The war was something that many of the people were hoping would end for Russia. As seen before, the Tzar kept Russian soldiers in the war and used poor military guidance which caused various problems on the front line, and at home. Under the new provisional government, Russia would remain in the war. In his April thesis, Lenin wrote and spoke out against the war, and promised a Russia that was out of the war (Thesis). Although this is shown as something that could be viewed as something that helped the people of Russia and its people, Lenin used this tactic to get the peoples attention. This was a statement primarily used to draw a crowd and have people begin to follow and believe that Lenin was someone who could properly Run the country. Lenin used ideas like this to tell the people what they wanted to hear.
Along with the war, Lenin promised food and other supplies to the people of Russia (Notes). With the war taking supplies from Russia in vast amounts and the damage done by the Tzar, poverty had stricken much of Russia (1). Many people were left homeless and defenseless (1). With Lenin offering food and supplies to the people of Russia, People started looking up to Lenin as a person that could help them to leave their poverty stricken lives. Lenin was once again using this tactic to draw the peoples attention into what he was saying. Of course offering food and supplies was a tremendous advantage in helping the peple and strengthening their lives, Lenin only told the people what they wanted to hear. Offering food and supplies was what the people of Russia truly needed and wanted at this time, and offering a necessity of the time would strongly widen the amount of followers Lenin was beginning to accumulate. Both an end to the war and the providing of supplies was a way that Lenin could expose the false hopes that were given to the people earlier by the Tzar, and gain political attention to make the people feel secure about a leader they could possibly trust. Of course later it is seen that Lenin himself was giving false hopes as well.
As Lenin began to drift away from the peoples wants and needs, He began to focus on his ideas of how the government should be run (Reading). He was leaning towards a communist dictatorship (Reading). he abolished all political parties, except for one (Reading). In doing this, Lenin would have no party against his own, and therefore no one had the ability to go against him and his political beliefs. He was able to make judgements without interference from those who would oppose against them. Another way in which Lenin held supreme diction was when he put a stop to Bourgoise from printing anything against him (Reading).This method was used to stop people from hearing or reading negative things about him. This values the fact that Lenin was beginning to gain power. Not only were people not able to go against him in political beliefs, but Lenin even put a stop to anything that would be written or said against him. With nothing negative being said about Lenin or nothing being spoken out against Lenin, it was believed that Lenin could maintain power without interference (Class Notes). Lenin found himself slowly moving to supreme power.
A problem that was developing was the peoples careless attitudes toward Lenin's ideas toward a communist dictatorship. The people were focused on their needs and wants and payed no attention to what was to be done with the government (Class Notes). People began to become upset as they were promised provisions and were yet to receive them (Class Notes). Many people began to believe that this upcoming leader was no different from the Tzar that had put the people in turmoil before (Reading). Some people took extreme measures and held riots and strikes (Reading). Lenin saw disorder in his people and felt that holding power would become difficult as people began to object to Lenin's approach on ruling.
Instead of pushing false promises to the people, Lenin used harsh, brutal tactics to keep himself in supreme power (Reading). The Chekad was a secret police force used to supress people who were planning against Lenin (Reading). Like what was seen when Lenin stopped the press from publishing articles against him, the Chekad kept anyone who was against Lenin silence, and out of the way (Reading). It is seen here that Lenin used the Chekad to keep power because as people were speaking out against Lenin, they were stopped and at sometimes brutally stopped by the Chekad. If no people had the ability to fight out against Lenin, Lenin himself was not harmed or was threatened to be taken out of power. Lenin therefore was able to stay in power without any obstacles in the way.
Concentration camps and the Red Army also served the same purpose in keeping Lenin in power. Concentration camps were harsh and brutal camps used as a form of punishment for those who spoke out against Lenin (Reading). Like the Chekad, concentration camps were a way to Keep Lenin in power (Class Notes). Concentration camps not only kepts out the obstacles of counter revolutions against Lenin, but showed how strong of a communist leader Lenin had become. Lenin was now able to show power by castigating the people for their ideas that were opposed to that of Lenin's. It is seen here that once a problem is taken out of the picture, supreme power can shine as there is nothing to stop that power from falling.
The Red Army served the purpose of frightening the people (Class Notes). As people were threatened and frightened by the Red Army, their plans to counter revolt against Lenin would be dissolved. It is seen that along with people being punished and taken away to camps for revolting, and the news media and secret police making it impossible to talk about or plan things against Lenin, Lenin now had a small group that would bring terror that would stop any plans of Revolt. With all of Lenin's tactics taking place and demoralizing the people of Russia, Lenin Forcibly was able to hold supreme power in a communist dictatoriship.
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