War Communism and NEP | davisonhistory

WHY DID LENIN INTRODUCE THE NEW ECONOMIC POLICY?

Lenin and the Communists began to lose support by 1920 and the end of the Civil War. Over 4 years of war and famine had ruined the economy. In cities thousands of orphaned, hungry children roamed around scavenging and stealing. In Petrograd workers went on strike. At the naval base in Kronstadt sailors mutinied. They demanded democracy and the end of war communism. Their motto was “Soviets without Communism”. They accused Lenin of betraying the workers and peasants and breaking his promises because peasants had been treated so harshly throughout the Civil War. The peasants also turned on the Bolsheviks. They joined bandit armies called “The Greens” who attacked the Red and White Armies in the civil war. In 1921 the Greens led a rebellion in Tambov, pulling up railways lines and murdering Bolsheviks. The Red Army crushed the Kronstadt and Green rebellions, but Lenin realised that he had to make changes to calm things down and keep support for communism. In March 1921 at the 10th Party Congress he announced the introduction of NEP. This allowed hard working peasants to sell extra food and keep the profit so gave them an incentive to grow more food. It stopped forced grain collection and small scale trading was allowed in small businesses, factories and market stalls. People who made money through NEP were known as “nepmen”. Lenin made it clear that NEP was temporary and key parts of the economy like banking, railways, coal, iron, steel and oil were kept under state control. However, many Bolsheviks, particularly Zinoviev and Kamenev, saw it as a betrayal of communism. Lenin argued that it was necessary to take one step backwards in order to preserve communism for the future.

POSITIVE

By 1926, food production had risen to almost pre-World War One levels
Production in heavy industry like coal and electricity also rose to pre-1914 levels
The richer, more successful peasants really liked it and were successful
Peasant uprisings and disturbances calmed down
It enabled the Communists to strengthen and consolidate their power (although this was also due to the peace and stability of the 1920s)

NEGATIVE

Conditions in cities were still poor with severe overcrowding, low wages for workers like miners and train drivers and poor diets
There was a growth of gambling, crime, prostitution and unemployment
Many people who had sacrificed a lot during the Civil War felt that NEP was a betrayal
It caused divisions within the Bolshevik party

1923: Russia was renamed the USSR (United Soviet Socialist Republic) and Moscow became the new capital city

By 1926, food production had risen to almost pre-World War One levels

Production in heavy industry like coal and electricity also rose to pre-1914 levels

The richer, more successful peasants really liked it and were successful

Peasant uprisings and disturbances calmed down

It enabled the Communists to strengthen and consolidate their power (although this was also due to the peace and stability of the 1920s)

Conditions in cities were still poor with severe overcrowding, low wages for workers like miners and train drivers and poor diets

There was a growth of gambling, crime, prostitution and unemployment

Many people who had sacrificed a lot during the Civil War felt that NEP was a betrayal

It caused divisions within the Bolshevik party