war communism

Question 1

What was War Communism?

Answer 1

Measures that Lenin and the Communists took to keep the army supplied during the Civil War
-Lenin set up the Supreme Council of National Economy (Vesenkha) to create a planned economy and a fair society

Question 2

Describe the main features of War Communism

Answer 2

1. Rationing of food in cities was to be strictly applied during food shortages
2. Private trading as banned and peasants could no longer sell their surplus food for profit but had to give it to the government.
3. Rapid inflation resulted which left money valueless and people had to barter

Question 3

What are the arguments for why War Communism was successful?

Answer 3

he Reds won the Civil War

• They may have otherwise returned to Tsarist
• Communism would have been over
• This maintains an arguably communist system

Question 4

What are the arguments for why War Communism was unsuccessful?

Answer 4

Increasing peasant opposition and peasant refused to cooperate in producing more food because the government simply took it away

2. Therefore Agricultural production decreased
3. This led to food shortages, along with the bad winters in 1920 and 1921 causing a terrible famine