dynasty and the coming to power of
  the Bolsheviks. However, from the start, the
  Bolsheviks position was precarious and their
  hold on power far from secure. They would have to
  fight to consolidate the power that they had won
  in October.

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Explain your approach

• This essay will examine the means by which the
  Bolsheviks were able to consolidate their power
  in 1918. It will do so by considering their
  passing of decrees, use of terror, dismissal of
  democracy, and peace treaty with Germany.

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1918 Introduction

• The year 1917 was a dramatic year in the history
  of Russia. It saw two revolutions, the ending of
  the Romanov dynasty and the coming to power of
  the Bolsheviks. However, from the start, the
  Bolsheviks position was precarious and their
  hold on power far from secure. They would have to
  fight to consolidate the power that they had won
  in October. This essay will examine the means by
  which the Bolsheviks were able to consolidate
  their power in 1918. It will do so by considering
  their passing of decrees, use of terror,
  dismissal of democracy, and peace treaty with
  Germany.

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Analytical Paragraphs

• STATEMENT make a reasonably general remark
  relevant to the question.
• EVIDENCE provide topic-specific detail, e.g.
  dates, people, events, ideas, organisations,
  places, data, etc.
• Analysis explore the significance of the
  evidence and examine alternatives.
• Conclusion make an interim summary linked
  firmly to the question.

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The Consolidation of Power in 1918

• Developing Answers

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STATEMENT

• Lenin was able to consolidate the power of the
• Bolsheviks by signing a peace with Germany to
• end Russias involvement in WWI.

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EVIDENCE

• The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed in March
• 1918 and contained serious implications for
• Russia. In total she lost 60m people, 30 of
• farmland, 25 of railway lines and 75 of iron
• ore and coal reserves. These facts led many both
• inside and outside the party to criticise Lenins
  
• actions. Not least amongst the detractors was
• Leon Trotsky.

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ANALYSIS

• However, Lenin calculated that the Treaty with
  Germany
• would be short-lived since the Allied victory in
  the West
• was almost assured after the USA had joined the
  War in
• 1917. The Treaty also enabled Lenin to focus on
  his
• external enemies which, in 1918, posed a
  significant threat
• to the stability of his regime. In the
  longer-term, though,
• the Treaty posed problems for the Bolsheviks as
  the Allies
• broadly supported and funded their enemies, the
  Whites
• throughout the Civil War.

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CONCLUSION

• Overall, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk solved more
• problems that it created and enabled the
• Bolsheviks to survive the crisis year of 1918.

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PARAGRAPH

• Lenin was able to consolidate the power of the
  Bolsheviks by signing a peace
• with Germany to end Russias involvement in WWI.
  The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
• was signed in March 1918 and contained serious
  implications for Russia. In total
• she lost 60m people, 30 of farmland, 25 of
  railway lines and 75 of iron ore
• and coal reserves. These facts led many both
  inside and outside the party to
• criticise Lenins actions. Not least amongst the
  detractors was Leon Trotsky.
• However, Lenin calculated that the Treaty with
  Germany would be short-lived
• since the Allied victory in the West was almost
  assured after the USA had joined
• the War in 1917. The Treaty also enabled Lenin to
  focus on his external enemies
• which, in 1918, posed a significant threat to the
  stability of his regime. In the
• longer-term, though, the Treaty posed problems
  for the Bolsheviks as the Allies
• broadly supported and funded their enemies, the
  Whites throughout the Civil
• War. Overall, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk solved
  more problems that it created
• and enabled the Bolsheviks to survive the crisis
  year of 1918.

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The Civil War

• Developing Answers

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STATEMENT

• The Bolsheviks were able to win the Civil War as
• they possessed a more effective and
  highly-trained
• fighting force.

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EVIDENCE

• Leon Trotsky had been appointed Commissar for War
  in
• 1917 and had been given Lenins absolute
  confidence in
• creating the Red Army in the same year. Trotsky
  re-
• imposed ranks and discipline and attached
  political
• commissars to every division. Punishments for
  disobeying
• orders were harsh and those who were captured or
  seen
• to be of questionable background were used for
• backbreaking labour.

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ANALYSIS

• Although, the role of the Red Army was key in
  victory, their success
• couldnt have been guaranteed without a number of
  other factors
• also advantaging the Bolsheviks. For instance
  they were in
• possession of the key industrial producing
  centres of Russia and
• controlled the railway lines. This meant that the
  Bolsheviks could
• produce more weapons and deploy troops more
  effectively. The
• Bolsheviks were also helped by the weaknesses of
  the Whites who
• were dispersed across a wide area making
  communication difficult,
• and who lacked common war aims.

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CONCLUSION

• Therefore, the Red Armys contribution to Red
• victory in the Civil War needs to be seen in a
  wider
• context to explain fully the reasons for the
• Bolsheviks victory.

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PARAGRAPH

• The Bolsheviks were able to win the Civil War as
  they possessed a more effective and
• highly-trained fighting force. Leon Trotsky had
  been appointed Commissar for War in
• 1917 and had been given Lenins absolute
  confidence in creating the Red Army in the
• same year. Trotsky re-imposed ranks and
  discipline and attached political commissars to
• every division. Punishments for disobeying orders
  were harsh and those who were
• captured or seen to be of questionable
  background were used for backbreaking labour.
• Although, the role of the Red Army was key in
  victory, their success couldnt have been
• guaranteed without a number of other factors also
  advantaging the Bolsheviks. For
• instance they were in possession of the key
  industrial producing centres of Russia and
• controlled the railway lines. This meant that the
  Bolsheviks could produce more weapons
• and deploy troops more effectively. The
  Bolsheviks were also helped by the weaknesses of
• the Whites who were dispersed across a wide
  area making communication difficult, and
• who lacked common war aims. Therefore, the Red
  Armys contribution to Red victory in
• the Civil War needs to be seen in a wider context
  to explain fully the reasons for the
• Bolsheviks victory.

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Paragraph Transitions

• One paragraph needs to flow from another in order
  to arrive at a substantial conclusion
• Think of your essay as building a house, you
  wouldnt do this by building lots of foundations
• To do this use similar words / expressions at the
  start of a new paragraph to the ones youve used
  at the end of the last one.
• Links points by pointing out how one factor is
  related to another.

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Conclusions

• Finish strongly dramatically memorably
• Should follow inevitably from title, introduction
  and main body
• Should have finality about it
• Sum up in a new / fresh manner all of your
  interims conclusions (i.e. SEAC)
• Give something definite to think about. Do not
  just tail off or sit on fence
• Add something new by looking into future set
  the reader a new, important question to think
  about that is firmly linked to your argument
• This essay has examined / argued / evaluated.

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1918 Consolidation of Power

• CONCLUSION

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Sum Up

• This essay has argued that the Bolsheviks were
  able to consolidate their position in 1918 due to
  their single-minded pursuit of power. They passed
  decrees that built support and saw off enemies
  they crushed opponents through the ruthless
  pursuit of terror and were prepared to do
  whatever it took including the ending of
  democracy and a surrender to Germany so long as
  it meant they remained in power. In many ways, it
  can be argued that they abandoned their essential
  values, but Lenin calculated that this was
  necessary in the context of 1918 Russia.

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Add something new

• However, at the end of 1918, the Bolsheviks
  position was far from secure. To confirm their
  position as the government as Russia, the
  Bolsheviks would have to fight a civil war,
  withstand pressure from foreign interventionists
  and transform the Russian economy out of all
  recognition.

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1918 Conclusion

• This essay has argued that the Bolsheviks were
  able to consolidate their position in 1918 due to
  their single-minded pursuit of power. They passed
  decrees that built support and saw off enemies
  they crushed opponents through the ruthless
  pursuit of terror and were prepared to do
  whatever it took including the ending of
  democracy and a surrender to Germany so long as
  it meant they remained in power. In many ways, it
  can be argued that they abandoned their essential
  values, but Lenin calculated that this was
  necessary in the context of 1918 Russia. However,
  at the end of 1918, the Bolsheviks position was
  far from secure. To confirm their position as the
  government as Russia, the Bolsheviks would have
  to fight a civil war, withstand pressure from
  foreign interventionists and transform the
  Russian economy out of all recognition.

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Other Points to Consider

• NEVER use 1st person (I me my)
• Paragraphs should be 1/3 ½ side long
• Always stick to question
• Be clear what the question is asking before you
  start
• Dont tell stories
• Dont use unnecessary superlatives (sounds like
  you have nothing of interest to say)
• Keep it formal
• Balance doesnt mean sitting on the fence