War Communism Flashcards
what happened to all industry?
it was put under state control without compensation through the vesenkha
what happened to management?
it returned to factories, replacing the workers’ councils, to instil discipline
what was discipline like?
strict, military style = death penalty for factory strikers, unemployed forced to join ‘labour armies’ which did things like building roads, workers expected to help out on ‘communist saturdays’ which was basically unpaid labour
what happened to private trading?
banned but the state couldn’t keep up with demand, leading to a black market of goods
what happened to the currency?
it collapsed due to massive inflation rates and was replaced by bartering
what did the government do with crops?
forcible requisitioning from the peasants to feed the army & towns - 150,000 bolsheviks used to seize grain, committees of the village poor spied on peasants who might be hoarding food
why was rationing introduced?
to ensure that cities were fed
did war communism meet the needs of the state/people?
yes, for the state = they introduced it as a way to get through the war, which they won, but the consequences for the people were awful & made the party very unpopular
was there an increase in industrial & agricultural output?
no - after the war, heavy industry was at 20% of the 1913 level & food was at 48% of the 1913 level
what happened to standard of living?
significantly dropped - malnutrition & starvation was common which caused uprisings like tambov & kronstadt
