economy 1919-42 Flashcards
state capitalism
-land decree 1917:abolished private ownership of land
-workers control decree 1917:gave workers the right to supervise management through factory committees
-these only legitimised processes that had begun,it was going to be a long road to socialism
-dec 1917 Veshenka: established to control economic development
-workers control failed, unsustainable pay rises,others helped themselves to stock
grain requisitioning
-increased ‘states right to grain’, by food requisitioning and collective farming was encouraged as it was thought to be more efficient
-peasants were paid a fixed price, and many had scarcely enough to live on
peasants categories under war communism
-poor and moderately poor regarded as allies of urban proletariat
-kulaks named ‘enemies of the people’ and had their stocks seized
-cheka had to be used extensively to make the policy
nationalisations under lenin
-sugar may 1918
-oil june 1918
-nearly all factories and business nov 1920
-workers lost their freedoms and internal passports were introduced to stop employees drifting back to the countryside
problems of war commmunism
-transport systems disrupted by fighting and management struggled to get factories to work effectively
-1921, total industrial output fell to 20% of its pre war levels, rations had to be cut
-typhus epidemic saw the death of more than 3 million in 1920
-acute food shortage by 1920
-population went from 170.9 mil 1913 to 130.9 mil 1921
-reports of cannibalism
peasants revolts under lenin
-worst in Tambov province, 100,000 red army troops had to be deployed to deal with the troubles, brutal reprisals particularly against those thought to be kulaks, poison gas used to deal with those hiding in forests
workers revolts under lenin
-protested against factory discipline and lack of union representation, support for other socialist parties grew
kronstadt sailors revolt
-had been most loyal supporters of revolution
-march 1921, sent a manifesto to Lenin demanding an end to one party communist rule
-red army took 15,000 rebels prisoners and leaders were shot
-sailors denounced as ‘white traitors’
-this may have convinced lenin to change economic strategy
start of NEP
-14th March 1921, lenin announced proposal to replace grain requisitioning with tax, no bolshevik leader was enthusiastic, seen as a betrayal of socialism, lenin said it was the only way to win cooperation of peasants
NEP in operation for peasants
-peasants allowed to sell their surplus privately, in hopes of alleviating food shortages
-after 1923 allowed to pay tax in cash
-initially private trade was restricted to local markets, but soon nepmen brought surplus grain into towns and became rather wealthy
-government promised to buy more manufactured goods too, for there to be something worthwhile for peasants to spend their money on
nationalisation under NEP
-goal of complete nationalisation abandoned
-80% small scale industry restored to private ownership by 1923
-‘commanding heights of the economy’ (heavy industry e.g. rail) should remain under state control, roughly 84% of industrial workers were employed in state enterprises
success of NEP
-continued still spring 1928
-by 1926 government could claim it had achieved its immediate aim, production had improved significantly
-success in stats: electricity (million kVVhs) 1945 (1913) 3508 (1926),
-but these statisticss may not be the most reliable as they are soviet statistics meaning they could be exaggerated
end of NEP (agricultural failures)
-by 1927 the plan was faltering and weaknesses were exposed
-food crisis, made 128 million poods of grain less than the previous year and the peasants were hoping for an increase in grain prices, did not occur
-jan 1928:nepmen banned, private markets closed and peasants ordered to hand over grain
end of NEP (industrial failures)
-industry had failed to make a great leap forwards and there were high levels of unemployment
-new slogan of ‘socialism in one country’ from Stalin, USSR had to rely on its own strength to survive
-USSR had to catch up with the industry of the west to deter attack
-to fund industry, agriculture had to be moderised but only the richest peasants could afford to buy tractors for example which were really needed
end of NEP (political motives)
-left communists believed it was impossible to justify in a ‘socialist’ state
-workers resented unemployment in the industry whilst nepmen and kulaks were making money
-majority feeling in the party was not one of satisfaction
