War Communism and The NEP Flashcards
Why was War Communism introduced?
In order to win the Civil War, the Bolsheviks put the state in control of the economy. The state decided what to produce; how much crops farmers needed to sell and how supplies would be divided and shared to make sure the Red Guards had what they needed to win the war.
Lenin introduced War Communism so that the Russian economy could meet the needs of the military and industrial workers
Features of War Communism:
- Under War Communism, peasants were not allowed to sell their crops. The state requisitioned the crops and left the peasants a small amount for their own needs.
- Food rationing began in cities, with soldiers and workers getting more food.
- A new central planning organization decided what the economy needed and set targets. Workers’ soviets no longer made decisions for their factories.
- Factories with more than 10 workers were nationalized and given production targets by the govt.
- Workers were put under govt. control. Strikes were banned in order to guarantee production targets. Labor conscription. Workers could be moved from one city to another to work.
Reasons for War Communism:
- State control of industry
- State control of food supply
- Ideological reasons
Why did the Bolsheviks need to gain state control of the industry under War Communism?
When the Bolsheviks took control of Russia in 1917, the economy was in a very bad condition.
Industries were only producing 60% of what they had produced in 1913.
The transport network was disrupted and raw materials were not reaching the factories.
The banks were not lending money to factories after the revolution.
They had also lost 50% of their industrial areas following the treaty.
Workforce numbers were also going down
Why did the Bolsheviks need to gain state control of the food supply under War Communism?
Food shortages in the cities had increased after 1917: treaty and the Whites’ control over important farming areas.
Peasants had enough land to feed themselves but they weren’t growing enough food to supply the cities and the Red Army party because the cities weren’t making enough products that peasants wanted to buy
Effects of War Communism on peasants:
Requisitioning turned the peasants against the Bolsheviks. The requisitioning brigades had taken so much from the peasants that they were left with very little to eat.
The amount of crops grown in the countryside declined as a result: farm production fell by 37%. Food shortages increased in the countryside sometimes becoming famines.
Increased violence by the requisitioning brigades which often turned into whole-region revolts.
Effects of War Communism on workers:
War Communism didn’t effectively help make sure that the workers had the supplies they needed. Food became so scarce that huge numbers of workers left the cities to return to their family villages. Half of Moscow’s and three-quarters of Petrograd’s population went back to the countryside.
The number of people working in factories fell by half and production halved too. Industries that were working were making supplies for the Red Army mainly, virtually making no supplies for ordinary people in the cities and in the countryside.
People then turned to black markets which sold goods at high prices, causing more suffering to the workers
There was a mutiny of Kronstadt sailors on the battleship ______________
Petropavlovsk
Reasons for the Kronstadt Naval Mutiny:
There was growing opposition to the difficulties created by War Communism amongst workers and soldiers, esp. after the bread ration was cut again in Jan 2021. Workers began to strike in Moscow and Petrograd, protesting about food shortages and lack of freedom.
There was increasing anger at the fact that Bolshevik bureaucrats had more food than workers and enjoyed other benefits like comfortable housing.
Many Kronstadt sailors shared the workers’ anger. They were especially furious that the Bolsheviks were betraying their socialist revolution by imprisoning and executing people without trial.
The reaction of the Bolshevik leadership to the Kronstadt Naval Mutiny:
Though they were shocked, they didn’t hesitate to use violence against them. Trotsky organized a force of 50,000 Red Guards to storm the naval base while it was still possible to attack across the frozen Gulf of Finland. Prisoners were handed over to the Cheka and around 500 were executed for rebelling against the govt.
Key features of the New Economic Policy:
- The free market was introduced. The peasants had to pay 10% tax on any produce that they sold.
- Grain requisitioning was ended.
- Any banks and businesses with fewer than 20 workers could again be privately owned and run to make a profit.
- Foreign experts were brought in to improve how factories were run. They were paid more than ordinary workers.
- Any Russian could open a shop and sell or hire goods for a profit
Economic effects of the NEP:
- Agricultural production increased rapidly. This was because peasants could now sell any surplus for a profit.
- Food supply increased and rationing was abolished
- Industrial growth also increased especially for smaller businesses that were now privately owned and run for a profit. There was a lot of demand in the countryside.
- A number of counties were eager to encourage the Soviet Union’s return to capitalism: Britain made trade deals with the Soviet Union, which helped boost Russia’s finances.
Social effects of the NEP:
The NEP was good for peasants, especially those with the most land since they could produce the most surplus. Gradually, the peasants’ revolt ended.
Life in the cities and towns recovered: shops, restaurants, banks, hotels, theatres reopened.
A new social group called the Nepmen appeared.
This also resulted in the growth of social inequality
Who were the Nepmen?
They were traders who had made profits from shortages of food and manufactured products, travelling around to sell where prices were the highest.
Why was the NEP worrying for the Bolsheviks?
War Communism was in line with communism
NEP, however, though successful looked like a return to capitalism with some getting rich while the others remained poor.
Instead of prioritizing workers and keeping food prices low for them, NEP favored the peasants and let them charge the highest price they could get for their crops.
It was also making the most successful peasant farmers far richer than the rest of the peasant population. Living conditions for workers were hardly improving at all.
The NEP seemed to be re-creating new classes of rich and poor in the countryside and cities.
