NEP Flashcards
When was the NEP announced?
March 1921 - 10th party congress
When and why was Gosplan established?
February 1921 by sovnarkdom decree
To advise on NEP
Why were there conflicts of interest between veshenka and gosplan?
They were both central planning commissions - this led to conflicts of interest
Measures of the NEP
Requisitioning of grain ended (quotes, then monetary tax 1923) ban on private trade lifted
State kept control of heavy industry, transport and banks - small scale industry in private hands
Rationing ended
Factories pay workers on profits or ‘pay by the piece’ rather than central control of wages
What was the scissors crisis?
By 1923 agricultural production recovered much quicker than industrial.
Lack of industrial goods for peasants to buy in exchange, threatened to hold back supplies (speculation)
Extent of the scissors crisis?
Short term - by 1926 production levels reached those of 1913
How was the scissors crisis solved?
Government capped industrial prices and replaced peasant’s quotas with monetary taxes in 1923
When and what was the Ban on factions?
March 1921 - to prevent factionalism e.g. like the workers opposition group
(Imposed at 10th party Congress with NEP)
By 1925 how many NEPmen were in Moscow?
25,000
Responsible for 75% of trade
Why did many bolsheviks hate NEPmen?
Seen as representatives of capitalism
Opposition to NEP from Bolsheviks?
Seen as retreat back to capitalism
‘New Exploitation of the Proletariat’
Ideological betrayal
What did Lenin suggest the NEP was?
A tactical retreat to maintain power, compared it to Brest-litovsk
What did the introduction of a new rouble do?
It helped control inflation
Electricity output in 1921 and 1924?
Millions of kWh
520
1562
How was the Cheka changed in 1922
Renamed the GPU (Main Political Administration) Became more powerful
Power to arrest people at will, for any reason, and carry out death penalty
All writings had to be submitted to ? For approval before publication
GLAVIT
Renewed attack on religion
1921 - Union of the Militant Godless
From 1922 - churches stripped of valuables and 1000’s of priests arrested, some executed
When was the nomenklatura system introduced?
1923
What was the nomenklatura system
List of over 5000 party/gov posts
When post needed filled, chosen from list of approved party members
Placed loyalty to party above all else, even skill
In return for loyalty, nomenklatura received material rewards denied to many of pop and lower ranks
How was censorship more rigorous
By 1922 clear criticism of gov was forbidden
Many writers and intellectuals were deported
What happened to the Mensheviks and Social revolutionaries?
Banned
1921 - thousands of Mensheviks arrested
Some SR’s given a show trial on counter-revolutionary charges, including assassination attempts on Lenin, found guilty (11 executed)
By how many millions of tonnes did Grain harvests increase between 1921 and 1924
13.8
What were the negatives of NEPmen?
Corrupt, engaged in bribery, gambling, prostitution
But generally tolerated as long as taxes paid
