Lenin and War Communism

Vladimir Lenin• First leader of the USSR.• Studied law but was expelled for

taking part in student demonstrations.• Returned to overthrow the

provisional government of Russia in 1917.

Russian Civil War 1917-1922• Mensheviks (White Army) vs.

Bolsheviks (Red Army).• Mensheviks–Power must remain with the

bourgeoisie.• Bolsheviks (Lenin)–Real revolution must be led by the

proletariat.

Red Army• The Bolshevik party was led by

Lenin.• Leon Trotsky- In 1918 he became

war commissioner and set about building up the Red Army.• Many thought Trotsky would be

Lenin’s successor.

Leon Trotsky

Anti-Bolshevik Poster, 1919

War Communism• Economic policies of the Bolsheviks

during the Russian Civil War.–Nationalized banks, land, and foreign

trade.–Ended all private forms of capitalism. –The state took any extra grain and

food products from the peasants.

“A staged photo (1921) extolling the virtues of agricultural collectivism”

War CommunismAction1. Nationalization of industry.2. State took all of the surplus food.

Effect• 1. Large factories were

producing 18% of their 1913 figure.

• 2. No incentive to produce more than required, left factory workers hungry, people moved to the countryside from the cities.

War CommunismAction• 3. State

monopoly on foreign trade.• 4. Private trade

made illegal.

Effect• 3. Foreign trade

ceased to exist.• 4. Money

became almost useless.

War Communism Results• Opposition to War Communism

peaked in early 1921 after the end of the civil war, with strikes and rebellions.

New Economic Policy

New Economic Policy• The original plan was to have

capitalism in place until the economy was strong enough to achieve socialism.• Gave them the freedom to sell what

they produced for profit, which was not allowed under War Communism.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U5duV94Ocs

New Economic Policy• Used to ease the burden of War

Communism.• Used as a way to build a socialist

foundation.• The peasants would be allowed to

sell freely (for profit) that which they had left over after the tax had been collected.

Bell Work• What was War Communism?• What was the New Economic

Policy?• How were the two policies

different? –Try and think of specific examples