NEP

Question 1

When was the NEP announced?

Answer 1

March 1921 - 10th party congress

Question 2

When and why was Gosplan established?

Answer 2

February 1921 by sovnarkdom decree

To advise on NEP

Question 3

Why were there conflicts of interest between veshenka and gosplan?

Answer 3

They were both central planning commissions - this led to conflicts of interest

Question 4

Measures of the NEP

Answer 4

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

Question 5

What was the scissors crisis?

Answer 5

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)

Question 6

Extent of the scissors crisis?

Answer 6

Short term - by 1926 production levels reached those of 1913

Question 7

How was the scissors crisis solved?

Answer 7

Government capped industrial prices and replaced peasant’s quotas with monetary taxes in 1923

Question 8

When and what was the Ban on factions?

Answer 8

March 1921 - to prevent factionalism e.g. like the workers opposition group

(Imposed at 10th party Congress with NEP)

Question 9

By 1925 how many NEPmen were in Moscow?

Answer 9

25,000

Responsible for 75% of trade

Question 10

Why did many bolsheviks hate NEPmen?

Answer 10

Seen as representatives of capitalism

Question 11

Opposition to NEP from Bolsheviks?

Answer 11

Seen as retreat back to capitalism

‘New Exploitation of the Proletariat’

Ideological betrayal

Question 12

What did Lenin suggest the NEP was?

Answer 12

A tactical retreat to maintain power, compared it to Brest-litovsk

Question 13

What did the introduction of a new rouble do?

Answer 13

It helped control inflation

Question 14

Electricity output in 1921 and 1924?

Answer 14

Millions of kWh

520

1562

Question 15

How was the Cheka changed in 1922

Answer 15

Renamed the GPU (Main Political Administration) Became more powerful

Power to arrest people at will, for any reason, and carry out death penalty

Question 16

All writings had to be submitted to ? For approval before publication

Answer 16

GLAVIT

Question 17

Renewed attack on religion

Answer 17

1921 - Union of the Militant Godless

From 1922 - churches stripped of valuables and 1000’s of priests arrested, some executed

Question 18

When was the nomenklatura system introduced?

Answer 18

1923

Question 19

What was the nomenklatura system

Answer 19

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

Question 20

How was censorship more rigorous

Answer 20

By 1922 clear criticism of gov was forbidden

Many writers and intellectuals were deported

Question 21

What happened to the Mensheviks and Social revolutionaries?

Answer 21

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)

Question 22

By how many millions of tonnes did Grain harvests increase between 1921 and 1924

Answer 22

13.8

Question 23

What were the negatives of NEPmen?

Answer 23

Corrupt, engaged in bribery, gambling, prostitution

But generally tolerated as long as taxes paid