Problems leading to NEP Flashcards
What were the main features of war communism?
- Collectivising farms
- Grain requistioning
- Restoring labour discipline
- Rationing
- Banning private trade
- Nationalisation of industry
Wages were at what level in 1919 compared to 1913?
2% of 1913 levels by 1919
Why did the food crisis persist through war communism?
Since peasants reverted to subsistence farming following the brutal grain requisitioning methods. They had no incentive to produce more food
What did Figes claim about the Soviet control in the countryside?
It had ceased to exist by 1920
What proportion of income was spent on average on food as prices rose?
75%
Who documents seeing girls selling off their bodies in exchange for bread or soap?
Emma Goldman
What occurred in 1920 which exacerbated the socio-economic situation of Russia? What was the death toll of such an event? How did 14 million stay alive through this?
Drought caused a famine. 5 million died and a further 14 million were dependent on an American food relief agency.
What was the main type of farming which peasants undertook as a result of grain requisitioning and limited industrial production?
Subsistence
What proportion of the grain harvest yield in 1913 was it by 1921?
48%
Finish the Figes quote: “By March 1921, Soviet power in the countryside had…”
“virutally ceased to exist”
When was the Tambov uprising? Who led the force of 70,000?
August 1920 to June 1921. Led by Alexander Antonov.
Which pillars of Bolshevik rule were overrun during the uprising in the Tambov region?
Tambov red forces, the soviets and the Cheka
Which contemporary sociologist and witness claimed that the insurgents in Tambov had forced the NEP by their actions?
Pitirim Sorokin
What were the name for the factions who led revolt and sabotage in the countryside? One infamous one was led by Makhno.
Green Armies
Besides the Tambov uprising, where else did notable peasant rebellions take place and when?
Ufa - February 1920
Kazan - October 1918
South Western Siberia - 1920 and 1921
Which diseases were raging at the end of the civil war?
Typhus, cholera, dysentery and influenza
Why did factories not receive the necessary materials they needed by 1921?
Since the transport system had sustained much damage through the World War and Civil War. Likewise, rebellions and strikes inhibited the provision of goods to factories.
To what proportion of pre-war levels did industrial output fall to by 1921?
20%
To what proportion of 1912 levels did finished goods output fall to by 1921?
16%
Which key sectors had much lower production by 1921?
Mining, oil, cotton, wool and metal
Net national income per capita was at what level in 1921 compared to 1913?
37%
What was Petrograd’s population in 1914? In 1920?
1914 -2.2m
1920 - 0.6m
What happened to the birth and death rates over the course of the civil war?
Birth rates lowered
Death rates increased
Why were there widespread factory strikes towards the end of the Civil War?
Since the food crisis was acute and the militarised running of the factories (which overturned the Decree on Workers’ Control) was unpopular
When was the bread ration cut by 1/3 in many cities?
22nd January 1921
Why was it difficult for the Bolsheviks to deal with civil unrest?
As their soldiers were unwilling to fire on the crowds
There were calls for “soviets without…”
“Soviets without communists”
How much did inflation increase on average per month 1921?
20%
How many roubles was the pound worth in 1918? In 1922?
1918 - 45 roubles
1922 - 1.65m roubles
Why was the mass famine contradictory to Bolshevik ideology?
Since their ideology preached that everyone would have sufficient food and goods. Likewise, subsistence farming went against the idea that farmers would work for the collective good. The Bolsheviks relied on the help of capitalist powers to counteract the famine.
What flaw in Marxist ideology, particularly supported by Trotsky, was revealed by the Russian communist revolution?
That the revolution in Russia did not go on to spark other socialist revolutions in Europe or the rest of the world
Which party faction did Alexandra Kollontai and Alexander Shliapnikov form? What did they argue for? What did they criticise?
The Workers’ Opposition - argued for the returning of power to factory committees and greater openness. They criticised Trotsky’s move to have trade unions as agencies of the state. As a result, they encouraged the workers to strike in early 1921.
What approach did Trotsky want to adopt to the workers after the war?
He wanted to increase the militarised control of them further by making trade unions agencies of the state and by turning the Red Army into a militarised labour force to build socialism via coercion.
What approach did Kamenev and Zinoviev favour to rule Russia?
A socialist coalition instead of a one party state
Summarise the events of the Kronstadt rising
Groups of workers were striking in Petrograd in early 1921. In February, thousands of them went to the Kronstadt naval base and linked up with the sailors and workers there. They demanded better conditions for workers. A group of political commissars attempted to pacify them but failed. The base created a Revolutionary Committee which produced a manifesto and increased their demands. General Tukhachevsky was sent to crush the uprising with 60,000 red troops and cheka members and succeeded despite heavy fighting from the rebel workers.
What were the main demands of the Kronstadt manifesto?
- Freedom of speech, press and assembly
- An end to the one party state
- The stopping of grain confiscation
- The withdrawal of political commissars from factories
- Rights for trade unions
What occurred to surviving rebels after the rising? How did Lenin justify this?
They were hunted down and executed by the Cheka. Lenin justified this through claiming that they were White counter-revolutionaries
Why was the Kronstadt rising a key impetus for the NEP?
Since the Kronstadt naval base had been a key area of support for the Bolshevik cause in the past - they took part in the July Days and the October Revolution. Consequently, their wavering support for the Bolsheviks showed the party that they needed to make concessions and reforms before they grew too unpopular and unstable.
How did Lenin describe the Kronstadt rising at the 10th Party Congress in March 1921?
He declared the rising had “lit up reality like a lightning flash”
