Key Challenge-Kronstadt Rebellion 1921 ‘The Lightning flash that illustrated the true reality of things’ The most serious challenge to Bolshevik control since the October Revolution

Key Challenge-Kronstadt Rebellion 1921 February 26th 1921 Sailors who supported the October Revolution now revolted against the Bolsheviks “the pride and glory of the Revolution... the reddest of the red”. Demanded an end to the harsh measures of War Communism. Demanded an end to one party rule- An end to Bolshevik dictatorship. Brutally suppressed- The Revolution devours its own children. Significance- If life was so good in Bolshevik Russia why did this happen?

Here is a from Tukhachevskywho was the leader of the attack on the Kronstat, writing a report to Trotsky: "The sailors fought like wild beasts. I cannot understand where they found the might for such rage... An entire company fought for an hour to capture one house and when the house was captured it was found to contain two or three soldiers at a machine gun. They seemed half dead, but they snatched their revolvers and gasped, 'We didn't shoot enough of you bastards'" Red Army Soldiers attacking the sailors at Kronstadt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IA60O7-HY2M&safe=active 8 min clip

Kronstadt Postscript Lenin & the Bolsheviks eventually crushed the mutiny in Kronstadt on the night of March 16th, 1921. Conspirators, sailors & fishermen were executed for their part in the mutiny. 50,000 Red Army troops were sent in to crush the rebellion. Members of the CHEKA stood behind the red army soldiers with machines guns in case any of them tried to run away. This represented the last significant effort to oust Bolshevism or alter its excessively dictatorial position and ideology. The policies of ‘War Communism’, the closing of the National Assembly in January 1918 and suppression of democratic rights by the ‘Cheka’ had all contributed to the mutiny in Kronstadt. (C) W. McSweeney 2011

Key Challenge-Kronstadt Rebellion 1921 Origins War Communism and Chekka Terror. Key demands of the sailors New Elections Freedom of Speech End to Bolshevik monopoly on power Communist response: Orders crushing of the rising Trotsky directs its brutal suppression Aftermath Leads Lenin Towards NEP

How successful was the New Economic Policy? How was the Bolshevik State Consolidated 1921-1924? How successful was the New Economic Policy?

NEP – Introduced at the 10th party congress in March 1921. NEP stands for New (sometimes also National) Economic Policy. Policy of War Communism was ended and NEP introduced. NEP was a new policy for the Russian economy. Lenin came to conclusion that "only by coming to an agreement with the peasants can we save the socialist revolution" Lenin introduced the NEP in March, 1921. Joseph Stalin got rid of the NEP policy and replaced it with 5year plan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U5duV94Ocs&safe=active 4mins

Watch the clip. What was the NEP? Why was it introduced? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U5duV94Ocs&safe=active 4mins

3qq3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U5duV94Ocs&safe=active 4mins

The NEP’s rules 1. Requisition squads were ended and farmers were allowed to sell food in the open/free market. 2. Peasants could sell their surplus grain after the government took half. 3. They (peasants) could give a job to other people who would work for them. 3. NEP also allowed internal trade. Traders could buy, sell and make goods at a profit 4. Small factories (under 20 employees) were handed back to private ownership. 5. NEPmen were created. These were middle men who bought and sold goods. 6. Trade with foreign countries was encouraged. Anglo-Soviet trade agreement with UK. 7. A new currency was introduced in 1922 which helped to bring an end to the high level of inflation

 Your task – Murphy p89 Create a scales chart showing the successes and failures of the NEP. Successes Failures

Successes Small businesses reopened, e.g. shops, restaurants Cereal production increased (20%, 1920-23) Markets returned to Russian towns and food shortages disappeared. Famine of 1921 ended. Coal production doubled NEPmen increased products available Increased trade between villages of goods & produce Political interference remained weak International support: trade agreements (Germany, 1922; GB, 1924)

Failures Successes measured against low baseline (Civil War, War Communism) Distributions systems remained chaotic NEPmen overly-important (controlled 3/4 retail trade) Property speculation Bribery Trotsky’s ‘Scissors crisis’ – As agricultural production rose, price of agricultural goods fell. Meanwhile industrial prices rose, because of shortages. Therefore, peasants – the majority of the population- had to pay more and more for manufactured goods at a time when they were getting less and less for their produce. The problem was called the scissors crisis because the gap in prices was said to resemble the widening blades of a pair of scissors when opened.

Scissor Crisis Problem Abundance of food, prices dropped, peasants unwilling to sell grain Lack of manufactured goods, prices increased, not enough goods Resolution Govt. capped industrial prices Peasants paid tax in cash, not kind

Impact of the NEP Walter Duranty – American journalist (1935): “In a single year, the supply of food and goods jumped from starvation point to something nearly adequate and prices fell accordingly. This was the rich silt in NEP’s flood, whereas the gambling and debauchery were only froth and scum.”

Impact of the NEP

Impact of the NEP

1921 - 1924 What happened next Do not make the mistake that in addition to a freeing up of economic life there was also a freeing up of political life: far from it. The introduction of the NEP saw a loosening of economic controls but a tightening of political control. From March 1921, Russia was governed by a dictatorship more absolute than any government under the tsarist autocracy. See following slides

Censorship Censorship increased 1922 – dozens of writers and scholars deported Pre-publication censorship brought in. New body - Glavlit – to oversee

Attacking Rivals Political pressure on rival parties intensified 5,000 Mensheviks arrested in 1921 Mensheviks and SRs outlawed Show Trials – SRs rounded up and put on public trial. Often accused of collaboration with Denikin or of trying to assassinate Lenin. 34 SR leaders condemned as terrorists, 11 executed

Secret Police Cheka renamed the GPU (later the OGPU) in 1922 Continued to arrest opponents and deal out death sentences Attacked Nepmen as well as “class enemies” such as the church

Crushing Peasants & Church Peasants who opposed the government dealt with harshly Tambov region – destruction of whole villages – 240,000 killed and poison gas used in some cases By 1921 Lenin directly challenging the Church 1922 – Orders given to seize wealth from churches to help famine victims Opposition led to large numbers of arrests

Attacks on political rivals Communist party members were no longer allowed to form groups independent of Lenin’s leadership. Mensheviks & Socialist Revolutionaries arrested for supporting strikes & civil disturbances 1921, 5000 Mensheviks arrested for counter-revolutionary activities Mensheviks & SRs outlawed Show trials: 34 Socialist Revolutionaries condemned as terrorists; 11 executed

Crushing of peasants Harsh punishments for civil disturbances 1922, Tambov region ‘purged’ by Red Army Loyalty rewards – salt, manufactured goods Propaganda campaign extolling benefits of NEP

Censorship 1922 writers & scholars deported Pre-publication censorship introduced Main Administration for Affairs of Literature & Publishing Houses (Glavlit) estd.

GPU (Cheka) GPU (Main Political Administration) founded in 1922 Arbitrary imprisonment & death penalty extended Nepmen focus for attacks

Attacks on the Church Church a potential opponent 1921, Union of the Militant Godless estd. 1922, churches stripped of wealth Russian Orthodox Church leaders executed 1000s priests imprisoned

How far did the NEP meet Russia’s needs? Not at all Very far

Plenary 3 features of the NEP 2 groups who benefited from the NEP 1 way Lenin justified the NEP

Homework - Draw up a list of similarities and differences between War Communism and the NEP

 Discussion Who provided a greater threat to the Bolsheviks: intellectuals & writers, Church leaders, peasant communities or political opponents? Which method of repression would have the greatest success: censorship, the use of secret police, direct attacks, for example on individuals, sweeping attacks for example on communities?