Podcast
Questions and Answers
What economic policy replaced forced grain requisitioning during the NEP?
What economic policy replaced forced grain requisitioning during the NEP?
Which group emerged as wealthier peasants under the NEP, leading to increased inequality?
Which group emerged as wealthier peasants under the NEP, leading to increased inequality?
By what year did grain production return to pre-World War I levels?
By what year did grain production return to pre-World War I levels?
What currency was reintroduced to facilitate trade under the NEP?
What currency was reintroduced to facilitate trade under the NEP?
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Which sector did the state maintain control over during the NEP?
Which sector did the state maintain control over during the NEP?
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What percentage of retail trade was accounted for by private trade by 1923?
What percentage of retail trade was accounted for by private trade by 1923?
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What major political shift occurred after the NEP due to concerns about its ideological implications?
What major political shift occurred after the NEP due to concerns about its ideological implications?
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Which aspect of the economy showed limited recovery by 1926 under the NEP?
Which aspect of the economy showed limited recovery by 1926 under the NEP?
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What event demonstrated the Bolsheviks' determination to suppress internal rebellion during the early years of the Soviet regime?
What event demonstrated the Bolsheviks' determination to suppress internal rebellion during the early years of the Soviet regime?
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Which policy resulted in the requisition of grain and caused significant famine during the civil war?
Which policy resulted in the requisition of grain and caused significant famine during the civil war?
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What was a major outcome of the New Economic Plan (NEP) introduced in 1921?
What was a major outcome of the New Economic Plan (NEP) introduced in 1921?
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How did the Bolshevik government control and censor information and media?
How did the Bolshevik government control and censor information and media?
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What was the role of the Cheka during the early Soviet period?
What was the role of the Cheka during the early Soviet period?
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Which of the following factors contributed to the Bolshevik's tight political control by 1922?
Which of the following factors contributed to the Bolshevik's tight political control by 1922?
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What major change occurred in 1922 regarding the secret police?
What major change occurred in 1922 regarding the secret police?
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The electrification campaign launched by Lenin aimed to achieve what by 1926?
The electrification campaign launched by Lenin aimed to achieve what by 1926?
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What was one of the primary objectives of the nationalities policy implemented by the Bolsheviks?
What was one of the primary objectives of the nationalities policy implemented by the Bolsheviks?
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What was a significant consequence of the agricultural output drop during War Communism?
What was a significant consequence of the agricultural output drop during War Communism?
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Study Notes
Bolshevik Consolidation of Power
- The Bolsheviks, through the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), established a one-party state by 1922.
- Factions within the party were forbidden, alongside other parties.
- The CPSU's membership reached 730,000 by 1922, strengthening Bolshevik control.
Internal Rebellions and Suppression
- The Tambov rebellion (1920-1921), a peasant uprising of 50,000 protesting grain requisitioning, was crushed by the Red Army using violence, including executions.
- The Kronstadt rebellion (March 1921), led by disillusioned sailors (formerly Bolshevik), with 17,000 sailors, faced a 50,000 Red Army response leading to 10,000 fatalities and widespread imprisonment.
Economic Policies
- War Communism (1918-1921) caused economic hardship, reducing industrial output by 80% and agricultural output by 40%. Grain requisitioning for the army caused 5 million deaths from famine.
- The New Economic Policy (NEP, 1921-1928) was introduced in response to widespread economic hardship and civil uprising, to restore economic stability.
- Small enterprises were privatized but heavy industries, banking, and transport were state-controlled.
- By 1926, the economy recovered to 75% of pre-war levels with grain harvests up 50% from 1921.
Use of Repression
- The Cheka (secret police) aimed to eliminate opposition, growing to approximately 200,000 by 1921.
- Their actions resulted in 50,000-70,000 deaths.
- The Cheka was replaced in 1922 by the GPU, maintaining similar functions.
- By 1923, 70,000 political prisoners were in labour camps (Gulags).
Centralization of Power
- The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was formed in December 1922, incorporating semi-autonomous areas (Ukraine, Georgia, and Armenia) under Bolshevik control.
- The Bolshevik Party's executive committee (Politburo) became the primary decision-making body.
- The Soviet government structure was subordinate to the Communist Party, creating a one-party state.
Control of the Economy
- By 1923, the Bolsheviks nationalized 90% of heavy industry (coal, iron ore/steel, oil) ensuring tight control.
- The NEP introduced "tax in kind" rather than requisitioning grain, reducing peasantry unrest.
- Lenin prioritized industrial modernization with the GOELRO plan in 1920, increasing electricity production by 300% by 1926, improving industrial output.
Propaganda and Ideological Control
- Literacy campaigns were launched by the Bolsheviks to promote Bolshevik ideology., increasing literacy rates from 30% in 1917 to 51% in 1921.
- All non-Bolshevik newspapers and publications were banned.
- Proletkult organizations promoted proletariat culture and religious institutions were suppressed, with over 1200 churches being closed by 1923.
Foreign Policy and Defence
- The Treaty of Rapallo (1922) established diplomatic relations and economic cooperation with Germany.
- The Red Army grew to 1.5 million by 1923.
Dealing with Ethnic Minorities
- The Bolsheviks implemented a "nationalities policy" giving limited autonomy to minorities.
- The USSR was structured as a federal government with Moscow as its head, incorporating local elites into the Bolshevik regime through a strategy of "indigenization."
- Armed uprisings in Ukraine and Georgia were brutally suppressed by the Red Army..
NEP - Logistical Impact
- Private enterprise was partially restored, allowing small businesses and peasants to sell surpluses.
- Grain requisitioning was replaced with a "tax in kind", easing tensions.
- Market mechanisms were reintroduced to some degree, with the state retaining control of key industries.
- The ruble was reintroduced as a stable currency.
- Foreign investment was encouraged, attracting mainly French entrepreneurs.
NEP - Successes
- Agricultural production recovered significantly (from 37.6 million tons in 1921 to 73.3 million tons in 1928).
- Industrial output increased, recovering to pre-war levels by 1926.
- Peasant livelihoods and urban recovery were seen as positive.
NEP - Challenges
- Rising inequality between Nepmen and Kulaks contrasted with socialist ideals.
- Heavy industries lagged behind agricultural recovery.
- The NEP was seen as ideologically problematic by some Bolsheviks.
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Description
Explore the Bolshevik rise to power and their suppression of internal rebellions from 1920 to 1922. This quiz covers key events such as the Tambov and Kronstadt uprisings, as well as the economic policies of War Communism and the NEP. Test your knowledge of this crucial period in Soviet history.
