Economic and social developments: state capitalism; social change; conditions in cities and countryside during the Civil War; war communism; the Red Terror: revolts of 1920–1921 including the Tambov revolt and Kronstadt rising; the NEP and its political and economic impact
Between 1918 and 1921, the Bolsheviks used harsh economic controls to survive the Civil War. When those controls caused a crisis, Lenin replaced them with a more flexible policy called the New Economic Policy.
Real World
War Communism's grain requisitioning squads operated like armed tax collectors stripping villages bare — comparable to wartime rationing schemes in Britain or Germany, but with no compensation and backed by summary execution for hoarding.
Exam Focus
Distinguish War Communism from the NEP clearly: state the key policy difference, then link each to its political trigger — examiners penalise conflation.
Essay Framework
Use PEEL to structure every paragraph. Tap each step for guidance and an example.
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