5.3 Lenin’s New Economic Policy (NEP) Why did Lenin need to introduce a new economic policy? • War Communism causing too much hardship: • Food shortages and famine. • Industrial production at standstill. • Everyone hates the Bolsheviks – even their biggest fans. • Civil War over so don't necessarily need such tight control. The problems caused by War Communism Why was the New Economic Policy introduced? The NEP was introduced in March 1921. Why? 1. The Kronstadt rising showed Lenin that changes were necessary to get the Russian people onside – it was ‘the flash that lit up reality’. 2. Workers unhappy with restrictions, control and harsh discipline. – End 1920 ¾ Petrograd factories on strike. 3. The peasants needed an incentive to produce more grain and release it for sale due to the urgent need for food in Russia. – Famine caused 5 million people to die from starvation in the Volga region alone. – Peasant unrest against food requisitioning turned whole regions against the Bolsheviks. What did the NEP do? The NEP effectively brought back capitalism for some sections of the economy so people could make a PROFIT and keep it. PRIVATE TRADING OF SMALL GOODS: selling goods for a profit was allowed (people who did this were called NEPMEN). ROUBLE: A new coinage was introduced (chervonets rouble) and workers were paid wages again. OWNERSHIP OF SMALL FACTORIES: (under 20 workers) was allowed by private companies so they could make a profit. FIXED 10% GRAIN TO GOVERNMENT: Peasants still had to give a fixed amount of grain to the government (10%) but could sell the rest for profit. INDUSTRY RUN BY EXPERTS: Vital heavy industries remained in state hands but 20,000 ‘experts’ from the US and Canada were brought in to run them more efficiently. TRADE WAS ENCOURAGED: with countries such as Britain. War Communism v NEP War Communism Food supplies Factories Land Ownership Peasants Workers Planning Profit Trade Kronstadt Mutiny – what do these numbers mean? • 15,000 • 50,000 • 500 • 20,000 • 28 NEP Study Sources B, C and D, and use your own knowledge. ‘The main cause of the introduction of the New Economic Policy was the suffering of the peasants’. Use the sources, and your own knowledge, to explain whether you agree with this view. ‘The main cause of the introduction of the New Economic Policy was the suffering of the peasants’. Agree with statement Sources OK Sources OK Sources OK Disagree with statement ‘The main cause of the introduction of the New Economic Policy was the suffering of the peasants’. • Write either the agree or disagree paragraph. • You can use the sentence starters to help if you wish. • It could be argued that the main cause of the introduction of the NEP was ….. • Source(s) … suggest that … which can be seen in the quote … (quote). Source • This can be supported by... or It is true that... (explain own knowledge which agrees) How successful was the New Economic Policy? Source A B C D 32 33 34 Success because… Failure because… Economic effects of the NEP Agricultural production went up • By 1925 production of grain, cattle and pigs had risen steeply (Grain from 37 million tons to 77 million tons). • Peasants moved food to sell in the towns and cities. • Peasants now enjoyed earning money and unrest became a thing of the past. Factory production went up • In June 1921 99% of cotton mills were not working, by 1926 90% were working again. • By 1925 production of electricity, coal and steel had increased (production of electricity massively increased from 520 kw hours to 2441 kw hours). • By 1926-27 production had returned to pre-1914 levels. Life got better • New small businesses and market stalls appeared in the towns which helped the economy. The Nepmen developed into a new social class. • Rationing was abolished and people bought food with own money so people keen to earn money. • Life in cities and towns recovered – shops, cafes, restaurants, hotels, theatres etc opened. However... the Scissors Crisis • So much food being produced that prices went down. • Because there was less industry industrial prices stayed high. • This made peasants less eager to sell food. • Trotsky called this the Scissors Crisis. • The government solved it by lowering industrial prices. Criticisms of the NEP Some communists thought it was a betrayal of communism – Trotsky called it ‘the first sign of the degradation of Bolshevism’. Critics said that a new class had been created including kulaks, shop keepers and small businesses because they were allowed to make a profit (called NEPMEN). NEP favoured the peasants and not the workers (the original Bolshevik supporters). Russia exam technique November 2020 paper a) Describe two features of EITHER ... OR • Worth 6 marks. • Spend 8 minutes in the examination (10 minutes with extra time). • The question requires students to describe two key features of the topic they have chosen. • A feature can be any relevant aspect of the topic – cause/ event/ consequence. • The mark scheme applies a ceiling of 3 marks for responses dealing only with one feature. Students gain no credit for offering three or more features; only two are required. • Write 2 paragraphs with 2 different points. • Write 3 sentences per paragraph – 1 point and 2 explanation. Mark scheme (a) Level Mark Descriptor 0 No rewardable material. 1–2 Simple comment is offered about feature(s) with limited or no supporting information. 2 3–4 Features of the period are identified and information about them is added. Maximum 3 marks for an answer dealing with only one feature. 3 5–6 Features of the period are explained showing good knowledge and understanding of the period studied. 1 b) How far does Source A support the evidence of Source B about ... • Worth 8 marks. • Spend 12 minutes in the examination (15 minutes with extra time). • The question will ask you to compare two sources and come to a judgement on how far source A supports Source B on a particular issue. Make sure you refer to this issue in your comparisons. • The sources will always have aspects of similarity and difference but they may not be obvious. • Students who identify only agreement or disagreement are limited to 4 marks. • The highest level requires evaluation of the extent of support. • Students are not required to evaluate the utility or reliability of the sources. Comparing sources in a focused way • Make sure comparisons are RELEVANT TO THE QUESTION i.e. 'impact of NEP'. • Make sure you read and understand the sources in isolation before trying to compare them: • What is the overall message in relation to the question? • What can you infer, rather than just what is said? • Consider provenance: What is the source, who has written it and when? Does this help to explain what the source is saying or help you to infer how it answers the question? • Consider tone/language/tense: What is the source? How is the source written? Are the authors both coming from the same position or point of view? Mark scheme (b) Level 1 2 3 Mark Descriptor 0 No rewardable material. 1–2 Answer makes simple valid comment that identifies agreement or difference but with limited source use. Simple comprehension of the source material is shown by the extraction or paraphrase of some content. 3-5 Answer offers valid comment that identifies agreement and/or difference, using the sources. Comprehension and some analysis of the sources are shown by the selection and use of material to support a comparison. Both agreement and disagreement must be identified for 5 marks. 6-8 Answer provides an explained evaluation of the extent of support. The sources are cross-referred and comparisons used to support reasoning about the extent of support. Structuring your answer • To get all 8 marks you need to write 3 paragraphs: 1. Explain the ways in which C supports (agrees with) B. Use the content of the sources to explain. 2. Explain the ways in which C challenges (disagrees with) B. Use the content of the sources to explain. 3. Explain the extent of support between the two sources (how far C supports B). Does C support B more than it challenges it? Planning your answer 1. Read Sources A and B and think about what they are saying. 2. Get one colour pen and highlight parts of the sources that agree. 3. Get another colour pen and highlight parts of the sources that disagree. 4. Read the sources again and, if appropriate, consider the tone and purpose of the author. What is their attitude/mood and why? Write this next to the sources. 5. Consider how similar or different the sources are overall. Does C strongly support? Does C give some support? Does source give very little support? c) Extract C suggests .... How far do you agree with this interpretation? Use Extract C, Sources A and B and your own knowledge to explain your answer. • Worth 16 marks • Spend 25 minutes answering it (31 minutes extra time). • The question is based on the two contemporary sources already used for question (b) and an additional secondary extract containing a view. • All three pieces of material relate to the same issue. • Students are required to use the sources and the extract as well as their own knowledge to support argument and counterargument. Mark scheme (c) Level Mark Descriptor 1–4 Answer offers simple valid comment to agree with or counter the interpretation. Limited analysis of the provided materials is shown by selection and inclusion of some detail in the form of simple paraphrase or direct quotation. Generalised contextual knowledge is included and linked to the evaluation. The overall judgement is missing or asserted. 5–8 Answer offers valid comment to agree with or counter the interpretation. Some analysis is shown in selecting and including details from the provided materials to support this comment. Some relevant contextual knowledge is included and linked to the evaluation. An overall judgement is given but its justification is insecure or undeveloped and a line of reasoning is not sustained. 3 9–12 Answer provides an explained evaluation, agreeing or disagreeing with the interpretation. Good analysis of the provided materials is shown, indicating differences and deploying this to support the evaluation. Relevant contextual knowledge is used directly to support the evaluation. An overall judgement is given with some justification and a line of reasoning is generally sustained. 4 Answer provides an explained evaluation reviewing alternative views in coming to a substantiated judgement. Precise analysis of the provided materials is shown, indicating differences, and deploying this 13–16 material to support the evaluation. Relevant contextual knowledge is precisely selected and used directly to support the evaluation. An overall judgment is justified and the line of reasoning is coherent, sustained and logically structured. 1 2 Planning your answer • First of all you should read the sources and group them depending on whether they agree or disagree with the hypothesis (note: some sources may agree AND disagree!) • Fill the grid with information from the sources and relevant own knowledge. • Decide which factor is the most important and why, also decide if it links with other factors. Supporting the hypothesis Challenging the hypothesis What the sources say Your own knowledge Structuring your answer Intro Explain the hypothesis – briefly say why might you agree with it, but also what other factors need to be considered. Agree Restate the hypothesis and explain how the sources support it. Cross- reference with other with the similar views from the sources/extract to further support the argument. Expand on what the sources say using SPECIFIC and DETAILED OWN KNOWLEDGE e.g. view numbers/names, to support the views from the sources/extract. It is not own knowledge if it is in one of the sources/extract. Disagree State alternative views which are mentioned in the sources. Cross- reference with other with the similar views from the sources/extract to further support the argument. view Explain how the sources support this alternative view using SPECIFIC and DETAILED OWN KNOWLEDGE e.g. numbers/names, to support the views from the sources/extract. It is not own knowledge if it is in one of the sources/extract. Here you should also mention any sources which directly disagree with the hypothesis and explain using your own knowledge. Concl Give your final judgement on the hypothesis – overall do you agree or disagree? Explain which factor is most important and why it is more important than the other factors. You also need to explain why the less important factors are less important.
