THEME 2: HOW DID THE GOVERNMENT EXERCISE CONTROL OVER THE ECONOMY BETWEEN 1917 and 1928? Flashcards
What does Lenin’s declaration on 5th November 1917 suggest?
He calls out to the workers to take control of administering the state, to unite and rise up and to ‘institute rigorous supervision over production’.
Why were these words seen as hollow (even by Lenin)?
The equal distribution of goods could only be achieved if there were goods to distribute. Thus, the excitement of giving power to the workers and peasants to fit easily with circumstances. The economy was devestated by the First World War and the chaos unleashed by the Revolution. State control over the conomy might limit worker’s independance, but it was one way in which the economy could be rejuvenated.
What were the key problems of establishing communism?
Ideologically, the Bolsheviks wished to see the means of production in the hands of the proletariat but, in reality, the bourgeoisie had expertise in management and technical skills that were desperately needed. Lenin talked of working with these groups, at least initially, until Bolshevik experts could take their place. This transitional phase was termed ‘state capitalism’. There was also the issue that, once given power, the workers and peasants might be reluctant to give it up, even to a party that claimed to be working in their own interests (Bolsheviks).
What were the initial economic policies of Lenin?
The Land Decree of October 1917 abolished private ownership of land, which was now to be in the hands of ‘the people’. It was a vague statement, but enough to please the peasantry, who viewed the decree as giving them control over the land they farmed and worked.
The Decree on Workers’ Control of November 1917 placed control of the factories in the hands of the industrial workers.
On 27 December, all private banks were nationalised, and, along with the State Bank, amalgamated into the People’s Bank of the Russian Republic.
What impact did these policies have?
These measures gave considerable power to the workers and peasants, but it had a detrimental effect on the economy. Workers’ councils voted to give themselves huge pay rises, which did little to improve production and resulted in inflation. Managers were often dismissed, sometimes violently, and those with industrial and technical expertise were removed by workers seeking revenge for the way they had been treated previously.
What was the ideological basis of War Communism?
The measures of War Communism went along with the long-term aim of the Bolsheviks to abolish private enterprise and could be seen as the applicatin of communist ideology, albeit rather earlier than the Bolsheviks had expected. To some Bolshevik, the old world had been destroyed by the First World War and this provided an opportunity to build anew on Marxist lines.
Why was War Communism introduced based on economic issues?
The Bolsheviks had inherited an economy that was in a state of near collapse and drastic measures were needed if they were to fight and win the civil war. State direction of the economy had been a key feature of many European countries during the First World War and it had little to do with ideology.
Why might War Communism have been introduced to curb Bolshevik excesses?
Some of the Bolshevik policies for giving control to the workers proved to be idealistic and unworkable, especially during the emergency context of the civil war. The abolition of army ranks was reversed and factory managers had to be used to create some order in industry.
What were the key features of War Communism?
Nationalisation (state ownership) of all industry without compensation. Only workplaces with fewer than ten workers were exempt.
All industry was placed under the control of the state through the Supreme Council of National Economy (Vesenkha), set up in 1917.
The reintroduction of hierarchichal structures in industry. In factories, the Workers’ Councils were replaced by management in order to instil discipline into the workers.
Harsh military-style discipline was introduced into the factories. The death penalty introduced for all workers who went on strike. The unempoyed were forced to join ‘Labour Armies’ and set to work on projects such as road building and woodland clearance. All workers were expected to work on ‘Communist Saturdays’, days designated for serving the Party.
All private trading was banned. Trade was to be controlled by the state, but because it could not satisfy demand a large black market in goods developed.
Transactions using money became limited due to massive inflation. Money was replaced by bartering using goods, and many workers recieved their wages in goods rather than money.
The forcible requisitioning of food from the peasants in order to feed the army and the towns. Around 150,000 Bolshevik volunteers used to seize grain. The government attempted to use Committees of the Village Poor to spy on peasants who might be hoarding food. Tensions rose in the countryside and malnutrition, violence and starvation were commonplace.
The introduction of rationing to ensure that, despite food shortages, the workers in cities were fed. They recieved preferential treatment as their work was crucial for the war effort.
What were the outcomes of War Communism?
War Communism ensured that the Red Army got the resources it needed to fight and win the civil war, but it left the economy in a state of collapse. By 1921, industrial production was only one-fifth of the figure for 1913.Disease and starvation were common and a wave of serious unrest swept across the countryside.
Why, based on economic consideration, was NEP introduced in 1921?
Industry was at a virtual standstill by the end of the civil war. Production of heavy industry had fallen to 20% of its 1913 level and, in some sectors, production had stopped altogether. Food production had also fallen, to only 48% of the 1913 figure, and the breakdown in the transport and distribution systems had resulted in widespread famine. Weakened by a lack of food, many Russians succumbed to diseases suh as typhus and smallpox and over 20 million died from famine and disease in the 1920s. In addition to this, army soldiers had to be resettled into civilian life. War Communism was not delivering the goods, nor would it be able to cope with the post-war situation.
Why, based on the unpopularity of War Communism, was NEP introduced in 1921?
The system of rationing was disliked, as the sie of the rations was dependant on the social classification a person was given. Members of the Red Army and industrial proletariat recieved the most; members of the bourgeoisie received very little and, in some cases, none at all. The use of managers and the return of hierarchical systems within the factories caused resentment among the industrial workers, leading to violence on occasions. Many workers felt that their opportunity for self-regulation was being undermined by the dictates of the state.
What happened during the Tambov Rising?
Peasant resentment against the government came to a head in a series of uprisings in 1920-21. There were risings in the important grain areas of the Volga basin, North Causasus and Western Siberia. The most serious was the Tambov Rising in Central Russia, where peasants reacted violently to requisitioning teams arriving in the area to seize grain. The revolt was only put down after 50,000 Red Army troops were sent into the area. The seriousness of these risings put pressure on the government to change its policy.
What happened during the Kronstadt Mutiny?
A revolt by sailors at the naval base outside Petrograd which increased pressure on the government. The mutiny alarmed the Bolsheviks because it was by a group that had previously been a mainstay of the Revolution and they could not be easily dismissed as ‘counter-revolutionaries’. The mutiny was over the increase in power of the Party and its officials at the expense of the workers. Its slogan was ‘Soviets without Bolsheviks’. It was suppressed by Red Army troops, but the revolt was a shock to Bolshevik leadershipand was a key factor in Lenin’s decision to change his economic policy. To Lenin, the Kronstadt Mutiny had ‘lit up reality like a flash of lightning’.
Why might these have encouraged the introduction of NEP?
They showed most in the Bolshevik leadership that the situation that had developed under War Communism could not be sustained now that the war was over. That people had turned their attention away from the war and towards the problems with the government.
