Economic Developments but Communist Flashcards
(47 cards)
What was Lenins quip about industrialisation
Soviets+electrification=Communism
What, suprisingly, did Lenin speak out against moving towards too quickly in 1917
Socialism
In lenins ideal economic model, what was the first stage of Russias transition to Communism
State Capitalism-A system in which the state would oversee the economy but private markets would still be in control
What was set up in 1917 to supervise the economy
Veshenka (Council of the National Economy)
Why did Lenins decrees to allow the workers to run their own factories fail
They failed to organise their factories efficiently
Workers awarded themselves unsustainable pay rises
Cut up conveyor belts to make shoes
What began in 1918 to expand the states ‘RIght to Grain’
Food Requisitioning and also the beginning of collectivisation, although not many households complied
What happened to Kulaks as part of the food requistion programme
They had all their sotcks seized, and as a result hid their crops, grew less, and even murdered members of requisitioning squads-disincentivizing economic efficiency
By the end of 1920, what had happened to nearly all industries and buisnesses
Nationalisation
What was War Communism and why was it introduced
A draconian system of economic governance in which:
Working hours were extended
Rationing for pretty much everything introduced
Internal passports issued to prevent labour movements
All private trade and manufacture forbidden
It was introduced to maximise extraction of value from workers in the time of the Russian civil war
What were the failures of war communism
Production was decimated; Factory output was at around 20% of pre war levels
Disease was rampant; a typhus epidemic led to 3 million deaths in 1920
People fled cities to find food; Msocow and St petersburgs population roughly halved
No food outside of cities either, the 1921 harvest produced 48% of the 1913 harvest, leading to famine, and harsh requisitioning redcued grain supplies, a 1/3rd of agricultural land had been abandoned and cattle and horses slaughtered
How had Russias population fallen from 1913 to 1921
40 million from 170.9 million to 130.9 million
Where was the worst revolt of the early leninist period and how many troops needed to be deployed
Tambov region; 100,000 and the use of poison gas
Where did 30,000 sailors, who had been some of the staunchest supporters of the communist coup, stage a revolt, and what happened
Kronstadt naval base; The red army was sent in, taking 15,000 prisoners and shooting the leaders. They had sent a manifesto demanding the end of one party communist rule. This happened at the same time as the peak of the Tambov revolt and heavily disconcerted Lenin
What opposition group was set up within the communist party itself in the early 20s
The workers opposition, who demanded greater worker control and the removal of military discipline in factories
Dramatically opposed war communism
What did Lenin declare was the spark that caused a new economic direction, but what was it actually in all likelihood
The Kronstadt revolt, But it was probably the combination of all the troubles that war communism had bought about
(Famine, disease, strikes, death,)
What was established in 1921 to run the New Economic Plan(NEP)
Gosplan
Why was the NEP controversial
It was economically to the right, so despite support by Bukharin, Zinoviev and most of the leadership, many regarded it as ideological betrayal
What did the NEP now allow
Private ownership of smaller buinsesses, although large ones would still remain nationalised e.g. oil
Private trade was now permitted
Rationing was ended
Employers now had to pay workers from their profits, promoting efficiency
grain requisition ended, and although some was owed to the state as a tax, surplus was allowed to be sold
What was the 1923 scissors crisis, as coined by Trotsky
Huge increase in agricultural goods caused prices to fall dramatically, whilst increased income cause the price of industrial goods to spike massively. Then, the scarcity of industrial goods meant that peasants were likely to withold grain supplies.
How did the goverment solve the 1923 scissors crisis
They introduced price caps on industrial goods and imposed a monetary quota for taxation on peasants, forcing them to sell at least some of their grain
When were 1913 production levels once again reached in Russia
1926
Who were NEPmen
Merchants who travelled, becoming rich off of trading industrial and agricultural goods
In 1925, what did the 14th party congress call for
Transformation into an Industrial Economy
In 1926, what was decided to be continued despite concerns about investment levels into heavier industries
the NEP
