With the introduction of the policy of war communism, it was nationalized. The policy of “war communism”, its essence

In order to responsibly understand what the policy of war communism was, let us briefly consider the public mood during the turbulent years Civil War, as well as the position of the Bolshevik party during this period (its

participation in the war and government policy).

The years 1917-1921 were the most difficult period in the history of our fatherland. Bloody wars with many warring parties and the most difficult geopolitical situation made them this way.

communism: briefly about the position of the CPSU (b)

Into this hard time in various parts former empire Many claimants fought for every piece of its land. German army; local national forces who tried to create their own states on the fragments of the empire (for example, the formation of the UPR); local popular associations commanded by regional authorities; the Poles who invaded Ukrainian territories in 1919; White Guard counter-revolutionaries; Entente formations allied to the latter; and, finally, the Bolshevik units. Under these conditions, an absolutely necessary guarantee of victory was the complete concentration of forces and the mobilization of all available resources for the military defeat of all opponents. Actually, this mobilization on the part of the communists was war communism, carried out by the leadership of the CPSU (b) from the first months of 1918 to March 1921.

Politics briefly about the essence of the regime

During its implementation, the mentioned policy caused many contradictory assessments. Its main points were the following measures:

Nationalization of the entire complex of industry and the country's banking system;

State monopolization of foreign trade;

Forced labor service for the entire population capable of working;

Food dictatorship. It was this point that became the most hated by the peasants, since part of the grain was forcibly confiscated in favor of the soldiers and the starving city. The surplus appropriation system is often held up today as an example of the atrocities of the Bolsheviks, but it should be noted that with its help the workers in the cities were significantly smoothed out.

The politics of war communism: briefly about the reaction of the population

Frankly speaking, war communism was a forceful way of forcing the masses to increase the intensity of work for the victory of the Bolsheviks. As already mentioned, the bulk of the discontent in Russia, a peasant country at that time, was caused by food appropriation. However, in fairness, it must be said that the White Guards also used the same technique. It logically followed from the state of affairs in the country, since the First World War and the Civil War completely destroyed the traditional trade ties between the village and the city. This led to the deplorable state of many industrial enterprises. At the same time, there was dissatisfaction with the policies of war communism in the cities. Here, instead of the expected increase in labor productivity and economic revival, on the contrary, there was a weakening of discipline at enterprises. The replacement of old personnel with new ones (who were communists, but not always qualified managers) led to a noticeable decline in industry and a decline in economic indicators.

briefly about the main thing

Despite all the difficulties, the policy of war communism still fulfilled its intended role. Although not always successful, the Bolsheviks were able to gather all their forces against the counter-revolution and survive the battles. At the same time, it caused popular uprisings and seriously undermined the authority of the CPSU (b) among the peasantry. The last such mass uprising was the Kronstadt one, which took place in the spring of 1921. As a result, Lenin initiated the transition to the so-called 1921 as soon as possible helped restore the national economy.

Have a good day everyone! In this post we will focus on this important topic, as the policy of war communism - we will briefly analyze its key provisions. This topic is very difficult, but it is constantly tested in exams. Ignorance of concepts and terms related to this topic will inevitably entail a low grade with all the ensuing consequences.

The essence of the policy of war communism

The policy of war communism is a system of socio-economic measures that were implemented by the Soviet leadership and which was based on the key postulates of Marxist-Leninist ideology.

This policy consisted of three components: the Red Guard attack on capital, nationalization and confiscation of grain from the peasants.

One of these postulates states that it is an inevitable evil for the development of society and the state. It gives rise, firstly, to social inequality, and, secondly, to the exploitation of some classes by others. For example, if you own a lot of land, you will hire hired workers to cultivate it - and this is exploitation.

Another postulate of Marxist-Leninist theory says that money is evil. Money makes people be greedy and selfish. Therefore, money was simply eliminated, trade was prohibited, even simple barter - the exchange of goods for goods.

Red Guard attack on capital and nationalization

Therefore, the first component of the Red Guard's attack on capital was the nationalization of private banks and their subordination to the State Bank. The entire infrastructure was nationalized: communication lines, railways and so on. Worker control was also approved at factories. In addition, the decree on land abolished private ownership of land in the countryside and transferred it to the peasantry.

All foreign trade was monopolized so that citizens could not enrich themselves. Also, the entire river fleet became state property.

The second component of the policy under consideration was nationalization. On June 28, 1918, the Council of People's Commissars issued a Decree on the transfer of all industries into the hands of the state. What did all these measures mean for the owners of banks and factories?

Well, imagine - you are a foreign businessman. You have assets in Russia: a couple of steel production plants. October 1917 comes, and after some time the local Soviet power announces that your factories are state-owned. And you won't get a penny. She cannot buy these enterprises from you because she has no money. But it’s easy to appropriate. So how? Would you like this? No! And your government won't like it. Therefore, the response to such measures was the intervention of England, France, and Japan in Russia during the civil war.

Of course, some countries, for example Germany, began to buy shares from their businessmen in companies that the Soviet government decided to appropriate. This could have led to the intervention of this country in the process of nationalization. That is why the above-mentioned Decree of the Council of People's Commissars was adopted so hastily.

Food dictatorship

In order to supply cities and the army with food, the Soviet government introduced another measure of military communism - food dictatorship. Its essence was that now the state voluntarily and forcibly confiscated grain from the peasants.

It is clear that the latter will not hurt to hand over bread for free in the quantity required by the state. Therefore, the country's leadership continued the tsarist measure - surplus appropriation. Prodrazverstka is when the required amount of grain was distributed to the regions. And it doesn’t matter whether you have this bread or not, it will still be confiscated.

It is clear that the lion's share of the grain went to wealthy peasants - kulaks. They definitely won’t hand over anything voluntarily. Therefore, the Bolsheviks acted very cunningly: they created committees of the poor (kombedas), which were entrusted with the responsibility of confiscating grain.

Well, look. Who is more on the tree: poor or rich? It’s clear - the poor. Are they jealous of their wealthy neighbors? Naturally! So let them confiscate their bread! Food detachments (food detachments) helped confiscate bread for the poor people. This is, in fact, how the policy of war communism took place.

To organize the material, use the table:

	Politics of War Communism
"Military" - this policy was caused by the emergency conditions of the Civil War					“Communism” - the ideological beliefs of the Bolsheviks, who strived for communism, had a serious influence on economic policy
		Why?
	Main events
↓			↓				↓
In industry			In agriculture				In the field of commodity-money relations
↓			↓				↓
All enterprises were nationalized			The committees were dissolved. A Decree on the allocation of grain and fodder was issued.				Prohibition of free trade. Food was given as wages.

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The policy of war communism of 1918-1921 is the internal policy of the Soviet state, which was carried out during the Civil War.

Prerequisites and reasons for the introduction of the policy of war communism

With victory October Revolution new government began the most daring transformations in the country. However, the outbreak of the Civil War, as well as the extreme depletion of material resources, led to the fact that the government was faced with the problem of finding solutions to its salvation. The paths were extremely harsh and unpopular and were called the “policy of war communism.”

Some elements of this system were borrowed by the Bolsheviks from the policies of the government of A. Kerensky. Requisitions also took place, and a ban on private trade in bread was practically introduced, however, the state kept control over its accounting and procurement at persistently low prices.

In the village in full swing there was a seizure of the landowners' lands, which the peasants themselves divided among themselves, according to their eaters. This process was complicated by the fact that embittered former peasants returned to the village, but in military overcoats and with weapons. Food supplies to the cities have practically ceased. The peasant war began.

Characteristics of War Communism

Centralized management of the entire economy.

The practical completion of the nationalization of all industry.

Products agriculture completely fell into a state monopoly.

Minimize private trading.

Restriction of commodity-money turnover.

Equalization in all areas, especially in the sphere of essential goods.

Closing of private banks and confiscation of deposits.

Nationalization of industry

The first nationalizations began under the Provisional Government. It was in June-July 1917 that the “flight of capital” from Russia began. Among the first to leave the country were foreign entrepreneurs, followed by domestic industrialists.

The situation worsened with the Bolsheviks coming to power, but here appeared new question, what to do with enterprises left without owners and managers.

The first-born of nationalization was the factory of the Likinsky Manufactory Partnership of A.V. Smirnov. This process could no longer be stopped. Enterprises were nationalized almost daily, and by November 1918 there were already 9,542 enterprises in the hands of the Soviet state. By the end of the period of War Communism, nationalization was generally completed. The Supreme Council of the National Economy became the head of this entire process.

Monopolization of foreign trade

The same policy was followed in relation to foreign trade. It was taken under control by the People's Commissariat of Trade and Industry and subsequently declared a state monopoly. At the same time, the merchant fleet was nationalized.

Labor service

The slogan “he who doesn’t work, doesn’t eat” was actively put into practice. Labor conscription was introduced for all “non-labor classes,” and a little later compulsory labor service extended to all citizens of the Land of Soviets. On January 29, 1920, this postulate was even legalized in the decree of the Council of People's Commissars “On the procedure for universal labor service.”

Food dictatorship

The food problem has become a vitally important issue. Famine gripped almost the entire country and forced the government to continue the grain monopoly introduced by the Provisional Government and the surplus appropriation system introduced by the tsarist government.

Per capita consumption standards for peasants were introduced, and they corresponded to the standards that existed under the Provisional Government. All remaining bread passed into hands state power at fixed prices. The task was very difficult, and to carry it out, food detachments with special powers were created.

On the other hand, food rations were adopted and approved, which were divided into four categories, and measures were provided for the accounting and distribution of food.

Results of the policy of war communism

Tough policies helped the Soviet government turn the overall situation in its favor and win on the fronts of the Civil War.

But in general, such a policy could not be effective in the long term. It helped the Bolsheviks hold out, but destroyed industrial ties and strained the government's relations with the broad masses of the population. The economy not only failed to rebuild, but began to fall apart even faster.

The negative manifestations of the policy of war communism led to the fact that the Soviet government began to look for new ways to develop the country. It was replaced by the New Economic Policy (NEP).

The policy of war communism was based on the task of destroying market and commodity-money relations (i.e. private property), replacing them with centralized production and distribution.

To carry out this plan, a system was needed that was capable of bringing the will of the center to the most remote corners of the huge power. In this system, everything must be registered and put under control (flows of raw materials and resources, finished products). Lenin believed that “war communism” would be the last step before socialism.

On September 2, 1918, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee announced the introduction of martial law; leadership of the country passed to the Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense, headed by V.I. Lenin. The fronts were commanded by the Revolutionary Military Council, headed by L.D. Trotsky.

The difficult situation on the fronts and in the country's economy prompted the authorities to introduce a number of emergency measures, defined as war communism.

In the Soviet version, it included surplus appropriation (private trade in grain was prohibited, surpluses and reserves were forcibly confiscated), the beginning of the creation of collective and state farms, the nationalization of industry, the prohibition of private trade, the introduction of universal labor service, and the centralization of management.

By February 1918, enterprises belonging to royal family, the Russian treasury and private traders. Subsequently, a chaotic nationalization of small industrial enterprises and then entire industries was carried out.

Although in Tsarist Russia the share of state (state) property has always been traditionally large, the centralization of production and distribution was quite painful.

The peasants and a significant part of the workers were opposed to the Bolsheviks. And from 1917 to 1921. they adopted anti-Bolshevik resolutions and actively participated in armed anti-government protests.

The Bolsheviks had to create a political-economic system that could give workers minimal opportunities for living and at the same time would make them strictly dependent on the authorities and administration. It was for this purpose that the policy of over-centralization of the economy was pursued. Subsequently, communism was identified with centralization.

Despite the “Decree on Land” (the land was transferred to the peasants), the land received by the peasants during the Stolypin reform was nationalized.

The actual nationalization of land and the introduction of equalized land use, the ban on renting and buying land and expanding arable land led to a terrifying drop in the level of agricultural production. The result was a famine that caused the death of thousands of people.

During the period of “war communism”, after the suppression of the anti-Bolshevik speech of the left Socialist Revolutionaries, a transition to a one-party system was carried out.

The Bolsheviks' scientific justification of the historical process as an irreconcilable class struggle led to the policy of "Red Teppopa", the reason for the introduction of which was a series of assassination attempts on party leaders.

Its essence lay in consistent destruction according to the principle “those who are not with us are against us.” The list included the intelligentsia, officers, nobles, priests, and wealthy peasants.

The main method of the “Red Terror” was extrajudicial executions, authorized and carried out by the Cheka. The policy of “red terror” allowed the Bolsheviks to strengthen their power and destroy opponents and those who showed dissatisfaction.

The policy of war communism aggravated economic devastation and led to unjustified death huge number innocent people.

MILITARY COMMUNISM MILITARY COMMUNISM

MILITARY COMMUNISM, a system of social economic relations, based on the elimination of commodity-money relations and the concentration of all resources in the hands of the Bolshevik state in the conditions of the Civil War (cm. CIVIL WAR in Russia); provided for the introduction of a food dictatorship, surplus appropriation (cm. PRODRAZVYERSTKA), direct product exchange between city and village; state distribution of products based on class (card system); naturalization of economic relations; universal labor conscription; equalizing principle in wages.
Goals and objectives of war communism
With the help of war communism, the Bolsheviks solved two problems: they created the foundations of “communism,” which seemed to be a fundamentally different system from capitalism, and concentrated in their hands all the resources necessary for waging war. The Bolshevik Party sought to restore the integrity of the social organism on a non-market basis, by mediating economic and social ties with the state. This led to a growth of bureaucracy unprecedented even for tsarist Russia. It was the bureaucracy that became the main social carrier of the new dictatorship, the new ruling elite of society, replacing the aristocracy and bourgeoisie. Trade was replaced by state distribution of products. The Bolsheviks took radical measures to create "communist" relations in Russia, where even in accordance with the theory of Marxism (cm. MARXISM) there were no economic prerequisites for this. In conditions when industry was destroyed, agricultural products and food became the main resource. It was necessary to feed the army, workers, and bureaucracy. To prevent food from being distributed outside the state, the Bolsheviks banned trade. When purchasing food from peasants, wealthier people would benefit.
The Bolsheviks tried to rely on the most disadvantaged sections of the population, as well as on the mass of Red Army soldiers, party activists and new officials. They should have received advantages in the distribution of food. A system of “rations” was introduced, under which each person could receive food only from the state, which took food from the peasants through a food dictatorship - the forced and practically free confiscation of grain from the peasants. The system of military communism created absolute dependence of the individual on the state. The suppression of all social forces dissatisfied with the policies of the Bolshevik regime was carried out with the help of “Red Terror”. The All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-Revolution and Sabotage received virtually unlimited powers to carry out repression. (cm. STATE SECURITY BODIES)(VChK), emergency commissions were created on other issues, including food, education, etc. In the socio-political and economic spheres, the desire for total control over society by ruling group and the struggle for destruction with political and economic entities beyond the control of the regime has reached a scale that allows us to evaluate war communism as a form of a totalitarian regime.
The system of military communism began to take shape with the beginning of the Civil War in Russia, although some of its elements arose already in 1917. The decisive step in the formation of the system largely predetermined the beginning of a large-scale civil war. On May 13, 1918, the decree “On the emergency powers of the People's Commissar for Food”, known as the Decree on the Food Dictatorship, was adopted. Now food was alienated from the peasants by force. Food detachments (food detachments) were created, mainly from workers (the proletariat), who were supposed to seize food from the peasants by force. The support of the proletariat (in fact, the urban declassed strata) became the marginalized strata of the countryside. Having united in June 1918 into committees of the poor (kombedy), the poor turned into an exploitative layer, receiving half of the bread confiscated from the peasants. The purges of non-Bolshevik deputies from the Soviets intensified, and their dispersal began. Society was losing legal ways to resist government actions. Civil war (cm. CIVIL WAR in Russia) became inevitable.
In the summer of 1918, the country was turned into a “single military camp”, which was led by the Council of People’s Commissars (cm. SOVNARKOM), Council of Labor and Defense, Revolutionary Military Council, in turn subordinate to the Central Committee of the RCP (b) (cm. COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE SOVIET UNION) and his Politburo (cm. POLITIBURO of the CPSU Central Committee)(since March 1919). Council bodies were deprived of power in favor of appointed revolutionary committees and bodies of the Council of People's Commissars. The Soviets' attempts to resist the food dictatorship were thwarted. The real power of the councils was curtailed in favor of the Bolshevik government and its structures, especially the repressive ones. The Bolshevik slogan “all power to the soviets” was replaced by the slogan “all power to the extraordinary people.”
However, totalitarian institutions during the period of a large-scale Civil War were unstable and were assessed by the leaders of the regime as emergency and temporary. The war was the main motive for the mobilization of significant social forces around the Bolsheviks. But its continuation also threatened the regime, as it aggravated economic devastation. Industry has almost stopped. War production and handicraft industries were active. Totalitarian structures were deprived of their industrial base, without which they also could not be sustainable. Society began to become primitivized, acquiring the features of pre-industrial eras based on non-economic coercion to work.
The new ruling elite was formed from the most active and radical part of the social lower strata, marginal layers and part of the former elite, ready to accept Bolshevik principles or at least remain loyal to the new regime. The old bourgeois-landlord elite was subjected to discrimination and partial destruction.
Consequences of War Communism
The destruction and social cataclysms that accompanied the Bolshevik revolution, despair and unprecedented opportunities for social mobility gave rise to irrational hopes for the quick victory of communism. The radical slogans of Bolshevism disoriented other revolutionary forces, who did not immediately determine that the RCP (b) was pursuing goals that were the opposite of those of the anti-authoritarian wing of the Russian revolution. Many national movements were similarly disoriented. Opponents of the Bolsheviks, represented by the white movement (cm. WHITE MOVEMENT), were considered by the peasant masses as supporters of restoration, the return of land to the landowners. The majority of the country's population was culturally closer to the Bolsheviks than to their opponents. All this allowed the Bolsheviks to create the most durable social base which ensured their victory in the struggle for power.
Totalitarian methods allowed the RCP(b), despite the extreme inefficiency of the bureaucracy and the associated losses, to concentrate the resources necessary to create a massive Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), necessary for victory in the civil war. In January 1919, a colossal food tax was introduced - surplus appropriation. With its help, in the first year of the food dictatorship (until June 1919), the state managed to obtain 44.6 million poods of grain, and in the second year (until June 1920) - 113.9 million poods. The army consumed 60% fish and meat, 40% bread, 100% tobacco. But due to bureaucratic confusion, much of the food simply rotted. Workers and peasants were starving. Where the peasants managed to retain some of the food, they tried to exchange bread for some manufactured goods from the townspeople. Such “bagmen” who filled the railways were pursued by barrage detachments designed to stop exchanges uncontrolled by the state.
Lenin considered the fight against uncontrolled commodity exchange to be the most important direction in creating communist relations. Bread should not have gone to the cities outside of the state, outside of the lion's share belonging to the army and the bureaucracy. Nevertheless, under pressure from workers and peasants uprisings, temporary decisions were made to soften the product exchange regime, allowing the transport small quantity private food (for example, “one and a half poods”). In conditions of general food shortages, the inhabitants of the Kremlin were provided with regular three meals a day. The diet included meat (including game) or fish, butter or lard, cheese, and caviar.
The system of war communism caused massive discontent among workers, peasants and intellectuals. Strikes and peasant unrest continued. Those dissatisfied were arrested by the Cheka and shot. The policy of war communism allowed the Bolsheviks to win the Civil War, but contributed to the final ruin of the country.
The victory over the whites made the state of a unified military camp meaningless, but there was no abandonment of war communism in 1920 - this policy was seen as a direct path to communism as such. At the same time, on the territory of Russia and Ukraine, the peasant war flared up more and more widely, in which hundreds of thousands of people were involved (Antonov uprising (cm. ANTONOV Alexander Stepanovich), West Siberian Uprising, hundreds of smaller uprisings). Labor unrest intensified. Broad social strata put forward demands for freedom of trade, an end to surplus appropriation, and the elimination of the Bolshevik dictatorship. The culmination of this phase of the revolution was labor unrest in Petrograd and the Kronstadt uprising (cm. KRONSTADT UPRISING 1921). In the context of widespread popular uprisings against the Bolshevik government, the Tenth Congress of the RCP(b) decided to abolish food allocation and replace it with a lighter tax in kind, after paying which the peasants could sell the rest of the food. These decisions marked the end of "War Communism" and marked the beginning of a series of measures known as the New Economic Policy (cm. NEW ECONOMIC POLICY)(NEP).

Encyclopedic Dictionary. 2009 .

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