The New economic policy was very successful. It abolished grain requisitioning which meant that Peasants could now sell any surplus food they produced to the open market. This made the peasants happy as it gave them incentive to work hard and they could make more money, and it also meant that more food was available on the market for the Russian people to buy. The New economic policy allowed small businesses to be reopened under private ownership. Although this was quite a capitalist approach, it meant that Russians could earn a living, then spent what they earnt to strengthen the Russian economy. Lastly, the New Economic Policy removed the ban on private trade, meaning that a black market was no longer necessary. This meant that the flow of goods between the countryside and the town could flow more easily, and that privately owned shops could be reopened. Rationing was also abolished which meant that people had to buy food and goods with the money they earnt. This soon strengthened the financial economy
However the New Economic Policy was only one way in which the Bolsheviks consolidated their rule. There were many other factors as well.
When Lenin cam to power, he knew he had to deliver what he had promised, Peace, Land and Bread. If he did not deliver on his promises he would suffer the same downfall as Kerensky and the provisional government. He also knew he needed to keep strict discipline and remove all opposition.
Lenin immediately set up the Council of people’s commissars (Sovnarkom). The Sovnarkom issued their first decree on 8 November announcing that Russia wanted peace with Germany. They then released a massive amount of decrees to try and strengthen the Bolshevik hold on Russia. Peasants were given the lands of the Tsar and the churches. Factories were also put into the hands of the workers, and the Bolsheviks were given the power to deal ruthlessly with opposition.
Lenin had also promised free elections to the new constituent assembly. Elections were held in 1917, and as Lenin had feared the Bolsheviks did not gain a majority. Their rivals, the peasant based social revolutionaries won the elections. Lenin solved this problem in his typically direct way, and sent Trotsky and the red guards to close down the assembly and put down the protests as a result of it. Lenin now instead used the congress of soviets to pass his laws as it contained a Bolshevik majority. People soon forgot about the elections and Lenin was now fully in power. Lenin also got rid of opposition by banning all non-Bolshevik publications and by banning an opposition party called the cadets.
Lenin had delivered on his promise of giving the Russians ‘land’, and the new economic policy had given them ‘bread’. The next step was to give them peace. In March 1918 the Russians signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Although the treaty was a severe blow to Russia, losing her 25 percent of her population, 27 percent of her farm lands, 26 percent of her railways, 75 percent of her iron ore and 300 million roubles, it enabled Lenin to concentrate on the situation at home and further consolidate Bolshevik rule.
However Lenin’s activities from 1917-1918 had made him a lot of enemies and by the end of 1918 a collection of Anti-Bolshevik movements had formed the White forces. This resulted in a civil war between the Bolsheviks (the Reds) and the opposition forces the Whites. During the civil war Lenin had to use force, fear and discipline to consolidate the Bolsheviks power. The Bolshevik secret police force, the Cheka, enforced the Red terror. Red terror used fear to keep loyalty among the Red forces, and to destroy opposition and the white forces. The Cheka hunted down and killed anyone that opposed the Bolsheviks, and anyone suspected of supporting the Whites. Trotsky made sure his huge army of 300,000 red guards stayed loyal by taking their families hostage and appointing political commissars to watch over them. The Bolsheviks also ordered the execution of the Tsar and his family as they could not risk the Tsar being rescued and returned as leader of the Whites. The reds won the civil war and were now fully in power.
In conclusion, the new economic policy was very effective in consolidating the Bolshevik power. It banned grain requisitioning which gave the peasants incentive to work, and also increased food production and therefore stopped the famine. It also allowed reopened small businesses under private trade meaning the Russians could earn a living, and spend what they earnt to strengthen Russian economy. The NEP lastly removed the ban on private trade, removing the need for a black market and allowing the flow of goods between towns and the countryside to flow more easily. Rationing was also abolished meaning people had to spent what they earnt on food and goods, this strengthened the financial economy. However the Bolsheviks also consolidated their power in other ways. They removed all opposition through the political system, the Cheka and the power that the Bolsheviks held to deal ruthlessly with opposition. They also gained support from the Russians by giving them Peace through the Brest—Litovsk treaty, and land through Bolshevik decrees which gave peasants the Tsars and the churches land. Lastly during the civil war, the Bolsheviks used red terror and the Cheka to keep loyalty to the reds, and to destroy the whites and any other opposition.