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War Communism and the NEP - Coggle Diagram
War Communism and the NEP
The USSR's economic policy was largely shaped by political conditions. During the civil war, Lenin implemented war communism. This was very strict. The New Economic Plan (NEP), which replaced war communism was more liberal.
Communist aims
Lenin and Stalin wanted all in society who could work to do so.
War Communism
Under war communism, everyone aged 16-50 had to fight in the army or work.
In the early years, everyone received a work card in return for their work and this gave them access to benefits.
Rationing was imposed for food and fuel.
This was regulated through Prodrasped (Section of General Distribution).
Impact of War Communism
War communism failed to meet worker's needs because the rations were too small.
This led to many workers leaving their factories in search of food.
One quarter of people left the cities.
The NEP
The NEP, with its more liberal economic policies, led to higher unemployment.
1924: 18% of the urban workforce was unemployed.
NEP social benefits
The Soviet Union had an incredibly well-developed system of social benefits for its labour force. It was arguably the most thorough in the entire world.
Social insurance included maternity pay, unemployment benefits and medical benefits. Disabled people also received benefits through this system.
Urban families also received education, which the state paid for.
Peasants did not have access to such welfare benefits.
Historical assessment
Orlando Figes, "A People's Tragedy" : "Under the NEP, some of the trappings of the modern world began to trickle down to the villages. Electric power came. Even Andreevskoe [ a village outside Moscow] had its first electric cables in 1927 [...] Lenin extolled the new technology as a panacea (solution) for Russia's backwardness. "Communism equals Soviet power plus the electrification of the entire country", his famous slogan went."