The NEP Flashcards
How much more coal than Russia did Britain produce in 1913?
10x more
How much coal had Russia produced in 1921 and 1913?
1913- 29 million tonnes
1921- 9 million tonnes
What did the lack of sugar produced in 1921 show?
It showed that Russia was struggling and did not have the means to produce luxuries
What were Lenin’s two main measures to recover Russia in 1921?
The NEP and the ban on factionalism within the Party
What were the agricultural problems faced in 1921?
Lack of production, open rebellion in many countryside areas and hoarding of grain
What were the industrial problems faced in 1921?
Everything was completely turned over to a wartime economy and industrial production was barely what it was before
What were the social freedoms problems faced in 1921?
The ethnic and national minorities in particular were disillusioned with the central government
What did Lenin do to help with the agricultural problems in 1921?
On the spot requisitioning was replaced with a fixed tax that allowed peasants to keep the surplus
He promised not to forcibly collectivise the land, which meant that peasants were working for their own benefit. Lenin hoped that this would kickstart the economy
What did Lenin do to help with the industrial problems in 1921?
The open market was reopened, with market traders and private sellers allowed to restart businesses that had been shut down.
Small factories with under 20 workers were put back into private ownership.
Large factories remained under state control
What did Lenin do to help with social freedom problems in 1921?
Ethnic and national minorities were allowed to use their own language again
Mosques and Bazaars were reopened
The Quran was allowed to be used again
Rationing ended
Why the ban on factions?
To avoid the 1903 split coming about again. Lenin also realised that Communist Party leadership was unstable at the time
What did Lenin refer to the NEP as?
A ‘halfway house’ between the old ways and the new
How much grain was produced in 1924 and 1921?
1921- 37.6 million tonnes
1924- 51.4 million tonnes
How much rail freight was produced in 1921 and 1924?
1921- 40 million tonnes
1924- 70 million tonnes
How much steel was produced in 1924 and 1921?
1921- 183,000 tonnes
1924- 1.1 million tonnes
How many SRs were condemned as terrorists in show trials in between 1921 and 1924?
34
What secret police organisation was the Cheka replaced with and when?
1922- the GPU
Who were the NEPmen , what did their existence show, and where were they?
They emerged in the cities. These people were evidence of growing wealth. They would scour villages buying produce and then sell it in the cities
How much of trade were the NEPmen responsible for by 1924?
Roughly 3/4 of all trade
What flourished in the cities as a result of the NEPmen displaying their wealth?
Gambling, prostitution, crime and corruption
Why were the peasants happy with the NEP?
They felt like they had some independence again
How did the government try to combat the scissor crisis of industry in 1923?
Tax in cash (assuming rather than produce)
What was the Nomenklatura?
A group of people who held various roles within the Soviet government. This tended to be because they ran on a system of allowing those who showed loyalty more power. This induced cronyism and corruption
Why did the NEP go against the idea of Communism?
Reliance on the secret police showed that people were not equal. NEPmen were absolutely capitalist too
What was the scissors crisis?
Prices of agricultural goods were getting lower over time while prices of industrial goods were getting higher over time
Who overplayed the scissors crisis in order to try and get rid of the NEP?
Trotsky
What did Lenin compare the NEP to?
The signing of Brest-Litovsk
When were the SRs and Mensheviks banned?
1921
