Centralised planning approach introduced by the Bolsheviks in June 1918 to ensure the Red Army had supplies, more socialist than state capitalism as it banned private trade
Key features of war communism
Nationalisation of factories and businesses
Banning of private trade and manufacture
Railways placed under military-style control
Grain requisitioning from peasants
Strict labour discipline and rationing
War communism helped the Bolsheviks win the war but created as many problems as it solved
Harsh grain requisitioning
Reduced grain supplies to dangerously low levels, leading to famine
By 1921, industrial output was just 20% of pre-warlevels and rations had to be cut
The Tambov peasant revolt against grain requisitioning was brutally crushed by the RedArmy
The Kronstadt sailors, previously Bolshevik supporters, rebelled in 1921 against the Bolshevik one-party dictatorship and use of terror
New Economic Policy (NEP)
Introduced in 1921 to stabilise the Russian economy, allowing some private enterprise and trade
Features of the NEP
Grain requisitioning replaced by a tax in kind
Restoration of private trade and small-scale private enterprise
Profit incentives for industry
The NEP, along with the end of the Civil War, helped stabilise the Russian economy
Private businesses and agriculture recovered quickly under the NEP, but manufacturing output remained low
The Red Terror was a period of intense political repression by the Bolsheviks against perceived opponents, including the Tambov revolt and Kronstadt rising
The Bolsheviks introduced state capitalism as a 'halfway house' to socialism
State capitalism was replaced with war communism, which went much further towards full socialism
War communism reduced food supply and industrial production
The Red Terror was a new period of intense political repression
The NEP was introduced to get the economy moving again
The NEP was regarded by many Bolsheviks as a retreat back to capitalism
Lenin ordered a crackdown on any kind of opposition within the Party
A ban on 'factions' was introduced in 1921
The Menshevik and Socialist Revolutionary parties were banned in 1921 and thousands of their members were arrested
The Cheka (renamed the GPU in 1922) was given more power to root out possible counter-revolutionaries
There was a crackdown on Nepmen to try to suppress any moves from the NEP towards full capitalism
Censorship was increased and the Church came under more pressure, with thousands of priests arrested
The nomenklatura system was introduced in 1923, where only those showing complete loyalty to the Party were considered for promotion