Theme 2 Flashcards
Why was lenin uncertain about what a communist economy would look like
Marx had been very vague about the nature of a future communist society arguing that it was impossible to describe the future in detail.
What was Lenin’s vision of a socialist economy
-It would be highly efficient and would require modern technology and well-educated
workers
-Workers would be free no longer working for capitalists)
-Workers would be paid and treated better, therefore no longer resent work
-His vision had little time for leisure and he had no sympathy for laziness
What was Lenin’s policy of state capitalism
Nationalisation of industry which ended capitalism by taking industry away from m/c owners
What were the vesenka
group of economic experts
What was the role of vesenka
-It enforced Lenin’s policy of state capitalism (full nationalization) which was very unpopular.
-It ensured factories were properly managed by putting them under the control of well-paid specialists.
-It coordinated economic production to meet the needs of the new society.
Why was state capitalism unpopular
-There was very little difference between state capitalism and life before the revolution
Why did Lenin introduce land reform
in order to win support and stimulate agriculture
What did land reform do
-Following Lenin’s 1917 Decree on Land, large estates belonging to the Church or to aristocratic landowners were broken up and peasants were allowed to own the land they worked for
3 aims of war communism
- High levels of industrial production of items needed for the war
-An efficient allocation of workers - Food production to feed soldiers, workers and civilians.
3 measures war communism led to
-“Food dictatorship” where grain was requisitioned by Cheka squads from peasants without payment and rationed
- Labour discipline- the working day was extended to 11 hours and there were harsh punishments given to workers who were late or were caught slacking
-The abolition of the market- private trade was made illegal and money led to hyperinflation and workers were assigned either to work in factories or fight in the army
4 consequences of war communism
-Economic collapse: Grain requisitioning led to lower rates of agricultural production. The peasants were not paid for their grain so produced less. Secondly industrial production declined and the working class shrank as workers left the cities.
-Growth of the black market - Lenin failed to abolish the market; only 40 percent of food came from rationing, the other 60 percent came from the black market.
-Political crisis - Mass starvation and economic crisis led to rebellions in the Tambov region and in Kronstadt.
-Mass Poverty: shortages of all kinds of commodities. The 1921 harvest was only 46% of the 1913 harvest and in rural areas a famine began which led to 6 million people dead
As a result of War communism by how much did the industrial workforce decline from in 1917 to 1922?
From 3 mil to 1.2 mil
What did war communism lead to
-led to military victory but economic ruin; an ideological victory
Why did bukharin welcome the economic crisis
-argued that the destruction of capitalism needed to be complete before building socialism couldstart
What was more worrying than the economic crisis after war communism
-political crisis as further rebellions risked the end of the Communist government
-Lenin was forced to accept an economic compromise in order to save the revolution
Why did Lenin introduce the NEP
1) To retain political power: he described the NEP as an economic retreat which was designed to stop a political defeat
2) To revive the economy: he needed a policy that would stimulate grain production and end the famine
3) To build socialism
What did Lenin believe NEP would do
-create peace with the peasants and allow peasants and workers to build socialism together
What were features of the NEP
-Agricultural production was left to the free market
-Peasants could buy, sell and produce as much grain as they wanted.
-Small factories with less than 20 people were denationalized.
-Money was reintroduced.
4 main consequences of NEP
1) Political and economic stability: as he ended grain requisitioning (which made up of 80% of peasants who found it extremely unpopular)which caused the famine to end
2) Industrial growth: market stimulated production and the government invested money gained from taxing the peasants in reopening factories that had been closed during the Civil War. failed to provide money for large scale factories so economy plateaued
3) Inequality and corruption: emergence of Nepmen traders
4) Scissors crisis: by 1923 the gap between farmers incomes and industrial prices had reached a crisis point.
What did the scissor crisis mean
the rise in industrial prices meant that farmers could not afford to buy industrial goods and therefore there was no incentives for farmers to keep producing large quantities of grain
-meaning there was less money available to improve the economy
Who were nepmen
Private traders which were ‘parasites’ because they produced nothing and made money from selling luxury goods
-grew very rich by trading
Overall what did the NEP do
-stabilised the economy, replaced an extremely unpopular policy and therefore ended widespread rebellion
-achieved Lenin’s key Goal of ensuring the Communists hold on power
What were the 3 positions in the debate over NEP
1) On the left Trotsky and his followers wanted a radical socialist policy - Dictatorship of Industry: favoured agricultural collectivisation
2) On the right Bukharin and his supporters wanted to continue NEP in order to keep social peace.
3)In the centre Stalin and his followers were prepared to back which ever policy worked.
Why did Stalin introduce the 5YP
-He wanted to industrialise Russia by combining centralized planning with large scale investment.
-He wanted to get rid of the inefficiency of NEP which had revived factories but not developed them and eliminate Nepmen
-He wanted to assert his authority. Five Year Plans would lead to greater control over the population.
What were the dates of the 5YP
1)First Five Year Plan -1928-1932
2) Second Five Year Plan 1933-1937
3) Third Five Year Plan 1938-1941
4) Fourth Five Year Plan 1945-50
Why did the first 5YP cut short
Problems with plan
Why was 3rd 5YP cut short
due to the German invasion of the Soviet Union
What was in the massive propaganda campaign designed to inspire workers to fulfill the plans
-focused on the heroic objectives of the Plan
-celebrated the successes of the Plans
-claimed that the Plans had led to the destruction of capitalism
-described the model, industrial future that the Plans would create
4 achievements of first three 5YP
-focused on the heroic objectives of the Plan
-celebrated the successes of the Plans
-claimed that the Plans had led to the destruction of capitalism
-described the model, industrial future that the Plans would create
What was the industrial production increase for coal and oil between 1927 and 1940?
Coal(million tons):
1927-35
1940-166
Oil (million tons):
1927-12
1940-31
What was the productivity gains between 1936-40 for coal mining and oil production
Coal mining - 26%
Oil production- 25%
4 problems with first 5YP
1) Production problems - quality of goods produced was low and it did not specify what materials should be used for and there was little co-ordination between different factories
2) Consumer goods - there were continual shortages of clothes, shoes and furniture.
3) Housing and living conditions - lateness and absenteeism was criminalized.
4) Black market - shortages of certain goods led to a thriving black market.
Why was the effectiveness of the plans undermined
-unrealistic plans set by Gosplan
-Industrial managers were under enormous pressure to ensure high levels of production and they would therefore lie about production levels and falsify levels making it harder to make effective planning
How much was wasted in some industries
40%
Why were there shortages of consumer goods
-he prioritised heavy industry and defence
-planners underestimated the needs of consumers
-production techniques for more complex consumer goods
Explain lack of consumer goods
-shoe queues in Moscow in early 1930s often exceeded 1000 people
-queues for clothes and shoes in Leningrad numbered over 6000 during 1938
