October 1917 was to some extent the most significant date in the period of 1881-1953. Russia went from a Tsarist Autocracy to near communism this was a substantial change not only for Russia but mainly for the people, going from one person ruling the country with absolute power to a system where the community all receives equally, is a huge contrast. By the end of 1917, the Bolsheviks led by Lenin had taken power in the major cities of Russia and introduced communist rules in those areas it controlled. The transition in Russia over the space of four years was remarkable – the fall of an autocracy and the establishment of a communist government.
The dictatorship of the proletariat is defined by Marxist theory as the use of state power by the working class against its enemies during the passage from capitalism to communism, entailing control of the state apparatus and the means of production. Though under Stalin the phrase came to be understood as a dictatorship in the name of the proletariat, the original meaning was a workers' democracy where the working class would be in power, rather than the capitalist class. This in many ways was a change to Russia as the working class were in power however Stalin became a dictator and acted in the same ways as a Tsar would.
The Russian Civil War (1918–1920) was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) and subsequently gained control throughout Russia. The Civil war caused major economic disruption and consequently further worsened the famine from not only the combined effect of the disruption of civil war but also World War 1 and the Russian Revolution of 1917. War Communism ties in with the famine. The policy was adopted by the Bolsheviks with the aim of keeping towns and the Red Army supplied with weapons and food, in conditions in which all normal economic mechanisms and relations were being destroyed by the war
War communism included the following policies:
1. All industry was nationalized and strict centralized management was introduced.
2. State monopoly on foreign trade was introduced.
3. Discipline for workers was strict, and strikers could be shot.
4. Obligatory labour duty was imposed onto "non-working classes".
5. Prodrazvyorstka – requisition of agricultural surpluses from peasants in excess of absolute minimum for centralized distribution among the remaining population.
6. Food and most commodities were rationed and distributed in a centralized way.
7. Private enterprise became illegal.
8. Military-like control of railroads was introduced.
Policy taken from (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Communism)
Bolsheviks have argued that its sole purpose was to win the war. Others say it was an attempt immediately to eliminate private property, commodity production and market exchange, and in that way to implement communist economics, and that the Bolshevik leaders expected an immediate and large scale increase in economic output. The change this implemented on Russia is of significance as it generated economic wealth back into Russia and also created a sense of stability within the country,
1921 saw the NEP which was an economic policy proposed by Lenin to prevent the Russian economy from collapsing. Allowing some private ventures, the NEP allowed small businesses or shops, for instance, to reopen for private profit while the state continued to control banks, foreign trade, and large industries. Under the NEP peasants could own their own farms creating not only a change in the population of peasants but a sense of ownership for the peasants.
The death of Lenin and the rise of Stalin was effectively not just a change physically but politically, Stalin acted as a dictator but Russia was still in ‘theory’ communist. The NEP was replaced with the First Five-Year Plan of the USSR, which was a list of economic goals that was designed to strengthen the country's economy between 1928 and 1932, making the nation both militarily and industrially self-sufficient. Making the country industrially self-sufficient created an overwhelming transition as 18.5 million people move from farms to cities due to the 5-year plan. This was a major change within society as it meant that Russia’s economic situation was heavily reliant on the working classes and also the middle class factory owners were becoming a dominate figure in restabilising Russia’s economic situation.
1941-1953 saw very little change in Russia apart from the death of Stalin and the rise of Khrushchev and also a small economic dip due to WW2.
Russia experienced many changes in the period of 1881-1924, the key changes in my opinion, which were most significant, beneficial and had the greatest impact on Russia as a whole were the end to a Tsarist Autocracy and Russia becoming near Communism, the control which Lenin and the Bolsheviks had over Russia and Stalin’s 5 year plans and the rapid industrialisation which came with it. The end of a Tsarist autocracy and Russia becoming near communist had a great impact on the power of the government as it gave the people more freedom. Lenin and the Bolsheviks caused many problems socially but economically the introduction of the NEP by Lenin prevented Russia from complete ruin. In my opinion I think Stalin had the greatest impact on Russia with his 5 year plan which changed the country economically and socially with massive rural to urban migration and potentially he saved Russia’s status as a world dominate force.
