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8/9/2019 New Economic Policy Under Lenin
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IB INTERNAL ASSESSMENT
The New Economic Policy under Lenin
Jarrett Smith
Mrs. Trovato
November 11, 2008
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ContentsA. PLAN OF INVESTIGATION................................................................... 3
B. SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE ................................................................... 4
C. EVALUATION OF SOURCES ................................................................ 7
D. ANALYSIS .......................................................................................... 8
E. CONCLUSION ................................................................................... 11
F. LIST OF SOURCES............................................................................. 12
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A.Plan of InvestigationHow did the New Economic Plan create a stable economic policy for Lenins Communist
Government?
To conduct this investigation it will be necessary to collect information on the political
rule of Lenin under the Bolshevik regime. It will also be critical to analyze the period in which
the New Economic Plan (NEP) was implemented and how the economic stresses of the period
gave rise to the radical shift in government. This will be evident through the contrast in the
Communist systems of the Soviet Union after years of War Communism. Conducting the
research for this assessment will include searching local libraries for relevant book sources. I will
also draw on several internet sources to gather information, after critical evaluation. In using
sources such as The Russian Revolution by Professor Sheila Fitzpatrick, it will be possible to
examine the policies and legislation passed that comprised the NEP and the way in which they
shaped the future of the revolution. Other sources will include Leonard Shapiros Origins of
Modern Communism, which incorporate the NEP as a part of Lenins achievement in unifying
the communist nation through reform in economic policy enabling the nation to rise to an
international competitive status.
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B.Summary of Evidence
After WWI, over 5 million soldiers of the Red Army were demobilized1
Soldiers displaced, armed, without employment became bandits, rebels, and
black market traders
Bolsheviks struggled to dismantle the systems that existed under imperialist
Russia
Peasant anger due to food requisition by government
Volga Region suffered drought and famine2
Hunger epidemics 1921-1922
War Communism and Bolshevik Regime had been dependent on Army
Peasants were the largest group in communist Russia but were widely ignored
by Bolsheviks
1921, 2 million troops demobilized
Industrial Closures, drop in coal production, draft, decline in working
industrial class brought threat to the proletariat class of Lenins Revolution
Drop in Workers from 3.6 million in 1917 to 1.5 million in 19203
1
Shapiro, Leonard. The Russian Revolution: Origins of Modern Communism. New York:Basic Books Inc, 1984
2Fitzpatrick, Sheila. The Russian Revolution 1917-1932. 3
rded. USA: Oxford University Press,
2008.
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The dictator class proletariats, who were served as the base for the
communist industrial system, began to vanish after the end of WWI, creating
an unstable political status
Bolsheviks lost European allies as workers revolutions began to lose
momentum and interest-apparent in failed German revolt in 1920s
Lack of foreign allies forced a need to create allies with peasantry
Peasants had been alienated by food requisition and War Communism4
Riots and violent revolts occurred from peasants including Tambov and
Kondstat as well as a sailor/peasant revolt in Petrograd
In response to the economic and social conditions, the NEP is passed by
Lenin and one-tenth congress 5
1st
step was to end land requisitions replacing it with a heavy taxes
NEP placed a fixed quota and how much the government could take in land
requisitions as well as allowing peasants to choose to pay individually for the
social services provided by the Communist system
The NEP provided for a stable monetary system developing a base for
economic success
Through NEP trade was permitted at the Small-scale village and community
level allowing a free flowing capitalist system for peasants
3Fitzpatrick, Sheila. The Russian Revolution 1917-1932. 3
rd ed. USA: Oxford University Press,
2008.
4Fitzpatrick, Sheila. The Russian Revolution 1917-1932. 3
rded. USA: Oxford University Press,
2008.5Cohen, Stephen F.Rethinking the Soviet Experience: Politics and History since 1917. USA:
Oxford University Press, 1986.
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Complete Nationalization of industry ends allowing the private sector to
reconstruct itself
Lenin felt the NEP repudiated Marxist ideals however, he also realized that
some capitalist trade was necessary to the survival of the Communist Regime.
In the interests of the nation it was passed by congress
Lenin stated, The Workers would like a better apparatus for us, but they
dont know how6
State still controlled all large industries
Foreign entrepreneurs were encouraged to invest in Soviet Industries and
Enterprises7
The Finance Commissariat and State Bank began to follow bourgeois
financial experts
This program brought rise to workers party connected with Lenins Levy
1924
NEP debated by congress for it abandoned the tenants of socialism
Began a period of unification in which all political opposition wasextinguished
6Lenin, Vladimir.Essential Works of Lenin, What is to be done? And Other Writings. New ed.
New York: Dover Publications, 1987.
7Shapiro, Leonard. Origins of Modern Communism. New York: Basic Books Inc, 1984
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C.Evaluation of Sourcesi) The Russian Revolution 1917-1932 is a secondary source which covers a selectiveperspective of the Bolshevik regime and its establishment of a Communist system. The focus
is narrowed to specific aspects of the revolution of Russia. Its author, Sheila Fitzpatrick,
served as a professor both at Columbia University as well as a visiting faculty member at the
Research School of Australian National University. This source is intended to centralize the
revolution around legislation and policy, with a heavy emphasis on both the NEP of Lenin and
Stalins Five Year Plan. The text follows a chronological pattern, addressing the conditions
which served as the source for these events as well as the effects that followed these policies.
ii) Leonard Shapiro, a specialist of the Russian Revolution, served as a professor of
Russian history at the London School of Economics and Political Science. These credentials
support his in-depth study of the subject and his credibility in compiling relevant information.
Shapiro broadened the scope of the assessment, including other aspects of the Soviet Regime
such as the opposition and diversity within the movement. In doing so Shapiro had enlisted
several professors from both the Governmental Department of the London school of
economics as well as the University of Hawaii. Although centralized around the political
events of the revolution the source also provides an evaluation of the general social condition
of the period. There are some portions of the text that reveal his personal bias as expressed in
the dedication of the book which is intended as evidence against the systems of communism.
This bias however does not seem to transcend through the entire piece and overall provides a
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scholarly interpretation of the events of the Russian Revolution and the ways in which it
shaped modern communism.
D.AnalysisThe New Economic Plan (NEP) vowed to bring stability to a nation struggling after years
of War and Revolution. Through restricting and tempering communist ideals and policies
founded in Marxism, Lenin was able to introduce aspects of capitalism which operated on the
small village level. In doing so Lenin believed he could restore prosperity to Russia. This would
aid in the countrys rise to an international status in which the nation could compete with other
world powers.8In this analysis it is critical to include those conditions that drove the creation of
the NEP in post World War One Russia. The original introduction of the NEP was intended to
address the economic and political woes facing Soviet Russia. After years of war with Germany,
Russia had become dependent on War Communism and its Red Army. However, at the
beginning of the 1920s the Soviet Union was at peace and had no need for such a large standing
army. Lenin and his one tenth congress9
were forced to demobilize 5 million soldiers, leaving
a large portion of the nations male working force unemployed. In 1921 alone, 2 million troops
were demobilized, which in turn left soldiers displaced and starving without pay.10
This also
coincided with large famines which struck the agricultural regions across Russia, especially
8Fitzpatrick, Sheila. The Russian Revolution 1917-1932. 3
rded. USA: Oxford University Press,
2008.9Fitzpatrick, Sheila. The Russian Revolution 1917-1932. 3
rd ed. USA: Oxford University Press,
2008.
10Shapiro, Leonard. The Russian Revolution: Origins of Modern Communism. New
York: Basic Books Inc, 1984
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those in the Volga area. The result was the starvation of thousands of peasant farmers. Under
War Communism the government continually confiscated food and land which sparked tension
among peasants. In areas such as Kondstat and Petrograd, peasants responded through guerilla
warfare and revolt.11 Lenin in response to these issues found it necessary to make swift and
radical changes in order to preserve the Communist nation. In his realization of the significance
of the peasant class, which had taken precedence over the proletariat worker, he made the
decision to end all lower level agricultural nationalization. This allowed the private sector to
reconstruct its base in the economy. Under this policy Lenin was able to introduce a stable
monetary system and replace food quotas with a national tax.
12
These policies helped eliminate a
large portion of the black-market trade that had become a threat to communist economic
systems. With these ideologies of small-scale capitalism individuals were able to pay into and
receive the social services and benefits of communism through taxation rather than coerced
confiscation.
Although the definition of the Bolshevik regime of Communism began to transform into
a blend of economic styles through the NEP, Lenin still promoted his worker-proletariat class.
Lenin hoped that through the NEP he would be able to aid in the promotion of communism
which had fallen from national and international support. In the creation of the NEP Lenin took
into consideration the decline of the working class which had decreased from 3.6 million in 1917
11Fitzpatrick, Sheila. The Russian Revolution 1917-1932. 3
rded. USA: Oxford University Press,
2008.
12Cohen, Stephen F.Rethinking the Soviet Experience: Politics and History since 1917. USA:
Oxford University Press, 1986.
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to 1.5 million in 1920.13
This would become evident through his continued nationalization of
large scale industries and the creation of new positions within the government for former
workers. He understood the workers plight and even stated, The workers would like a better
apparatus for us but they dont know how.14 New reforms began a state of material success in
which foreign investors were encouraged to invest in Russian industries and enterprises. The
Central National Bank and Finance Commissariat also began to re-introduce a bourgeoisie style
of infrastructure, implementing a series of financial economic experts in order to create an
integrated system of both communism and capitalism. This however sparked disputes between
party members and harsh criticism from Menshevik revolutionaries. They felt this policy would
contradict the very basis of Russian Communism as derived from the final stage of Marxist
economic theory. A structured debate was held in 1921 and the decision was made to carry forth
with the NEP and any opposition would be extinguished through new party laws. Under these
laws all opposing members to this reform or any other proposed by Lenin would be forced to
declare themselves as another political party other than the Bolshevik Communist Regime.
13Shapiro, Leonard. Origins of Modern Communism. New York: Basic Books Inc, 1984
14Lenin, Vladimir.Essential Works of Lenin, What is to be done? And Other Writings.
New ed. New York: Dover Publications, 1987.
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E.ConclusionThe New Economic Plan conceived and implemented under Lenin created a stable
economic environment through integrating systems of both Communism and Capitalism. In
doing so Lenin was able to address directly many of the issues facing Russia following the
conclusion of World War I. Allowing free trade and the destruction of socialism on the small-
scale level, Lenin was able to appease the peasant populations of the nation. Through the policies
of NEP, large industries began to grow which produced revenue for the party. Moreover this
revived the industrial working class in Communist Russia which Lenins regime depended upon.
However, the system formed under the policy of the New Economic Plan would come into direct
contradiction with many of the ideals of Socialism in which the Bolshevik Regime had been
based upon. Despite this criticism, economic stability had been achieved and a monetary system
had finally been established for all of Communist Russia.
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F.List of SourcesPrimary Sources
Blaisdell, Bob, Ed. The Communist Manifesto and Other Revolutionary Writings. New
York: Dover Publications Inc, 2003.
Lenin, Vladimir.Essential Works of Lenin, What is to be done? And Other Writings. New
Ed. New York: Dover Publications, 1987.
Secondary Sources
Cohen, Stephen F.Rethinking the Soviet Experience: Politics and History since
1917. USA: Oxford University Press, 1986.
Fitzpatrick, Sheila. The Russian Revolution 1917-1932. 3rd
ed. USA: Oxford University
Press, 2008.
Shapiro, Leonard. The Russian Revolution: Origins of Modern Communism. New York:
Basic Books Inc, 1984
Word Count: 1,991