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Lenin's Policies

Aims

  • 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

Worker’s Control 1917

  • 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

Problems

  • 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

State Capitalism

  • 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”

Problems

  • 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

War Communism

  • 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

Problems

  • 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

New Economic Policy

  • 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

Impact

Positive

  • 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

Negative

  • 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.

Lenin's Policies

Aims

  • 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

Worker’s Control 1917

  • 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

Problems

  • 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

State Capitalism

  • 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”

Problems

  • 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

War Communism

  • 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

Problems

  • 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

New Economic Policy

  • 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

Impact

Positive

  • 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

Negative

  • 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.

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