Why the NEP 1921

Why?

  • By 1921 hopes that WC would convert communist ideology into meaningful policy was over

→ reality of social, economic & deterioration in political positions led govern. to abandon WC and replace it with the NEP

  • ending of the CW produced a different situation which required a different response :

Economic considerations

  • end of war industry had ground to a standstill

→ production of heavy industry fell to 20% of 1913 level

→ Food production fell to 48% of 1913 level

  • weakened by lack of food many Russians succumbed to diseased - small pox

→ +20m died from famine & disease in 1920s

showed WC was not delivering goods nor would it be able to cope with post-war situation

Unpopularity of war communism

  • system of rationing disliked - size depended on social classification of a person

→ RA members & industrial proletariat received most compared to bourgeoise

  • Managers & hierarchy systems in factories caused resentment amongst workers

→ felt opportunity for Self-regulation was being undermined

TAMBOV RISING

  • Resentment of WC was in relation to forcible requisitioning of food & plans to get rid of the mir
  • Resentment came to a head in a series of uprisings in 1920-21
  • Most serious uprising was TAMBOV In central Russia - peasants reacted violently to requisitioning teams
  • Revolt ended after 50,000 RA troops sent into the area

Kronstadt Mutiny

  • Revolt by sailors at naval base outside Petrograd
  • increased pressure on govern. → the group had been a mainstay of the revolutionary

→ could not be dismissed as 'Counter revolutionaries'

  • Mutiny over increase of power of Party & its officials at expense of workers
  • slogan was 'soviets without Bolsheviks'
  • wanted:
    • Free elections
    • Freedom of Speech
    • Equal rations
    • End of Grain requisitioning
  • Eventually suppressed by RA

Key feature in Lenins decision to change the economic policy due to shock to the Bolshevik leadership