Bolshevik economic policies Flashcards
In terms of economic policy, in the short term, Lenin wanted to…
- stabilise the economy
- generate economic growth
- he hoped this would win popularity for the new regime
What was Lenin’s key objective from mid-1918?
To win the Civil War.
What was Lenin’s priority after 1921?
Rebuilding and stabilising the regime.
The evolution of Lenin’s policies reflected…
Marxist ideology - Marx was clear that a Communist society would have an extremely advanced economy - therefore Lenin was committed to the modernisation of the Russian economy.
What was state capitalism?
Based on the nationalisation of industry - nationalisation ended capitalism by passing the ownership of industry from capitalists to the new state.
Lenin hoped that nationalisation would lead to greater…
efficiency as the government could employ experts to run the economy.
What was the Vesenkha?
The organisation within Lenin’s government which controlled the economy.
Control of the nationalised industries was centralised by the…which would:
Vesenkha.
This would:
- Re-establish worker discipline by offering higher pay to productive workers
- Ensure factories were properly managed by placing them under the control of well-paid specialists
- Co-ordinate economic production to meet the needs of the new society
What were the consequences of state capitalism?
- It was extremely unpopular as it ended workers’ control
- Moreover, the government kept wages low, as Lenin wanted to target resources at economic growth
- Finally, the Vesenkha tended to employ former factory owners to manage the state-controlled factories
- In this sense, life for the workers in factories under
state capitalism was very similar to life before the Revolution
What was War Communism?
- A series of emergency economic measures by Lenin in mid-1918 - a series of policies designed to ensure Communist victory in the Civil War.
What was the food dictatorship?
- War Communism abolished the free market in food by introducing a food dictatorship, which consisted of:
- Grain requisitioning - Cheka squads were authorised to seize grain and other forms of food from peasants without payment
- Rationing - the Supply Commissariat rationed the seized food. The largest rations went to workers and soldiers, the smallest ones were given to members of the bourgeoisie
How did War Communism entail intense labour discipline?
- In 1918 the working day was extended to 11 hours
- In 1919 work was made compulsory for all able-bodied people between 16 and 50 years of age
- Harsh punishments were given to workers who were late or caught slacking
The chaotic conditions of the Civil War led to a breakdown of the existing…. How was this seen?
market - Bukharin and other radicals saw this as a huge victory; they believed that the Revolution had destroyed the capitalist market.
What measures were introduced to try to abolish the market?
- The abolition of money. In the short term, the government simply printed more money, which led to hyperinflation. Money became worthless, workers were paid through their rations, and many public services, such as trams, were provided freely
- The abolition of trade - private trade was made illegal
- Complete nationalisation - all businesses were taken over by the state.
What were the consequences of War Communism?
- It destroyed incentives to work
- Consequently, there was an economic catastrophe
- By 1920 there was a famine in the country
- In total, the industrial workers fled the cities in search of food
- In total, the industrial workforce declined from 2.6 million workers in 1917 to 1.2 million in early 1921
