Russia chapter 5 Flashcards
Why was war communism introduced?
- Industries producing 60% of what they had in 1913.
- Transport network poor so materials not getting to factories.
- Lost 40% of industrial area and 26% farmland (Treaty of B-L).
- Workers leaving cities because of food shortages.
- Whites and Greens controlled several farming areas.
- Peasants were producing less than a million tonnes of grain in a year (nowhere near enough)
What did War Communism mean for peasants?
- Peasants were not allowed to sell their crops.
- The state requisitioned the crops and left a small amount for the peasants needs.
- Peasants often ended up
hiding the grain they grew, even though anyone suspected of hoarding grain would be shot.
What did War Communism mean for factories?
- A central planning organisation called the Supreme Economic Council was introduced in Dec 1917. It told factories what to produce and organised supply of
raw materials. - Factories with more than 10 workers were nationalised and given production targets.
What did War Communism mean for workers and soldiers?
- Food rationing began again in the cities - soldiers and workers got more food than others.
- Workers were put under strict discipline. Strikes were banned. Everyone old enough to work (16+) were conscripted.
What negative effects did War communism have on Russia and the peasants after the Reds won the civil war?
- Peasants angry at the Bolsheviks who often left them with no grain.
- Violence against peasants increased as they hid their grain and killed their animals.
- Kulaks were murdered to set an example to other peasants.
What negative effects did War communism have on Russia and food production after the Reds won the civil war?
- Shortages turned to famine.
- Farm Production only 37% of what it was in 1913.
- Black Market increased and provided 70% of food people ate.
What negative effects did War communism have on Russia and workers after the Reds won the civil war?
Workers migrated to the countryside (¾ Petrograd disappeared 1918-20) so factory production halved.
28th February 1921
The mutiny of Kronstadt sailors on the battleship Petropavlovsk.
This quickly spread to the whole naval base.
How many Kronstadt sailors mutinied?
More than 15,000 sailors
What did the Kronstadt mutineers want?
- Re-election of all Soviets by secret ballet.
- Freedom of speech for workers, peasants and other political parties.
- Freedom for all political prisoners from socialist parties.
- All workers to have equal rations.
- Freedom for peasants to farm as they wished.
What did the Bolsheviks do in response to the Kronstadt mutiny?
Trotsky used 50,000 soldiers of the Red Army to crush the rebellion.
It took until 17th March to get Kronstadt under control.
What happened to the sailors after the mutiny?
20,000 casualties and 8000 sailors escaped.
500 captured sailors were either executed by the Cheka or put in a gulag (labour camp).
What was war communism replaced by?
The New Economic Policy
March 1921
Why was the New economic policy introduced?
- The Kronstadt rising showed Lenin that changes were necessary.
- Workers unhappy with harsh discipline. End 1920 ¾ Petrograd factories on strike.
- The peasants needed an incentive to produce more grain due to the urgent need for food. * Famine caused 5 million people to die in the Volga region alone.
What did the NEP effectively bring about?
Capitalism in the form of PROFIT
Profit (NEP effects)
PRIVATE TRADING OF SMALL GOODS:
Selling goods for a profit was allowed (people who did this were called NEPMEN).
pRofit (NEP effects)
ROUBLE:
A new coinage was introduced (chervonets rouble) and workers were paid wages again.
prOfit (NEP effects)
OWNERSHIP OF SMALL FACTORIES:
(under 20 workers) were allowed by private companies so they could make a profit.
proFit (NEP effects)
FIXED 10% GRAIN TO GOVERNMENT:
Peasants still had to give a fixed amount of grain to the government (10%) but could sell the rest for profit.
profIt (NEP effects)
INDUSTRY RUN BY EXPERTS:
Vital heavy industries remained in state hands but 20,000 ‘experts’ from the US and Canada were brought in to run them more efficiently.
profiT (NEP effects)
TRADE WAS ENCOURAGED:
with countries such as Britain.
How was the NEP successful through agricultural production?
Agricultural production went up
* By 1925 production of grain had risen from 37 million tons to 77 million tons.
* Peasants moved food to sell in the towns and cities.
* Peasants now enjoyed earning money and unrest became a thing of the past.
How was the NEP successful through factory production?
Factory production went up
* June 1921, 99% of cotton mills were not working, by 1926 90% were working again.
* By 1925 production of electricity massively increased from 520 kw hours to 2441 kw hours.
* By 1926-27 production had returned to pre-1914 levels.
How was the NEP successful through quality of life?
Life got better
* New small businesses and market stalls appeared helped the economy.
* The Nepmen developed into a new social class.
* Rationing was abolished and people bought food with own money.
Life in cities and towns recovered – shops, cafes, hotels, theaters, etc, opened.
