Theme Two Flashcards
What was the state of the economy when Lenin came to power?
Russia was a long way behind the West and had been broken by World War One.
What were Lenin’s main objectives for the economy?
- Modernisation
- Stabilisation
- Destruction of capitalism and inequality
- Military victory
When was State Capitalism introduced?
March 1918
How did Lenin bill State Capitalism?
A midway stage between capitalism and socialism.
What were the two main features of State Capitalism?
- Nationalisation of large-scale industry
- The establishment of the Vesenkha
What was the Vesenkha?
A team of experts charged with managing the economy
What are three things that the Vesenkha did?
- Offered higher pay to productive workers
- Employed well-paid specialists to control factories
- It co-ordinated economic production
When was War Communism introduced?
At the beginning of the Civil War.
What measures did War Communism include?
- Nationalisation of all industry
- Grain requisitioning and rationing
- An 11-hour working day was introduced
- Work was made compulsory for able bodied men aged 16 to 50
- Money and private trade were abolished
Why was the requisitioning system unfair under War Communism?
Soldiers in the Red Army received the most whereas the old bourgeoisie were left to starve.
What was a positive outcome of War Communism?
The Communists won the war
What were two negative outcomes of War Communism?
- Harvest failed and famine ensued
- The urban workforce fell dramatically
What was the 1921 harvest?
Only 46% of that in 1913
How many died in the famine?
6 million
What was the urban work force during the war? Why did it change?
It fell from 2.6 million to 1.2 million as people headed for the countryside to scavenge for food
What does NEP stand for?
New Economic Policy
Why did Lenin introduce the NEP?
- He needed to retain his political power
- Grain production needed boosting to end the famine
- Wealth was required to industrialise, modernise and achieve socialism
How did the NEP compromise with capitalism?
- Farming was left to a free market with requisitioning replaced by a tax in kind
- Small businesses were denationalised and returned to their owners
- Money was reintroduced
What were three positive effects of the NEP?
- The famine ended as grain production rose
- Industry revived
- Smychka
How did the NEP revive grain production?
The free market encouraged the farmers to grow more.
How much did grain output go up by under the NEP?
It went from 37.61 million tons in 1921 to 76.8 million tons in 1926
How did Lenin revive industry?
The electrification campaign
What was Smychka?
An alliance of support for Lenin from workers and peasants.
What were four disadvantages of the NEP?
- The scissors crisis
- Small farms failed
- NEPmen
- Gambling, prostitution and drug dealing increased
What was the scissors crisis?
Industry recovered slower than agriculture. This meant that the price of crops fell while the price of industrial goods increased. This meant that farmers couldn’t afford them.
How did the government deal with the scissors crisis?
It intervened and forcibly cut the price of industrial goods by subsiding the prices.
Who were NEPmen?
Traders who grew rich by travelling the country selling rare goods
Why was the Left of the party opposed to the NEP?
They wanted collectivisation and total nationalisation.
Who lead the left opposition to Lenin?
Trotsky
What was the name of Trotsky’s opposition to the NEP?
The Dictatorship of Industry
What would have been the potential effects of the Dictatorship of Industry?
It would reach communism quickly but at the expense of peasant support.
Who lead the right faction of the Party?
Bukharin
Why was the NEP popular with the right of the party?
They thought it would slowly build socialism while maintaining social harmony.
Why were some members of the right of the party cautious about the NEP?
They feared capitalists would re-emerge and revolt.
What was the right of the party’s slogan?
Building socialism with capitalist hands
Who was at the forefront of the centre of the party?
Stalin
What is another name given to the centre of the Party?
The pragmatists
