Russia: The Tsar Regime

After the Tsar regime was overthrown in 1917, Russia experienced further discontent as its people carried out revolution and civil war (Modern World History: Russia 1905-41). From these occurrences, Russia then became the first communist state in the world. The Bolsheviks had become the ruling party after taking over the Provisional Government in the revolution of November 1917. Vladimir Lenin had been the leader of this party. There was a bitter civil war between the Communists who were the Reds and the opposition being the Whites. As a final point the Bolsheviks defeated their enemies in the Russian Civil War that lasted for 3 years and ended in 1920.

When the Bolsheviks took over after winning the Civil War they had complete control over Russia (Modern World History: Civil War 1918-21). Russia was still at war against Germany. They had decided to continue the war (Modern World History: Russia 1905-41). Subsequently, Russian armies collapsed because of the poor leadership, insufficient supplies and the political progresses rather than losing on the actual battle field (Modern World History: Russia 1905-41). Due to the complete focus of winning the war Russia as a whole suffered immensely. The people had no food to eat as most of it was taken for the army. There were social issues as peasants claimed land in the countryside and murdered the landowners who refused to give it up. And thus after the growing power of revolutionary groups the Bolsheviks forcibly took their place in government. The Bolshevik party also known as the Communist Party had complete control over the economic state of Russia.

Once in power the Bolsheviks promised ‘Peace, Bread and Land’ (Modern World History: Bolshevik rule). Most of their support came from ...

... middle of paper ...

...hy was that if the peasants had the money as profit of their goods then industry would pick up because their income was spent on buying manufactured goods. Bukharin became one of Lenin’s closest colleagues.

The economic result of the NEP was most beneficial to Russia. The acceptance of The New Economic Policy by the Bolsheviks proved to have been a well calculated, advantageous call. The production rates went up and grew over the years that the NEP existed (refer to index: Table 5.3). There was a recovery and that is what was needed.

In actual fact the statement that Lenin made about the Bolsheviks still having control over the economy was proven to have been substantively true. The NEP had still produced an economic balance. The Russian industry was cultivated by the party but agriculture and trade were privately handled (refer to both figure 5.5 and Table 5.4).