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as opportunistic. For instance, Edward Acton believes that the
Bolsheviks realised that the mass of ordinary people did not share their objectives. Furthermore, those ordinary people had no idea that their interests were not tied to the Bolsheviks. The reality was that "the cleavage of the goals of the masses and that of the Bolsheviks was fundamental." Richard Pipes takes this analysis further and contends that key Bolsheviks intentionally proposed the Decrees to gain the legitimacy they would need to bring about a totalitarian state. Revisionist historians take a different view. According to them, the advent of a totalitarian state was circumstantial. The Bolsheviks were not opportunists but benevolent idealists; the point of the Decrees was to bring about a better quality of life for the Russian people. Regardless of which view is the more accurate account, it is clear from these opposing perspectives that the history of the Initial Decrees is a politically charged issue. This is perhaps because historians use the Decrees to try to discern whether the implementation of Marxist thought has totalitarian tendencies.
154:
106:(July 1917), an uprising of workers and military forces. The slogan succinctly articulated the grievances of the Russian peasantry, armed forces and proletariat (the working-class sections of Russian society). As revisionist historian Christopher Read suggests, "The Bolsheviks were successful in uniting the diverse revolutionary movements and directing them towards one goal", namely the establishment of state-socialism. At the same time, the Bolsheviks were not "re-inventing the wheel." Legal reforms along similar lines to the Decrees had been discussed in the
88:
149:
The significance of the
Decrees has been the subject of historical debate. There is consensus that the Bolsheviks wanted to secure popular support through them. However, historians question the Bolsheviks' motives in pursuing this populist agenda. Liberal historians are sceptical and see the Decrees
133:
outlined measures by which the peasants were to divide up rural land among themselves. It advocated the forceful dissolution of many wealthy estates by peasant forces. Such measures no doubt contributed to an increase in
Bolshevik support amongst the peasantry, but were counterproductive in that the
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outlined measures for Russia's withdrawal from the First World War without "payment of indemnities or annexations". This decree aimed to secure the support of many soldiers on the disintegrating
Russian front. The sincerity of this Bolshevik assurance came under scrutiny when V.I. Lenin endorsed the
145:
The
Bolsheviks also declared approximately 100 other decrees outlining the formal setup of Bolshevik government through the medium of the soviet institutions. Nevertheless, Soviet political sovereignty was to be further challenged by the fact that the Social Revolutionary party attained over 50% of
146:
the votes in a democratically elected
Assembly in January 1918. The Assembly was promptly shut down by the Bolsheviks on the grounds that the Soviets (workers' councils) were a more advanced democratic representation of the Russian people.
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outlined measures for minimum wage, limitations on workers' hours, and the running of factories by elected workers' committees. This consolidated
Bolshevik support amongst the working classes in the cities, where they had taken power.
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Decree on the
Dismantling of Monuments Erected in Honor of the Tsars and Their Servants and on the Formulation of Projects of Monuments to the
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1514:
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102:(October 26, 1917). The Decrees seemed to conform to the popular Bolshevik slogan "Peace, Land and Bread", taken up by the masses during the
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Decree on the
Organisation of the Village Poor and Supply to Them of Grain, Prime Necessities and Agricultural Implements
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The
Bolshevik Initial Decrees (the 'Decrees') were announced as soon as the Bolsheviks declared their success in the
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Russian war front disintegrated as soldiers (who were formerly peasants) returned to secure land for themselves.
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Rights on Archives of Russian Writers, Composers, Painters and Scientists, Preserved in Libraries and Museums
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Decree on the Nationalization of Large-Scale Industry and Railway Transportation Enterprises
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Decree on Establishing Compulsory Military Training for Workers and Peasants of Age 18 to 40
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62:), issued between 1917 and 1924. Such acts issued after 1924 are referred to as Decisions (
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Decree on the Election of Officers and on the Organization of Authority in the Army
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Decree on the Compulsory Recruitment into the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army
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Decree on the Free Exchange, Purchase and Selling of Agricultural Goods in
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Decree on the Introduction of Time Measurement According to International
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Village Bourgeoisie Who Were Concealing and Speculating on Grain Reserves
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Decree on Transfer of Power and the Means of Production to the Toilers
241:
2nd Congress of Soviets of Workers', Soldiers', and Peasants' Deputies
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2nd Congress of Soviets of Workers', Soldiers', and Peasants' Deputies
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Official documents of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
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From Tsar to Soviets: The Russian People and Their Revolution, 1917-21
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2nd Congress of Soviets of Workers', Soldiers', and Peasants' Deputies
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Decree on the Order of Preservation and Annihilation of Archive Acts
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Decree Giving the Food Commissariat Extraordinary Powers to Combat
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Decree on Civil Marriage, Children and civil registry bookkeeping
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Decree on Release from Military Service Due to Religious Beliefs
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Decree on Establishment of the State Commission on Enlightenment
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Decree on Establishment of the Workers' and Peasants' Government
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441:
Decree on the Equalization of Rights of All Serving in the Army
79:
in Soviet sources. They are also known as the 'April Theses'.
1411:
The Bolshevik revolution, 1917-1918: Documents and materials
1369:
Decree on Transforming Labour Commune of Volga Germans into
165:
building previously housing the paramilitary organization
679:
Decree on the End of Workers' Control over the Railroads
896:
Decree on the Introduction of the International Decimal
110:
but were not implemented due to internal disagreements.
916:, Owned by Private Persons, Societies and Institutions
58:(the highest legislative body between sessions of the
27:
Soviet legislation in 1917–24, before the Soviet Union
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Decree on the Uprooting of the Anti-Semitic Movement
771:
Decree on the Nationalization of the Sugar Industry
865:Decree on the Nationalization of Private Railroads
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1479:
1460:(2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
124:which divested Russia of its Baltic territory.
8:
1114:Decree on the Universal Labour Conscription
402:Supreme Economic Council of National Economy
526:Decree on the Rights and Duties of Soviets
418:Decree on the Nationalization of the Banks
161:motto painted in plaster in a ceiling of a
157:"Pão, Terra e Paz" (Bread, Land and Peace)
1537:Decrees of the Soviet government 1917-1918
1531:Decrees of the Soviet government 1917-1926
1127:Decree on Labour Rewarding with Premiums
912:Decree on Registration and Protection of
594:Decree on the Annullation of State Debts
349:Decree Abolishing Classes and Civil Ranks
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1163:
1091:
966:
578:Decree on Separation of Church and State
485:
185:
1439:Communist Russia Under Lenin and Stalin
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46:) were legislative acts of the highest
1413:. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
7:
914:Monuments of Culture and Ancient Art
54:(the highest executive body) and of
1409:Bunyan, James; H.H. Fisher (1934).
929:Decree on the Establishment of the
694:Decree on Consumers' Co-Operatives
1437:Fiehn, Terry; Chris Corin (2002).
288:Decree on the Right to Issue Laws
25:
1420:Rethinking the Russian Revolution
1299:Decree on the Unification of the
1244:Decree on Producers' Cooperation
745:Decree on the Nationalization of
541:Decree on the Dissolution of the
662:Socialist Homeland is in Danger!
629:Workers' and Peasants' Red Fleet
931:Labour Commune of Volga Germans
627:Decree on Establishment of the
561:Workers' and Peasants' Red Army
559:Decree on Establishment of the
400:Decree on the Formation of the
50:institutions, primarily of the
609:Decree on Introduction of the
52:Council of People's Commissars
1:
1186:Decree on the Replacement of
456:State Independence of Finland
1456:Fitzpatrick, Sheila (1994).
1214:Surplus Appropriation System
1188:Surplus Appropriation System
1073:among the Population of the
1004:Surplus Appropriation System
729:Flag of the Russian Republic
711:Russian Socialist Revolution
303:Decree on Social Insurance
1579:
1501:Read, Christopher (1996).
1486:. London: HarperCollins.
1400:Great Soviet Encyclopedia
1071:Eradication of Illiteracy
741:
611:Western European Calendar
429:
204:
83:Bolshevik Initial Decrees
72:
43:
1282:Decree on the Universal
1563:Law of the Soviet Union
1441:. London: John Murray.
1286:for Agricultural Goods
122:Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
1482:The Russian Revolution
1458:The Russian Revolution
1418:Acton, Edward (1990).
1230:Consumers' Cooperation
272:Eight-Hour Working Day
177:List of Soviet Decrees
173:
95:
1509:. London: UCL Press.
1422:. London: E. Arnold.
1050:Decree on Abolishing
169:, in 1976, after the
156:
90:
1305:Far Eastern Republic
645:Decree on Courts N2
543:Constituent Assembly
171:Carnation Revolution
60:Congress of Soviets
1142:Decree on General
949:of Working People
800:Decree on Forests
174:
100:October Revolution
96:
1516:978-1-85728-358-7
1493:978-0-00-272086-1
1467:978-0-19-289257-7
1448:978-0-7195-7488-7
1429:978-0-7131-6609-5
1381:
1380:
1340:
1339:
1329:for Going Abroad
1321:Decree on Giving
1289:VTsIK, Sovnarkom
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1247:VTsIK, Sovnarkom
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1085:
1084:
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790:VTsIK, Sovnarkom
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475:VTsIK, Sovnarkom
444:VTsIK, Sovnarkom
436:VTsIK, Sovnarkom
406:VTsIK, Sovnarkom
385:Decree on Courts
167:Legião Portuguesa
16:(Redirected from
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369:Workers' Control
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1539:(in Russian)
1533:(in Russian)
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1391:
1366:December 19
1355:Decree Name
1318:December 19
1301:Russian SFSR
1296:November 15
1268:Decree Name
1172:Decree Name
1146:Regulations
1100:Decree Name
1075:Russian SFSR
1066:December 26
975:Decree Name
875:September 5
862:September 4
785:
657:February 21
642:February 15
624:February 11
510:Clock Change
494:Decree Name
469:December 31
451:December 31
430:December 29
415:December 27
397:December 15
364:November 27
345:November 24
330:November 22
315:November 18
300:November 13
285:November 12
267:November 11
194:Decree Name
148:
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138:
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126:
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97:
30:
29:
1212:that Ended
1111:January 29
1015:February 8
999:January 11
942:October 31
926:October 19
606:February 8
591:February 3
574:February 2
556:January 28
538:January 19
382:December 5
250:November 9
205:November 8
1547:Categories
1384:References
1358:Issued by
1332:Sovnarkom
1323:Exit Visas
1271:Issued by
1234:Sovnarkom
1228:Decree on
1218:Sovnarkom
1210:Guberniyas
1175:Issued by
1149:Sovnarkom
1130:Sovnarkom
1117:Sovnarkom
1103:Issued by
1079:Sovnarkom
1069:Decree on
1057:Sovnarkom
1038:Sovnarkom
1025:Sovnarkom
1008:Sovnarkom
1002:Decree on
992:Sovnarkom
986:January 4
978:Issued by
952:Sovnarkom
935:Sovnarkom
919:Sovnarkom
909:October 5
902:Sovnarkom
884:Sovnarkom
880:Red Terror
878:Decree on
868:Sovnarkom
855:Sovnarkom
842:Sovnarkom
803:Sovnarkom
774:Sovnarkom
751:Sovnarkom
715:Sovnarkom
697:Sovnarkom
682:Sovnarkom
667:Sovnarkom
633:Sovnarkom
615:Sovnarkom
582:Sovnarkom
565:Sovnarkom
529:Sovnarkom
523:January 7
514:Sovnarkom
505:January 4
497:Issued by
460:Sovnarkom
373:Sovnarkom
367:Decree on
336:Sovnarkom
321:Sovnarkom
306:Sovnarkom
291:Sovnarkom
276:Sovnarkom
197:Issued by
108:State Duma
94:title page
1327:Passports
1303:with the
1279:March 17
1205:March 28
1183:March 21
1032:April 22
1020:Time Zone
849:August 9
742:April 22
724:April 14
706:April 12
691:April 10
676:March 26
257:Sovnarkom
159:Bolshevik
104:July Days
65:‹See Tfd›
36:‹See Tfd›
1478:(1990).
1284:Food Tax
1225:April 7
1192:Food Tax
1139:June 17
1047:July 29
836:June 28
823:June 11
660:Decree "
1361:E-text
1274:E-text
1241:July 7
1190:by the
1178:E-text
1124:June 8
1106:E-text
1022:System
981:E-text
810:May 29
797:May 13
781:May 13
500:E-text
200:E-text
163:Funchal
69:Russian
44:декреты
40:Russian
31:Decrees
1513:
1490:
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1445:
1426:
1396:Декрет
1375:VTsIK
1309:VTsIK
1196:VTsIK
829:VTsIK
816:VTsIK
768:May 2
761:VTsIK
733:VTsIK
648:VTsIK
597:VTsIK
547:VTsIK
421:VTsIK
388:VTsIK
77:Ukases
48:Soviet
354:VTsIK
75:) or
56:VTsIK
1511:ISBN
1488:ISBN
1462:ISBN
1443:ISBN
1424:ISBN
1371:ASSR
1343:1924
1325:and
1256:1922
1160:1921
1144:Wage
1088:1920
963:1919
482:1918
182:1917
137:The
127:The
113:The
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