THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION AOS2 CREATING A NEW SOCIETY War Communism

The Role of Trotsky: More Lived on an armoured train for duration of Civil War (with support staff). Estimated he travelled 105,000kms Frequented battlefields to support troops and boost morale Organised ‘rag-tag’ Red Army into a formidable fighting machine Relentless towards those who lost focus and/or deserted revolutionary cause, including death penalty Recruited former Tsarist officers with military expertise and controlled them (sometimes holding their families hostage) Rewarded those who performed well Delivered inspiring speeches, though was reputedly arrogant and had little time for those of inferior intellect Led the Red Army to victory in both the Civil War and later against the Kronstadt uprising

Recapping and looking forward… ture=fvsr What did you know? What does this tell you about today’s lesson? Historiographical school of thought?

Learning Intention: Explain the meaning and effects of War Communism (1918 – 1921) Define the two major characteristics of War Communism Explain why it was introduced Summarise its economic and social impact Explain what is meant by the term ‘Kulak’ Outline foreign intervention in response to War Communism

1921: The Critical Year 1920: Bolshevik control over Civil War ECONOMIC CRISIS: War Communism SOCIAL CRISIS Kronstadt Uprising IDEOLOGICAL CRISIS: New Economic Policy (NEP)

War Communism: Defined Occurred in the period between 1918 to 1921 Policies imposed by Bolsheviks in order to mobilise that nation to fight the Civil War 1.Forced confiscation of manpower to either Red Army or industry (Conscription) 2.Forced confiscation of grain and food (requisitioning) Also consider: -Establishment of Soviet farms on large estates -Nationalisation of industry -Rationing of food -Grain tax -‘Communist Sundays’ wherein loyal communists were expected to ‘volunteer’ to aid the war effort ECONOMIC CRISIS

Fact file: War Communism FUNCTION: Mobilise the nation to fight the Civil War ECONOMIC IMPACT: Industrial output down 15% of pre-war levels, agricultural output down 60 per cent. Number of Industrial workers: Halved between 1917 and Coal production down 30% since 1913, electrical energy production down 25% since 1913 SOCIAL IMPACT: Bribery common to attain basic means of life. Mass starvation and some instances of cannibalism DEATH TOLL: 10 million deaths during Civil War period: 9,500,000 from famine and disease, only 350,000 from actual combat (95% of death in Civil War due to famine and disease). ‘Our grandfathers, great-grandfathers and fathers all had to clean up the shit and filth of your grandfathers and fathers. Now you are going to do the same thing for us’. (Trotsky speaking to a group of former bourgeois Russians who were made to clear city streets)

War Communism: Kulaks Kulaks (richer peasants) blamed by Communists for rising price of food and food shortages: Accused on secretly hoarding food Debate over whether this was the case or whether their was simply a shortage of food Cheka was dispatched to coerce Kulaks to give up their grain Resulted in mass terror ECONOMIC CRISIS ‘Don’t trust him. The Kulak is the most hardened enemy of socialism’

War Communism: International support Famine during war communism period acknowledged worldwide Britain established ‘Save the Children Fund in Russia’ and re-entered Russia to allocate funds Asserted that American Relief Adminisatration saved 14 million peasants Support was reluctantly accepted by communist government ECONOMIC CRISIS

War Communism:Visual summary ECONOMIC CRISIS

Student summary… PPT Reading Web Page ECONOMIC CRISIS

Summary War communism was the policy used by the Bolsheviks during the Civil War (1918) Essentially it involved conscription of Russians to either to Red Army of to work under strict and harsh conditions, and requisitioning of food The policy had serious negative economic consequences