Russia: 4a, Social Security Flashcards
What declaration did Lenin publish in 1918? What did it do?
The Declaration of the rights of Toiling and Exploited People.
- It abolished the private ownership of land so capitalists could no longer make money from simply owning things.
- It established universal labour duty which meant everybody worked and capitalists could no longer live off the work of others (combatting the parasitical)
Why was it difficult to find employment from October 1917 to mid-1918? (3)
Due to the revolutions of 1917. Between March and August 1917, 570 industrial enterprises closed down which meant that over 100,000 people were unemployed by October 1918.
Also when Russia left WW1, war production ceased, leading to even more unemployment.
By March 1918, 75% of metal and chemical workers in Petrograd were unemployed.
During the period of Oct. 1917 to mid-1918, what was the role of former middle-class workers?
They were employed as “bourgeois experts” who received wages to organise and run factories. This was instead of making their money from property.
When was compulsory work introduced?
From September 1918, able-bodied men between the ages of 16 and 50 lost the right to refuse employment.
How did rationing work under Lenin?
Each worker was issued a food rationing card.
Rationing was organised by Prodraspred (Section of General Distribution) which had subsections that delivered to workers and a Community section which tried to deliver to schools and those who could not work due to disability or illness.
The population was split into six groups and rations were allocated according to occupation. Working-class people received the most rations. Those with middle-class jobs, such as doctors, received less, and aristocrats and former factory owners, “the former people” were entitled to only 25% of the rations workers received.
At the height of the system, 36 products were rationed and 22 million people relied on the system.
What other benefits did workers have access to pre-NEP?
In Moscow and Petrograd workers could access public transport with a work card and had access to communal dining halls. The government claimed 92% of workers were fed in communal dining halls. Other communal facilities such as crèches and laundries were provided in urban areas, mostly to support female workers.
Pre-NEP did Party members receive special benefits?
Yes, they had access to special shops where they could buy luxuries that were usually very hard to find.
Was compulsory work and government provision successful under War Communism and the early decrees? (3)
No, due to:
- The disruption of the civil war and fuel shortages, there was a 25% decrease in the number of factory workers.
- War Communism only provided 50% of the food and fuel workers needed to live and so many turned to the black market.
- Workers fled the city to look for food and work in the countryside. Between 1917 and 1921 the population of Petrograd decreased by 50%.
What did the NEP mark the return of?
The NEP marked a return to state capitalism with an aim of promoting economic growth.
Why was unemployment a significant problem between 1921 and 1924? (5)
- The percentage of the labour force unemployed rose from 5.5% in 1921 to 18% in 1924 due to:
- The Red Army was demobilised in 1921 and 1922 and many soldiers found it hard to get work.
- Some of those who fled the cities during the civil war returned and found it difficult to find work.
- In order to make industry profitable, the government decreased the sixe of the labour force employed in it’s factories in order to cut labour costs.
- As War Communism ended, the government fired around 225,000 administrators who had been in charge of implementing the system
How many of the unemployed in towns and cities were women in 1922?
- 2%
- funding for crèches was ended and traditional sexism coupled with the fact that ex-Red Army soldiers were given job priority meant that women had little chance of finding work.
What were some of the social benefits for workers introduced during the NEP? Did everyone benefit? (4)
- Social Insurance- disability, maternity, unemployment, and medical benefits covering 9 million workers.
- Increased government investment in the education of urban workers and their families.
- Workers were being paid around 10% more than they had been pre-Revolution
- BUT peasants were excluded from these benefits due to the government’s focus on the proletariat.
What link was re-established under Stalin and how was it emphasised?
The link between compulsory work and social benefits was re-established and emphasised by the fact benefits became increasingly available through factories and collective farms rather than through trade unions and local soviets as they had been before.
Why did Stalin want full employment and what did this mean for the workforce?
-Stalin wanted full employment to ensure rapid industrialisation but speed and the necessity to meet production targets meant a compromise on safety and conditions in the work place.
How did Stalin view the workers?
He viewed them as a crucial economic resource, essential to building socialism.
More jobs in the city meant what for the peasants?
Relatively well-paid jobs in the towns and cities attracted peasants who were eager to escape the horrors and poverty of collectivisation.
BUT there was no improvement in the standard of living
What were some of the punishments that Stalin introduced and in certain cases, revived? (4)
- Lateness was criminalised
- Damaging factory property was criminalised
- Strikes were banned
- Unions lost the right to negotiate with factories
What were some other rules Stalin imposed on the workforce? (2)
- The introduction of the “continuous work week” where workers still received one day off but it changed every week. It meant factories and mines no longer had to close on a Sunday.
- In 1940, workers lost the right to change jobs. As there was a mass call for workers during the Five-Year-Plans, many workers could pick and choose their line of work with many leaving unannounced. To prevent this, the government introduced internal passports.
What were some of the social benefits of the Five-Year-Plans? (5)
- Workers were entitled to food rations
- By 1933, the majority of Soviet citizens had access to electricity.
- In the 1930s, 30,000km of railway line was built which meant increased access to transport - passenger traffic increased by 400%
- The Moscow Metro was opened in the 30s
- There was also a significant increase in healthcare provisions including mass vaccination campaigns and farm and factory canteens providing meals for workers.
Did the peasantry fare any better under Stalin?
No, they were once again left out. They were not entitled to rations and due to government seizures, food was much scarcer in villages than in towns. Often, peasants had to travel to the cities in order to buy bread.
