Russian Society after The Revolution

Introduction

After the Russian Revolution threw the Autocratic government led by Czar Nicholas II, Russia was in the midst of a broken economy and there were many challenges that had to be dealt with. Be it the food scarcity challenges, health challenges, or saving the dying Russian Industries. Every such challenge was in front of the Lenin-led Bolshevik party who was in command of Russia after the autocratic government rule was over after almost three centuries.

This tutorial will give you an overview of what happened in Russia after the Russian revolution, how the situation was handled, and many other such factors.

What happened after the Tzar Rule?

Bolsheviks and Lenin made a deal with the left-wing Socialist Revolutionary Party (SRs) before the end of November 1917 and believed that the revolution was over. However, the Russian state was in a state of disintegration. Many Bolsheviks demanded elections for a Constituent Assembly. The first free election ever held in Russia took place on November 25, 1917. The other socialist parties, primarily the SRs, garnered 62 percent of the vote, while the Bolsheviks only received a quarter of it. Bolshevik support was strongest in urban areas, particularly Moscow and Petrograd, while the majority of the SR vote came from rural areas. Lenin recognized the veracity of these numbers. But he also insisted that "the most sophisticated" individuals had supported him and the Bolsheviks. The only meeting of the Constituent Assembly was in January 1918.

Whether or not a parliament was chosen democratically, Lenin had no use for it. He regarded it as "lesser" than the Soviets. By releasing his DRAFT DECREE, Lenin disbanded it and dispatched highly armed guards to prevent it from convening once more.

Bolsheviks and non-Bolsheviks alike were outraged to see this illegitimate deed. However, there was no public hysteria. Lenin-led Bolsheviks had already taken action on what the people were most interested in — Bread, Land, and Peace.

Russia out of the World War I?

To keep his promises conveyed through his slogans - "Bread, Land, Peace and All Power to the Soviets," Lenin's first decision post the Russian revolution was to take Russia out of World War I. When he assumed power, the Bolsheviks made Russia join forces with Germany and its allies to sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. It was a humiliating agreement that caused Russia to suffer significant losses but as a chance to influence public opinion worldwide, this was particularly significant for the Bolsheviks. Lenin sent a team of workers to serve as their negotiators as a show of their contempt for established hierarchies.

However, to sign this treaty Russia was forced to cede significant amounts of its territory, populace, economy, and agricultural land but Lenin wasn't worried about it as he wasn't intending to put it into action. It was intended as a tactical retreat to buy them some time.

Leninism in Russia

In order to reorganize the agricultural industry and reward the peasants for their devotion during the Revolution, the Bolsheviks appropriated land from the Tsar, the church, aristocrats, and other landowners and distributed it among the peasants.

Before Lenin children of workers were not allowed to attend schools and child exploitation and abuse in Russian industries were widespread. Numerous women also experienced miscarriages as a result of inadequate medical resources.

For this Lenin began offering free education, particularly to adults. In the past, only a small number of people from the middle class and the nobility had access to education. He also provided the adult's opportunity to learn to read and write, he also started offering evening sessions to workers. And to address issues related to women a Women's Rights Department was set up.

Earlier in the Tsar rule, senior posts were only open to men, and women were not permitted to hold them. Lenin wanted to see this rectified by having both men and women attend lessons and share the same idea.

Russian Economy after the Russian Revolution

Due to food shortages, industrial production decreased by 40%, and people began to leave the cities. As criticism of the government's economic policies intensified, it was held responsible for the situation's deterioration. Major industries, companies with more than 10 employees, all banks, and communication firms were nationalized in order to create jobs, and a new policy namely New Economic Policy was introduced.

New Economic Policy (NEP)

Lenin instituted the New Economic Policy in an effort to win back the faith of the peasants. Farmers could now sell their additional products on the open market, but the state still owned the land. Every item was subject to tax, and the state set every price. As agricultural production rose, worker incentives and bonuses were implemented to reflect the expansion of the sector.

The government still had authority over the heavy industries, but international investment and commerce were promoted. In order to oversee the nation's financial activities, Lenin formed the state planning committee, the Gosplan, in the same year that a state bank was established to lend money to budding developers and businesspeople. The primary goal of the Gosplan was to create a single economic strategy for the USSR and to establish the processes and priorities for putting it into action.

Additionally, it had to plan and organize research required for the implementation of a state economy, design state measures for knowledge development, and coordinate the production programs and planning proposals for various economic institutions. Deploying and training the requisite troops to accomplish its objectives was another task.

Russia's economy grew until it was on par with that of Great Britain, France, Japan, and the United States of America (USA). Along with the United States, Russia emerged from the Second World War as one of the world's two most powerful superpowers because of Gosplan's initiatives. This economic strategy was implemented, saving the Russian economy. In order to become Kulaks, peasants were encouraged to boost food production.

Conclusion

Although Lenin had a lot of obstacles to overcome on a national and international level after the revolution due to the escalating disputes among Bolsheviks and the numerous civil wars. Lenin tried his best to handle many issues including sickness, or malnutrition of his people. His policies had a deep impact on the way Russia was growing as a communist state.

The NEP brought by Lenin was responsible for the success of a new class of businesspeople known as Nepmen. Apart from that the control of farms, factories, and businesses earlier controlled by Nobles and Tzar were handled by common people. After the revolution, Russians demonstrated that they had the ability to be affluent even under stringent economic conditions.

FAQs

Qns 1. What was the first thing that Bolsheviks did after gaining power?

Ans. The first thing that the Lenin-led Bolshevik party took was to get Russia out of the World War I, to get national support, and stabilize the Russian economy and food shortage.

Qns 2. When did the first elections happen in Russia?

Ans. The first free election ever held in Russia took place on November 25, 1917.

Qns 3. What was Gosplan?

Ans. In order to oversee the nation's financial activities, Lenin formed the state planning committee, the Gosplan. The primary goal of the Gosplan was to create a single economic strategy for the USSR and to establish the processes and priorities for putting it into action.

Qns 4. What was NEP?

Ans. To restore the trust of the peasants, Lenin implemented the New Economic Policy. The policy most important part was that it allowed Farmers to sell their extra goods on the open market.

Qns 5. Mention few initiatives taken by lenin for social welfare?

Ans. Lenin started providing free education, especially for adults. He also started offering evening classes to workers, giving them the chance to learn to read and write. A Women's Rights Department was also established by him to deal with concerns relating to women.