The Kronstdat rebellion holds tremendous significance in the shaping of Russia, it was the first attempt by the people to achieve a social revolution for themselves as Voline states "the first entirely independent attempt of the people to liberate itself from all yokes and achieve the Social Revolution, an attempt made directly, resolutely, and boldly by the working masses themselves without political shepherds, without leaders or tutors."(1), furthermore the the rebellion also highlighted the failure economically of the State as Lenin said in regards to the rebellion ''It lit up reality like a flash of lightning''(2). Moreover, the rebellion also saw the Bolsheviks cower to maintain their control, to the extent of sacrificing there own communist ideals, through the formation of so called 'State Capitalism'. The sheer extent of the violence used by the Bolsheviks and their later attitude also expresses this and raises the question of whether a social revolution had actually taken place. As Lenin states 'Marxism teaches that only the Communist party is capable of organising the proletariat and the whole mass of the working people'(3). Clearly expressing the Bolsheviks intent to establish a one party dictatorship. The rebellion would also change the Popular opinion in Russia towards the new form of government. Overall the Kronstdat rebellion is particularly significant in the way in which the Bolsheviks were forced to compromise in some areas, their reaction to the rebellion and the affects it had on the Russian populous
The cruel suppression of the Kronstdat sailer who were once remarked as the 'Flowers of the revolution' by Trotsky in 1921, highlighted a deep and dark truth about the Bolshevik regime and the so called great revolution of 1917. The sheer ease in which the Bolsheviks slaughtered the 'heroes' of the revolution also saw them call the demands made by the sailor in the petrovlapk resolution as absurd. The Bolsheviks had betrayed the very...
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