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One of the most impactful classes I took in college was Russian Economic Transition with Dr. Richard Ericson. Dr. Ericson must be one of the foremost experts on the Soviet economy left.
The goal of this thread is to show just how insane the USSR was and explain *why*
The goal of this thread is to show just how insane the USSR was and explain *why*
The detail in which he described the awfulness of the Soviet economy was amazing. We all know the Soviet Union was bad but we still underestimate how shockingly bad it was.
Here are *some* things I learned based on the notes I took. Sorry for it being choppy.
Here are *some* things I learned based on the notes I took. Sorry for it being choppy.
The USSR can also be broken into two periods. From 1917-1921 there was chaos while the Bolsheviks attempted to implement “war communism”. 1922-1991 is the period of the command economy.
War communism abolished private trade, nationalized business, took over the food supply, and *militarized labor*. Economic life was “naturalized” as money was abolished and replaced with barter.
War communism was also a fan of arbitrary terror and expropriation. The first Soviet secret police were set up in this period.
War communism was “a forced march into the future”. The march was a disaster. By 1921 90% of all legal and illegal activity that took place in 1917 stopped. This won’t shock anyone but there was a massive famine.
By the end of this period, peasant uprisings became a regular thing-- Mass strikes and Killing Bolsiveks. The Kronstadt Rebellion was the peak of this uprising.
War communism eventually gave way to the New Economic Policy which stated the period of the command economy.
War communism eventually gave way to the New Economic Policy which stated the period of the command economy.
The NEP:
1.Eliminated the arbitrariness and terror from the economy
2.Removed many economic constraints
3.Retained the commanding heights
The NEP saw the return of money, prices, small business, and private trade.
1.Eliminated the arbitrariness and terror from the economy
2.Removed many economic constraints
3.Retained the commanding heights
The NEP saw the return of money, prices, small business, and private trade.
People who took advantage of this were called Nepmen. The state still had monopolies in banking, finance, and international trade.
But eventually, Lenin died, Stalin took over, and dissatisfaction from the Bolsheviks led to the end of the NEP and a doubling down on the CE.
But eventually, Lenin died, Stalin took over, and dissatisfaction from the Bolsheviks led to the end of the NEP and a doubling down on the CE.
