Lenin - Social Policies

Question 1

EDUCATION - how many urban Russians could read in 1914?

Answer 1

14% - far fewer in rural Russia

Question 2

EDUCATION - what was Lenin’s view on education?

Answer 2

He believed that communism required an educated workforce with technical skills and the ability to read

Question 3

EDUCATION - what were Lunacharsky’s views on education.

Answer 3

He thought education was designed to allow the individual to flourish and be literate

Question 4

EDUCATION - who was in charge of education?

Answer 4

Lunacharsky and Krupskya (Lenin’s wife)

Question 5

EDUCATION - what did the 1918 decree on education involve?

Answer 5

Unified Labour Schools:

• free education for 8-17 year olds
• no religious education
• ending gender segregation
• abolished corporal punishment, homework and exams
• free breakfast and medical checks
• education became compulsory

Question 6

EDUCATION - what was school like?

Answer 6

4 hours spent in school and 4 hours spent in factories
Learning through play and other new teaching methods were encouraged but in reality socialists took over tsarist schools and continued to use old fashioned methods and teach the old curriculum.

Question 7

EDUCATION - when was free education actually introduced?

Answer 7

In the 1950’s

Question 8

EDUCATION - what effect did the civil war have on education?

Answer 8

People were preoccupied with war. Lunacharsky introduced liquidation points (6 month course in literacy) but teachers were often not behind the regime and the government focused more on military investment than education

Question 9

EDUCATION - what happened in the first 18 months of the NEP?

Answer 9

The number of children in education halved

Question 10

EDUCATION - when were primary school fees technically abolished?

Answer 10

In 1927, more children began to go to school as the NEP stabilised the economy

Question 11

EDUCATION - how many students still paid fees for education?

Answer 11

97% as schools were run locally not centrally.

Question 12

EDUCATION - what percentage of working and middle class children finished secondary education?

Answer 12

25% of Middle class and 3% of working class. Schools were still dominated by the wealthy

Question 13

EDUCATION - what was the 1919 decree on literacy?

Answer 13

All illiterates between the ages of 8 and 50 had to learn to read

Question 14

EDUCATION - what happened to literacy rates in the Red Army by 1925?

Answer 14

Trotsky introduced education for all soldiers so by 1925 100% of the red army was literate

Question 15

EDUCATION - how successful was the literacy campaign under Lenin?

Answer 15

More successful in urban areas than rural areas. Overall literacy rates go up to 55% by 1928

Question 16

HOUSING - what happened to houses in 1918?

Answer 16

Soviets took properties off the rich and moved working class families in

Question 17

HOUSING - what were houses used for during the civil war?

Answer 17

They were often destroyed and used as fuel

Question 18

HOUSING - what were communal apartments?

Answer 18

Collective houses where many families of different classes lived together with a room each. They could be incredibly cramped, with 60 people in one house and 12.5 square meters per family of 10. They shared a bathroom and kitchen.

Question 19

HOUSING - what were some downsides to the communal apartments?

Answer 19

• there was absolutely no privacy, for the family or the individual
• everyone shared one bathroom
• arguments were often over petty things and rampant informing led to many vendettas and pointless arrests.

Question 20

HOUSING - what were the upsides to communal apartments?

Answer 20

• each floor had a nanny, cleaner and housekeeper that was collectively paid for
• fairness and equality were ruling principles
• children especially enjoyed the freedom and abundance of playmates. Even later developing a fear of being alone.

Question 21

HOUSING - who were Elders?

Answer 21

The supposedly elected leader of the house, they had control of the yardmen. Introduced in 1929 and officially made the representative of the house in 1933.

Question 22

WOMEN - how did reforms change divorce?

Answer 22

• made it easier for both parties. Although 70% of divorces were initiated by men.
• divorce rates sky rocketed so in 1926 postcard divorce was made legal, divorce by letter.

Question 23

WOMEN - how much maternity leave were women given?

Answer 23

16 weeks. 8 before birth and 8 after.

Question 24

WOMEN - what was childcare like?

Answer 24

It was introduced early on and was supposed to make it easier for women to work. However under the NEP childcare was not state funded so women were often forced to leave their jobs. Employers tended just to sack pregnant women rather than grant maternity leave

Question 25

WOMEN - when we’re women given equal rights to work?

Answer 25

1919 although employers still tended to prefer hiring men as they didn’t have to pay maternity leave

Question 26

WOMEN - what happened to the number of women in work after 1918?

Answer 26

It fell due to the promoted image of a soviet worker being male and prejudice in the workplace

Question 27

WOMEN - which sectors gave women jobs during he civil war?

Answer 27

The health industry and food distribution

Question 28

WOMEN - how many delegates at congress were female in 1918?

Answer 28

Just 5%

Question 29

What was the Zhenotdel?

Answer 29

Set up as a women’s sector of government designed to educate women of their new rights and encourage them to take an active role in the party. It was led by Kollontai, who was later sacked for preaching anti revolution hate. Although she was a feminist who promoted communal living and free love.

Question 30

WOMEN - what were the percentages of women in the party in 1918 and 1928?

Answer 30

1918 - 10%
1928 - 12%
Not a significant increase

Question 31

WOMEN - what was the communist position on abortion?

Answer 31

Greater freedom of sexuality was permitted and abortion by a physician was made legal.
At one point abortions outnumbered births and this worried many members of the government, especially the more conservative ones.

Question 32

SOCIAL SECURITY - what were Lenin’s views on work?

Answer 32

He believed it was key to gaining economic recourses and should be rewarding to the individual.

Question 33

SOCIAL SECURITY - what had unemployment risen to by October 1918?

Answer 33

100,000 due to the chaos of revolution and post World War One

Question 34

SOCIAL SECURITY - what was introduced under war communism?

Answer 34

1918 - compulsory labour introduced and rationing decided by profession.

Question 35

SOCIAL SECURITY - how much of Moscow did the government claim it was feeding?

Answer 35

93% due to communal dining rooms for workers.

Question 36

SOCIAL SECURITY - in reality what levels did food production reach during war communism?

Answer 36

It never got above 50% of food needed to feed the cities.

Question 37

SOCIAL SECURITY - what levels had unemployment reached under the NEP by 1924?

Answer 37

18% a definitive rise

Question 38

SOCIAL SECURITY - what percentage of the unemployed were women in 1922?

Answer 38

62.2%

Question 39

SOCIAL SECURITY - what did the 1922 labour law introduce?

Answer 39

• unions have the right to negotiate with employers

- social security including unemployment benefits set up

Question 40

SOCIAL SECURITY - by 1926 who’s better or worse off?

Answer 40

Urban workers are better off and paid 10% more than 1913 levels.
Rural workers and peasants are worse off