Russia Topic 5

Question 1

What was War communism

Answer 1

Everything was controlled by the state, to ensure that the Bolsheviks won the Civil war

Question 2

Why was War communism introduced

Answer 2

• Industries were not producing enough, only 60%
• Lost 50% of industry and 28% of agriculture due to treaty of BL
• Mass food shortages as the whites controlled several farming areas
• peasants were only producing enough to feed themselves
• raw materials were not getting to factories
• Workers were leaving cities as their was no food

Question 3

What did War communism introduce for crops

Answer 3

• Peasants were not allowed to sell their crops
• The state requisitioned crops and left a small amount for peasants needs
• this meant that peasants often ended up hiding grain
• Food rationing began in cities so the soldiers and workers got more food

Question 4

What was the Supreme Economic council which war communism introduced

Answer 4

• It told factories what to produce and organised supplies of raw materials

Question 5

What happened to factories and workers due to War communism

Answer 5

• Factories with more than 10 workers were nationalised and given production targets
• Workers were put under strict discipline
• Everyone older than 16 was conscripted

Question 6

What negative effects did war communism have on Russia

Answer 6

• Peasants angry as they were often left with no grain
• Food shortages turned into famines
• Workers migrated to the countryside so factory production halved
• Black market increased and provided 70% of food eaten

Question 7

Who were the Kronstadt sailors

Answer 7

‘reddest of the red’
- Strong supporters of revolution
- Took part in July days
- Helped overthrow provisional government
- Helped shut down Constituent assembly

Question 8

How many sailors mutinied in the Kronstadt mutiny

Answer 8

more than 15,000

Question 8

When was the Kronstadt mutiny

Answer 8

1921

Question 9

Why did the Kronstadt mutiny happen

Answer 9

• Wanted re-elections by secret ballet
• Freedom of speech
• Freedom for political prisoners
• All workers to have equal rations
• Freedom for peasants to farm as they wish

Question 10

How was the Kronstadt mutiny dealt with

Answer 10

• Trotsky used the red army to crush the rebellion

Question 11

How many soldiers of the red army did Trotsky send in for the Kronstadt mutiny

Answer 11

50,000

Question 12

How many casualties was there in the Kronstadt mutiny

Answer 12

20,000

Question 13

What was the significance of the Kronstadt mutiny

Answer 13

• Clear the Bolsheviks were facing severe opposition from the people who should be supporting them
• Lenin realised war communism was risking his control over the country

Question 14

Due to the Kronstadt mutiny what did Lenin abandon and introduce

Answer 14

He abandoned War communism
He introduced The New Economic Policy

Question 15

Why did Lenin need to introduce the New economic policy

Answer 15

War communism was causing too many hardships:
- Food shortages and famine, the peasants needed incentives to produce more grain
- Industrial production was at a standstill
- Everyone hated the Bolsheviks
- The Civil war was over so such tight control wasn’t needed
- 3/4 of Petrograd were on strike

Question 16

What did the NEP do

Answer 16

brought back capitalism for some sections of the economy so people could make PROFIT and keep it

Question 17

What does PROFIT stand for, with the new economic policy

Answer 17

P - private trading of small goods, for profit was allowed, people who did this were called (NEPMEN)
R - rouble, a new coinage was introduced and workers were paid wages again
O - ownership of small factories, were allowed private companies so they could make a profit
F - fixed 10% grain to government, they could sell the rest for profit
I - industry run by experts, brought in from US and Canada to run more efficiently
T - trade was encouraged, with countries such as Britain

Question 18

Why was the NEP a success

Answer 18

1. Agricultural production went up
2. Factory production went up
3. life got better

Question 19

How much had grain production risen by during the NEP

Answer 19

Doubled

Question 20

Evidence that agricultural production had gone up during the NEP

Answer 20

• Peasants moved food to sell in cities and towns
• Peasants now enjoyed making money and unrest became a thing of the past

Question 21

Evidence that factory production had gone up during the NEP

Answer 21

• 90% of cotton mills were working
• Production of electricity had massively increased

Question 22

Evidence that life got better during the NEP

Answer 22

• New small businesses appeared in towns which helped the economy
• Rationing was abolished and people bought food with their own money so people were keen to make money
• Cafes, theatres, hotels had opened as life in cities and towns had recovered

Question 23

What was the scissor crisis

Answer 23

• So much food was being produced that prices went down
• but because their was less industry, industrial prices stayed high
• this made peasants less eager to sell food
• but the government solved it by lowering industrial prices

Question 24

criticisms of the NEP

Answer 24

• Some communisms saw it as a betrayal to communism as it introduced anti-communist aspects
• A new class had been created, middle class, (NEPMEN) as they could make profit
• NEP favoured the peasants and not the workers who were the original supporters of the Bolsheviks

Question 25

When did Lenin die

Answer 25

1924

Question 26

Who did he dictate his ‘last will and testament’ to

Answer 26

His wife

Question 27

After he died, what arose

Answer 27

The cult of Lenin

Question 28

What were some of Lenin’s achievements

Answer 28

• October revolution, mastermind of the revolution, Bolsheviks would of never have seized power
• War communism, although unpopular enabled Bolsheviks to win the civil war
• NEP, got the party to agree to a retreat from communism, allowed Bolsheviks to stay in power
• The April Thesis, clear aims got the Bolsheviks more support