War communism

War communism or military communism (Военный коммунизм, Vojenný kommunizm) was the economic and political system that existed in Soviet Russia during the Russian Civil War from 1918 to 1921. War communism began in June 1918, enforced by the Supreme Economic Council (Высший Совет Народного Хозяйства), known as the Vesenkha. It ended on 21 March 1921, with the beginning of the New Economic Policy, which lasted until 1928. The system has often been described as simple authoritarian control by the ruling and military castes to maintain power and control in the Soviet regions, rather than any coherent political ideology. The Soviet propaganda justified it by claiming that the Bolsheviks adopted this policy with the goal of keeping towns (the proletarian power-base) and the Red Army stocked with food and weapons since circumstances dictated new economic measures. The deadly Russian famine of 1921–22, which killed about five million people, was in large part triggered by Vladimir Lenin's war communism policies, especially food requisitioning. War communism included the following policies: Nationalization of all industries and the introduction of strict centralized management State control of foreign trade Strict discipline for workers, with strikes forbidden Obligatory labor duty by non-working classes ("militarization of labor", including an early version of the Gulag) Prodrazvyorstka – requisition of agricultural surplus (in excess of an absolute minimum) from peasants for centralized distribution among the remaining population Rationing of food and most commodities, with centralized distribution in urban centers Private enterprise banned Military-style control of the railways It has long been debated whether "war communism" represented an actual economic policy in the proper sense of the phrase, or merely a set of measures intended to win the civil war. The goals of the Bolsheviks in implementing war communism are a matter of controversy. Some commentators, including a number of Bolsheviks, have argued that its sole purpose was to win the war.

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