War Communism

Question 1

What was War Communism?

Answer 1

A series of measures such as requisitioning of the grain which existed primarily to feed and arm the Red Army. Could’ve also been an attempt to lead the country towards a more socialist economy.

Question 2

Bolsheviks wanted to the Russian economy to be treated as a ‘Single Enterprise’. What does this mean?

Answer 2

Russia to be treated as one huge factory. No regard for human/individual welfare, the only aim to was work for the collective. The hope was that supply and demand would cease to exist.

Question 3

The Food Supplies Dictatorship was set up in May 1918, what was its job?

Answer 3

To organise the requisitioning of peasants’ grain in order to feed the cities.

Question 4

Which types of farming did the government encourage? Why?

Answer 4

Collective and Cooperative Farming. They hoped that peasants would work together more effectively if pooled their resources. Few complied.

Question 5

What was the requisitioning of the grain?

Answer 5

Peasants’ grain (beyond a minimum for survival) was taken away to feed the Red Army and Cities.

Question 6

What did the Cheka do during the requisitioning of the grain?

Answer 6

Seized peasants’ grain (often more than they should’ve) and offered shitey vouchers rather than money.

Question 7

What were Kulaks declared to be? What happened to them?

Answer 7

‘Enemies of the State.’ They often had their whole stock seized by requisitioning squads.

Question 8

What happened to someone who reported that someone else was withholding stock?

Answer 8

They’d be given half of whatever the guilty peasant had been hoarding.

Question 9

What did Centralised Management ensure when it came to industry and foreign goods?

Answer 9

Centralised Management ensured that all foreign trade and industries were nationalised.

Question 10

Which industry was the first to be completely nationalised by May 1918?

Answer 10

Sugar

Question 11

By November 1920, what had happened to the majority of businesses?

Answer 11

They’d been nationalised.

Question 12

What did the state do to enforce discipline and increase production output in factories?

Answer 12

Hired state-appointed managers. Big factories benefitted because they were guaranteed work and rations, but small businesses suffered.

Question 13

What did the government ban under War Communism?

Answer 13

Strikes.

Question 14

What happened to working hours under War Communism?

Answer 14

Extended.

Question 15

What replaced wages?

Answer 15

Ration books.

Question 16

What could you get a fine for regarding work?

Answer 16

Lateness, Slackness and Absenteeism.

Question 17

What were introduced to stop peasants moving to the countryside?

Answer 17

Internal Passports.

Question 18

Who got the highest rations and who got the lowest?

Answer 18

Red Army and Factory workers received the highest, while Bourgeoisie, Nobility and Clergy were given the lowest.

Question 19

By 1921, how was production?

Answer 19

It had declined massively to prewar levels. Rations had to be cut.

Question 20

By how much had Petrograd and Moscow’s population fallen by 1920 compared to 1917?

Answer 20

Petrograd’s by 58% and Moscow’s by 45%.

Question 21

The harvest of 1921 was horrific. Which percentage did said harvest produce when compared to the 1913 harvest?

Answer 21

Only 48% of the 1913 harvest, this resulted in widespread famine. Food was so scarce there were even reports of black market trade of dead bodies to eat.

Question 22

Prepare yourself for a bad statistic yikes. In 1913 Russia’s population was 171 million. What was it in 1921?

Answer 22

131 million. It had fallen by 40 million in just 8 years.