Theme 2 - Lenin, War Communism and the New Economic Policy Flashcards
1
Q
What were the years of famine following Bolshevik seizure of power?
A
- 1921 / 1922
2
Q
Death toll of the early famine
A
- 5 Million
- Mainly in Volga and Urals
3
Q
When was grain requisioning introduced?
A
- May 1918
- Centralised with the red guard and army soldiers
4
Q
Who was priorities under Grain requisioning?
A
- Soldiers and Red army
- Industrial working class
5
Q
What were the other meaures in war communism
A
- Private trade abolished
- Industry was nationalised to increase control over workers
- Introduction of Internal passports to keep the workers in the cities
- Fines introduced for being late to work
- Rationing was class based
6
Q
What did rations drop to under War Communism
A
- Dropped to 50g of bread per day
7
Q
What was the problem of the dissapearing population
A
- People fleeing the cities
- Petrograd: 1.5 million in 1918 dropped to 0.5 in 1920
- In 1920: 10 deaths per birth
8
Q
What was the problem of poor production
A
- Output fell to 20% of pre-war levels
- 1921 harvest 48% of 1913
- Agriculture focused on subsitance of producers
- Transport collapsed to 20% of pre war levels
9
Q
What was the problem of popular opposition?
A
- Lenin deployed an army of 100k to surpress a 10k peasant uprising
- Peasants held out for 10 months
10
Q
When was the Krondstadt rebellion
A
- 1 March 1921
11
Q
When did the government regain control of Krondstadt?
A
- 17th March 1921
12
Q
What was the death toll of the Krondstadt rebellion?
A
- 500 dead
13
Q
How did Lenin describe the Krondstadt rebellion?
A
- “The flash that lit up reality better than anything else”
14
Q
When was the NEP introduced
A
- 10th Party Congress
- March 1921
15
Q
How was the NEP described to the party?
A
- “A temporary retreat”
- A period of reconstruction with socialism to follow
- Similar to Brest - Litovsk
