Lenin's Policies
Modernisation
Social revolution relied on building a highly advanced economy
Consolidation
Needed economic stability to help retain his hold on power
Military Victory
Needed the economy to supply the Red Army
Destroy Capitalism
Socialism would be more efficient than capitalism and ended it’s inequality
Lenin often placed short-term pragmatic goals ahead of long-term ideological ones
Decrees on Land and Workers Control
Ideologically motivated
Gained mass proletariat support
Decree on Land (Oct 1917)
Abolished private ownership of land
In the hands of “the people”
Decree on Worker’s Control (Nov 1917)
Industrial workers controlled factories
Naive and idealistic
Worker’s control over the economy was incompatible with industrial efficiency and productivity
Threat to Bolshevik control
Lack of expertise and technical skills
Free for all in seizing land and commodities
Reduced state income
Vesenkha
Supreme Council of the National Economy
Created to supervise economy
Larger industries were nationalised
Dec 1917 - All private banks were nationalised
Became “People’s Bank of the Russian Republic”
Workers didn’t effectively run the factories
Gave themselves huge, unsustainable pay rises
Inflation
Managers often violently dismissed
Experts removed by vengeful workers
Peasants didn’t distribute food
Shortages in cities
Bourgeoise & Land owners alienated increasing tensions
Contributed to Civil War
Nationalisation of larger enterprises
State monopoly of markets for goods and services
Partial militarisation of labour
Peasants were forced to work as labourers or soldiers
Cheka implemented grain requisitioning
Fed army and urban workers
Factories run by managers
Reintroduction of discipline
Fines for lateness and absenteeism
Class-based rationing
Cheka used to inforce policies
Peasant resistance
Ex. Tambov Uprising
Kronstadt Mutiny - Feb 1921
Even Bolshevik supporters didn’t support policies
20,000 men died
“The Flash Light that lit up reality” - Lenin
Famine of 1921
5 million died
Reports of cannibalism
10th Party Congress - March 1921
Turning point
Larger industries
Stayed nationalised
Forced to budget for materials and wages
Small industries
Returned to private ownership
Could be profitable
Agriculture
Ended grain requisitioning
Introduced “Tax in Kind” on grain
Surplus grain could be sold for a profit
Stimulated production which returned to 1913 levels
1923 - sufficient supply returned to towns after famine
Returned Bolsheviks to political stability
No new revolts
Traders and peasantry were appeased
Conditions for proletariat didn’t improve
Nepmen benefited,
New bourgeoise
Strongly resented
Inequality & corruption grew again
Ideological retreat
Hated by Trotsky & caused splits that Stalin exploited
Seen by some as an admission that Communism didn’t work
Didn’t provide “agricultural revolution” needed to support industry & population or exports needed to generate income & investment
Kulaks grew rich which increased resistance when Stalin began collectivisation
Scissors Crisis
Agricultural prodution increased, while shortages of manufactured goods remained
Disparity between food and commodity prices
Farmers couldn’t afford manufactured goods
Resolved when Soviet gov introduced price controls.
Modernisation
Social revolution relied on building a highly advanced economy
Consolidation
Needed economic stability to help retain his hold on power
Military Victory
Needed the economy to supply the Red Army
Destroy Capitalism
Socialism would be more efficient than capitalism and ended it’s inequality
Lenin often placed short-term pragmatic goals ahead of long-term ideological ones
Decrees on Land and Workers Control
Ideologically motivated
Gained mass proletariat support
Decree on Land (Oct 1917)
Abolished private ownership of land
In the hands of “the people”
Decree on Worker’s Control (Nov 1917)
Industrial workers controlled factories
Naive and idealistic
Worker’s control over the economy was incompatible with industrial efficiency and productivity
Threat to Bolshevik control
Lack of expertise and technical skills
Free for all in seizing land and commodities
Reduced state income
Vesenkha
Supreme Council of the National Economy
Created to supervise economy
Larger industries were nationalised
Dec 1917 - All private banks were nationalised
Became “People’s Bank of the Russian Republic”
Workers didn’t effectively run the factories
Gave themselves huge, unsustainable pay rises
Inflation
Managers often violently dismissed
Experts removed by vengeful workers
Peasants didn’t distribute food
Shortages in cities
Bourgeoise & Land owners alienated increasing tensions
Contributed to Civil War
Nationalisation of larger enterprises
State monopoly of markets for goods and services
Partial militarisation of labour
Peasants were forced to work as labourers or soldiers
Cheka implemented grain requisitioning
Fed army and urban workers
Factories run by managers
Reintroduction of discipline
Fines for lateness and absenteeism
Class-based rationing
Cheka used to inforce policies
Peasant resistance
Ex. Tambov Uprising
Kronstadt Mutiny - Feb 1921
Even Bolshevik supporters didn’t support policies
20,000 men died
“The Flash Light that lit up reality” - Lenin
Famine of 1921
5 million died
Reports of cannibalism
10th Party Congress - March 1921
Turning point
Larger industries
Stayed nationalised
Forced to budget for materials and wages
Small industries
Returned to private ownership
Could be profitable
Agriculture
Ended grain requisitioning
Introduced “Tax in Kind” on grain
Surplus grain could be sold for a profit
Stimulated production which returned to 1913 levels
1923 - sufficient supply returned to towns after famine
Returned Bolsheviks to political stability
No new revolts
Traders and peasantry were appeased
Conditions for proletariat didn’t improve
Nepmen benefited,
New bourgeoise
Strongly resented
Inequality & corruption grew again
Ideological retreat
Hated by Trotsky & caused splits that Stalin exploited
Seen by some as an admission that Communism didn’t work
Didn’t provide “agricultural revolution” needed to support industry & population or exports needed to generate income & investment
Kulaks grew rich which increased resistance when Stalin began collectivisation
Scissors Crisis
Agricultural prodution increased, while shortages of manufactured goods remained
Disparity between food and commodity prices
Farmers couldn’t afford manufactured goods
Resolved when Soviet gov introduced price controls.