Economy 1917-1941

Question 1

Name the issues with the economy in 1918.

Answer 1

• reduced production = more money than goods available = high inflation
• high inflation = peasants refuse to sell produce for worthless money
• food shortages in towns increase (also due to loss of Ukraine in Treaty of Br Lit)

Question 2

Define a socialist economy.

Answer 2

An economy in which there is no private ownership and in which all members of society have a share in the State’s resources (equality of outcome, not just opportunity)

Question 3

Define food requisitioning.

Answer 3

Taking grain and other foodstuffs from the peasants at a fixed rate to supply the urban population (workers and soldiers); the rate took no account of harvests or local conditions

Question 4

Veshenka is…

Answer 4

The council responsible for state industry 1917-32; rival to Gosplan

Question 5

Gosplan is…

Answer 5

State General Planning Commission (1921-91), which helped coordinate economic development and drafted economic plants from 1925; rival to Veshenka; had headquarters in Moscow and additional branches in each Soviet republic

Question 6

Discuss State Capitalism.

Answer 6

• a system whereby there is a degree of state control, but which includes private markets as an important feature of economic life
• October 1917 - towards the end of 1918
• Lenin believed a long transition was needed, as a quick one would be too ‘dangerous’ (threat of counterrevolution too high)

Question 7

Define War Communism.

Answer 7

A system whereby private trade and manufacture is forbidden, replaced by economic socialism and Marxist ideology

Question 8

What were the ideological reasons for introducing War Communism?

Answer 8

• “the more market the less socialism, the more socialism the less market” (centralised control to transition into socialism)
• getting rid of the hated market and bourgeoisie attitudes / extension of class warfare (‘the internal front’)

Question 9

What were the pragmatic reasons for introducing War Communism?

Answer 9

• it was not ideological as it was not planned (rather a spontaneous decision)
• the Bols were divided on it
• focused on feeding and supplying the Red Army

Question 10

The main features of War Communism for agriculture were…

Answer 10

• food requisitioning
• encouragement of collective / cooperative farming
• rationing grain based on class

Question 11

The main features of War Communism for industry were…

Answer 11

• nationalisation
• freedom for workers / extension of working hours
• discipline
• ration-card workbooks used instead of wages
• internal passports introduced
• rationing based on class
• banning of private trade

Question 12

Examples of opposition to War Communism:

Answer 12

• Tambov revolt
• Kronstadt uprising
• Fellow Bols, eg Alexandra Kollontai, Workers’ Opposition