Bolshevik Foreign Policy, 1914 to 1922
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UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations 1-1-2004 Revolutionary idealists to revolutionary statesmen: Bolshevik foreign policy, 1914 to 1922 Benjamin Carlos Montoya University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/rtds Repository Citation Montoya, Benjamin Carlos, "Revolutionary idealists to revolutionary statesmen: Bolshevik foreign policy, 1914 to 1922" (2004). UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations. 1735. http://dx.doi.org/10.25669/eig8-qwhs This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. REVOLUTIONARY IDEALISTS TO REVOLUTIONARY STATESMEN; BOLSHEVIK FOREIGN POLICY, 1914 TO 1922. by Benjamin Carlos Montoya Bachelor of History University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2000 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment Of the requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in History Department of History College of Liberal Arts Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas December 2004 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 1427418 Copyright 2005 by Montoya, Benjamin Carlos All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI Microform 1427418 Copyright 2005 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Thesis Approval IINTV The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas November 18_______ , 20 04 The Thesis prepared by Benjamin Carlos Montoya Entitled Revolutionary Idealists To Revolutionary Statesmen: _______Bolshevik Foreign Policy, 1914 To 1922.______ is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History Examination Committee Chair Dean of the Graduate College Exstrmmtion Committee Memo Examination Committee Member Graduate College Faculty Representative PR/1017-53/1-00 11 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT Revolutionary Idealists to Revolutionary Statesmen: A Sample Abstract by Benjamin Carlos Montoya Dr. Paul W. Werth, Examination Committee Chair Professor of History University of Nevada, Las Vegas From 1917 to 1922, the Bolsheviks conducted a foreign policy that melded their background in Marxist ideology with the exigencies of state power. The Bolsheviks believed an international revolution would imitate their socialist revolution of October 1917. When it became clear this would not happen, V.I. Lenin and his comrades chose to preserve their revolution in Russia. The Bolsheviks believed peace would induce revolution throughout war-torn Europe. After the October Revolution the Bolsheviks immediately sought an end to the Great War. Only Germany accepted this proposal of peace, however, and the Bolsheviks were forced to accept a harsh peace treaty that stripped much of Russia’s holdings. Despite this blow to their revolutionary drive, the Bolsheviks believed the peace with Germany allowed consolidation of revolutionary forces in Russia. Since Europe’s working- 111 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. classes failed to incite a socialist uprising, the Bolsheviks incorporated state power to organize and prepare the grounds for international revolution. IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS..................................................................................................... iü INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................2 CHAPTER I; THE GREAT WAR “SCHISM”..................................................................... 15 CHAPTER II: “THE TRUE MEANING OF THE WAR”.................................................. 19 CHAPTER III: “POLITICS BY DIFFERENT MEANS” .................................................... 23 CHAPTER IV: “THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF REVOLUTIONS”....................................28 CHAPTER V: “PEREDYSHKA A ‘BREATHING SPELL’” ......................................... 34 CHAPTER VI: “A RUTHLESS WAR AGAINST REVOLUTIONARY PHRASES” . 41 CHAPTER VII: “DRAGGED AND SHOVED TO GOLGOTHA”...................................50 CHAPTER VIII: “ORGANIZING AND PREPARING” ....................................................57 CHAPTER DG DEFENDING THE “SOCIALIST FATHERLAND”.................................61 CHAPTER X: “ONE GREAT GAMBLE”............................................................................ 65 CHAPTER XI: “STABILIZAHON AND PREPARATION” .............................................. 70 CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................................76 BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................................................79 V ITA ...................................................................................................................................... 81 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are many people to thank for the completion of this thesis. Thanks must be given to my family, for their unwavering support and confidence in my abilities. Appreciation must be expressed toward Carol and Loren Heiniger and Vicki Figueroa for allowing me space and time to finish this project. I thank Rob Merriman and Jerry Wyckoff for their technical support in the ultimate time of need. Finally, I am grateful for the contributions and suggestions provided by my Examination Committee: Drs. Paul W. Werth (Chair), Joseph A. Fry, Colin Loader, and Dmitri Shalin. .Dr. Werth’s suggestions and feedback were crucial in the final development of this work, and Dr. Fry’s tireless editing helped to make the final draft more concise and strong. Thank you all very much for everything. VI Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Tl faut reculer, pour meiux sauter.’” [“You have to step back to make a better jump.”] —V.I. Lenin Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INTRODUCTION The Bolsheviks melded their background in Marxist tradition with their conduct of foreign relations during the early years of Soviet Russia. They believed their revolutionary form of foreign policy would create a foundation for international proletarian revolution envisioned by Karl Marx. Since Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels did not formulate explicitly a foreign policy agenda for revolutionary socialism, the Bolsheviks (after October 1917) had to manage a foreign policy that met both the exigencies of state power and corroborated their Marxist tradition/education. This was no easy process. Many Bolsheviks disagreed on the proper conduct of foreign policy for Soviet Russia. Marxism states that socialist revolution is the only force that can liberate the working masses from capitalist overlords. For the realization of a genuine socialist society, Marx and Engels postulated, socialist revolution must assume an international character. Workers of one state could not be free completely if their proletarian brethren were still being oppressed in another state. Proletarian solidarity was (;he essential prerequisite for a Marxist revolution. The state played a vital role in this Marxist form of revolution. Despite viewing the state as the bourgeois tool of oppression over the proletariat, Marx believed state power would play a critical role in the foundation of socialism. By seizing the reins of power through revolution, the working masses could implement state power for the destruction of bourgeois influence in the world. Centralized state power comprised an essential componait of Marx’s dictum for revolution by providing organization and Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. solidarity.