Internal situation - war communism

The economic crisis in Russia was accompanied by an organisational crisis as well: offices with an insufficient number of clerks, factories without owners, inflation, the lack of raw materials and food. New landowners did not want to exchange their products for the worthless money. Black market appeared. It was accompanied the so-called red terror.

The Bolsheviks decided to create a socially - economical program, called war communism. It was based on centralisation of distribution and exchange of goods, and wheat monopoly. Private trade was illegal. Obligatory work, obligatory contingents of agricultural products, regulation system of food distribution were introduced. After an attempt on Lenin's life (on 30 August 1918) Czeka's competence was extended - the opponents of revolution could be shot without trial.

In July 1918 the Congress of Soviets passed the first Soviet constitution, which sanctioned the country of people's dictatorship and gave it a name: Russian Federation of Socialist Soviet Republics. Some time later a Declaration of rights of The Nations of Russia, meant to protect national communities, introduced the freedom of religion and gave the nations the right of self-definition. The declaration has never been implemented.

The war left great damages in Russia. Before the revolution the country's economy entered the phase of development; Russia was a significant exporter of goods. A few years later the economic situation was a lot worse, for instance in 1920 the economic product amounted to 13.8% of 1913 value. The farmers supplied less agricultural products. Food was scarce. In Ukraine, Powloz, and Zakaukazie thousands died of famine, which was employed in a fight with the Russian Orthodox Church and intelligentsia. It is estimated that as a result of famine, which reached the greatest intensity between 1921 - 1922, 5 million people died.

One of the very few photographies illustrating famine that hit USSR in early twenties. It was the first wave of famine (second took place in early thirties, third - after II World War during the winter 1946/1947). We can accuse communist state of appearing of the famine (as well as of second famine and third one). Firstly it was communist economic policy, that lead to bad economic situation in fertile territories of USSR. Secondly Bolshevik state did very little to change the situation. 

The communists started to lose public support. The Republics of Soviets in Hungary and Slovakia fell, the communist movement expired in Germany, Poland stopped the Red Army's expansion in the West. In Russia peasant's rebellions took place, there was also an upheaval of sailors in Kronstad, who had supported the Bolshevik revolution and used to be the most faithful group of soldiers. The sailors wanted an abolition of terror, the factual power of the Soviets and not the Party.

At 10th Congress of the Russian Communist Party a new programme (The New Economic Policy - NEP), meant to improve the country's economy, was accepted.

Made by Ania Zaremba, Vincent Yau and Kevin Jones