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War Communism
During this time the Bolsheviks started to impliment harsh econimic policies. This included forced demand of peasant food and disciplined military in factories during the Civil War. This is significant because this period showed the Bolsheviks' first extreme effort to economic control and caused a great deal of unhappiness, which ultimately called for a change in policy. -
NEP introduced (New Economic Policy)
Lenin reversed some of the Bolshevik policies and allowed peasants to start selling surplus products. As well as introduced elements of a market economy to address any famine or upset that has occured. The NEP was a temporary retreat from communism, it was crucial. This made it siginificant, along with the fact it acknowledged the faliure of War Communism. -
Persecution of kulaks
Many successful peasants who gained from the NEP were later seen as enemies of Stalin and were attacked, killed, and persecuted by the secret police. Many of them were even sent to labor camps. This was significant because it shows how far Stalin will go for his regime, targeting entire populations that were seen as obstacles to the transformation to Communism. This led to many suffering and to the disruption of Agriculture and food production. -
Formation of the USSR and the change of party name
The Bolshevik party was renamed the Communist Party, this was when Russia officially became the Union of Soviet Socialist republics (USSR). This was very significant because these changes confirmed the new political structure which marked a definitive shift from the old Russian Empire to a new communist country. -
Treaty of Rapallo
Russia and Germany, in secret, agreed to manufacture materials for war to benefit both of the Nations. It benefited to them by allowing Germany to rebuild its Army and for Russia to start developing steel manufacturing. This was important because it demonstrated early Soviet foreign policy and its practical approach to international relations, emphasising technological growth and self-interest, even when dealing with a former enemy. -
The first 5-year plan begins
During this time Joseph Stalin first initiated his master plan for the industrialization to close the economic gap with capitalist countries. He focused on heavy Industries like steel and coal. This was very important because it was a huge shift in the Soviet economic policy which forcefully transformed an agricultural Society into a huge industrial power at a very fast rate. -
Collectivization of Agriculture begins
Joseph Stalin launched the idea of strengthening peasant farms by turning them into Collective state-controlled Farms with the aim to rationalize agriculture and eliminate peasants wealthy enough to hire labor (kulaks). This was very significant because it reshaped Soviet agriculture which in turn led to a widespread famine and the oppression of millions of peasants, completely changing their lives and showing the ruthless application of Stalin's ideas. -
The Ukrainian famine
The Ukrainian famine was a devastating famine that occurred mostly within the Ukraine and was a result from the collectivization policy. It led to many deaths. This event represents how tragic Stalin's policies were to many and showed how they were willing to sacrifice so many lives for their ideas and to control food production.