industrial and agricultural policies 1917-85

• What did Lenin admit that the process of Capitalism to socialism and eventually communism would be?

  A process of trial and error
• Why couldn't the Bolsheviks get rid of the Bourgeoisie straight away?

  They were the only ones with expertise
• What was the transitional phase where Bolsheviks would become experts in trades?

  State Capitalism
• What were the key features of Lenin's initial economic policy?

  The land decree 1917, The Decree on Worker's control 1917 and the people's bank of the Russian republic
• What negative effects did Lenin's original economic policies have?

  Worker's councils voted to give themselves huge pay rises which caused inflation,and dismissed managers with expertise
• What did the Bolsheviks set up when they realised they needed greater control over the economy in 1917?

  The Supreme Council of the National Economy (Vesenkha) to supervise
• Why was War communism introduced?

  To ensure the Red Army had enough food and resources to emerge victorious in the civil war
• What was the ideological base of War Communism?

  Went along with the long term aims to abolish private enterprise and could be seen as an application of communist ideology
• How was the collapse of currency in 1917 seen as a communist success?

  The return to bartering was seen as a liberation from capitalism but it was actually cause by raging inflation.
• What businesses were nationalised in June 1918?

  Ones with 10 or more workers
• What was war communism actually a response to?

  Economic crisis and the series of problems that happened due to early Bolshevik decrees
• What were the key features of War Communism?


  Nationalisation of all industry, military-style discipline in factories and private trading was banned.
• Why was there forcible requisitioning of food from peasants?

  to feed armies and towns
• How many Bolsheviks volunteered to requisition grain under war communism?

  150,000
• Why did tensions rise between State and peasantry during war communism?

  The gov tampered with their way of life and attempted to spy on them
• What were the successes of war communism?

  allowed Red Army success
• What were the failures of war communism?

  left the economy in a state of collapse, by 1921 industrial production was only 1/5 of 1913 levels, disease starvation and unrest swept the countryside
• When was the NEP introduced?

  1921
• What were the economic reasons for the introduction of NEP?

  Industry was at a standstill, heavy industry had fallen by 20%, food production was at 48% of its 1913 level and there was widespread famine
• What features of War Communism had been unpopular amongst the population?

  Rationing was disliked, forcible grain requisitioning and power of party officials was increasing at the cost of the people
• What were the Key features of NEP?

  - Money was reintroduced.

  - Forced grain seizures from the peasants were stopped.

  - Peasants could sell their surplus grain for profit.

  - Small businesses could be privately owned.

  - Businesses could make and keep their profits.

  - Only the largest industries were controlled by the State.
• What social class emerged under NEP?

  Nepmen
• What was NEP from a communist standpoint?

  a return to capitalism - left wing communists were particularly hostile towards it
• How did Lenin persuade the politburo to enforce NEP?

  He said it was a short term measure
• What did the introduction of NEP coincide with?

  The arrests of many Mensheviks and all political parties other than communists were outlawed
• What were the successes of NEP?


  industrial output increased in 1921-24, Nepmen aided to economic growth, better harvests took place in 1922-23
• What were the failures of the NEP?

  corruption, black markets, prostitution, gangs of children stealing and selling goods, major imbalance between industries, scissors crisis
• What was the Scissors Crisis of 1923?

  Where agricultural prices fell whilst industrial prices rose. This was down to there being far more food than manufactured products.
• Why was the decision to move back to a command economy made?

  by 1942, industrial production was 45% of its 1913 figure, by 1926 much of the pre-war economy had been restored. The key to further growth was increasing food production for the workforce and international trade.
• What were the benefits of introducing the 5YPs in 1924?

  would allow greater state control and the removal of Nepmen, gave Stalin a chance to remove the leaders on the right and for him to consolidate his power.
• Why was state control the best way to bring about rapid industrialisation?

  The state would control the market forces
• Why were the 5YPs introduced?

  aimed to bring industrialisation, the USSR was economically behind the rest of europe,
• What was the main costs of the 5YPs?

  a human cost
• How far did Stalin declare the USSR was behind than the advanced countries?

  50 to 100 years
• When was the 15th Party Congress and what happened?

  1927, the decision to abolish NEP and replace it with the 5YPS
• What did the 5YPS depend on?

  the mobilisation of the people and workforce
• What did the People's commissariats do?

  Coordinated industries and officials monitored workers at a local level
• When was the first 5 year plan?

  1928-32
• When was the second five year plan?

  1933-37
• When was the 3rd Five Year Plan?

  1938-41