Topic 2 - Industrial and Agricultural Change under Lenin Flashcards
1
Q
What were Lenin’s main economic objectives? (4)
A
1) Modernisation
2) Consolidation
3) Military victory
4) Destroying capitalism
2
Q
What were Lenin’s main economic policies?
A
- State capitalism
- War communism
- NEP
3
Q
State capitalism - What was state capitalism and why was it introduced?
A
- A transition phase was needed between capitalism and communism so as to not break the economy
- Introduced in March 1918
4
Q
Why did Lenin introduce state capitalism, what did he resist, and what does this show?
A
- The Bolsheviks didn’t have the power or expertise to create a fully socialist economic system
- Lenin resisted pressure from within the party to implement a fully socialist economic system
- Showed his pragmatism over ideology (or preservation of the revolution above all else)
5
Q
What did state capitalism involve?
A
State capitalism based on nationalising large scale industry
6
Q
When and why was war communism introduced?
A
State capitalism always intended to be a temporary measure - the start of the Civil War in 1918 saw the introduction of emergency economic measures - later known as War Communism with the goal of achieving victory in the CW
7
Q
What were the measures of war communism? (3)
A
- Food dictatorship
- Labour discipline
- Abolition of the market
8
Q
War communism - Food dictatorship (2)
A
- Grain requisitioning - Cheka squads authorised to seize grain from peasants without payment
- Rationing - Supply commissariat rationed the seized food with the largest sent to the workers and soldiers and the smallest sent to members of the bourgeoisie
9
Q
War communism - Labour discipline (3)
A
- In 1918 the working day was extended to 11 hours
- In 1919 work was made compulsory for all able-bodied people between 16 and 50
- Harsh punishments given to workers who were caught slacking or late
10
Q
War communism - Abolition of the market (4)
A
- Abolition of money - Gov simply printed more money which led to hyperinflation - led to money becoming worthless - workers were paid in rations and many public services were provided freely
- Abolition of trade - Private trade made illegal
- Complete nationalisation - All businesses taken over by the state
- Conscription - Workers assigned either to work in factories or join the army
11
Q
Consequences of War Communism? (5)
A
- Hyperinflation - Tram tickets a million times more expensive in 1921 than in 1917
- Production in 1921 about ⅓ of what it was in 1913
- 1921 harvest was only 46% of the 1913 harvest - led to a famine in rural areas which led to 6 million deaths
- Pop 1913 - 171 million - popo 1921 - 121 million
- Growth of the black market - Around 40% of food consumed in Russia came from rationing with the other 60% coming from the black market
12
Q
Political opposition to war communism?
A
- Tambov Revolt - August 1920-June 1921 - 70,000 peasant army fought against 100,000 Red troops to try and keep their food (reds used poison gas)
- Martial law used to suppress unrest in the cities as the bread ration was cut and workers protested against their treatment - Cheka stepped in where soldiers wouldn’t
- Kronstadt - In March 1921 sent a manifesto to Lenin demanding better treatment of works and an end to the one party rule - the reds attacked the Kronstadt base with 15,000 rebels captured and their leaders shot
13
Q
Reasons why NEP was introduced? (3)
A
- To retain political power - L described NEP as an economic retreat which was designed to stop a political defeat - made economic compromises to retain political power
- To revive the economy - Lenin needed a policy that would stimulate grain production and end the famine
- To build socialism - By 1921 it was clear a Europe wide revolution would not happen so Lenin needed an economic policy that would allow Russia to build socialism without foreign aid
14
Q
Measures of NEP? (5)
A
- Agricultural production left to the free market - peasants could buy, sell, and produce freely
- Grain requisitioning ended and replaced with a tax in kind
- Small factories and workshops with less than 20 workers were denationalised and allowed to trade freely
- Large factories and businesses remained nationalised
- Money reintroduced
15
Q
Consequences of NEP (5)
A
- Farming - Ending grain requisitioning and free trade encouraged peasants to grow more food ending the famine - also boosted support for the regime which was a deliberate ploy by Lenin - argued that Communist gov was based on an alliance called the ‘smychka’ between the workers and the peasants which was made possible by the NEP
- Industry - NEP also led to industrial growth - Lenin authorised a major electrification campaign which revived an industry that had been effectively destroyed by the Civil War - however industrial recovery was slow
- Inequality - The NEP led to the re-emergence of inequality - large farms prospered while small farms did less well - also saw emergence of NEPmen (explored further below)
- Scissors crisis (explored further below)
- Divided the party - the right wing supported the NEP as a necessary transitional stage - the left wing opposed it arguing it was too capitalist -
