War communism

War communism was the name given to the harsh economic measures adopted by Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War. There were two main aims: To put Communist theories into practice by redistributing (giving out) wealth to the Russian people and to help wit the Civil War by keeping towns and the Red Army supplied with weapons and food. They inlude the following policies:

1. All large factories to be controlled by the government.
2. Production planned and organised by the government.
3. Discipline for workers were strict and striker could be shot.
4. Peasants were to hand surplus food over to the government. Those who did not comply could be shot
5. Food is rationed.
6. Free enterprise became illegal and all production and trade are controlled by the state

Although this achieved the aim of winning the war, it caused terrible hardship. Peasants refused to co-operate in producing food as despite all their efforts, the government merely took it away. This led to food shortages and along with the bad weather, to famine. 7 million people died and there were even reports of cannibalism. This sparked a mutiny at the Kronstadt naval base on February, 1921. This had startling effect on Lenin even though Trotsky crushed the rebellion, since the Kronstadt sailors were among the strongest supporters of Lenin and Bolshevism. He put a stop to policies of War Communism right away.