In what ways did Lenin's economic policies, in the period to 1924, attempt to solve the problems facing the Bolsheviks in 1918?

The initial measures taken by the Bolshevik party were harsh and austere, Repression and Dictatorship. Opposition was tackled first; all non-Bolshevik newspapers were banned and opposition leaders were prosecuted. The newly elected Constituent Assembly, after the Bolsheviks came in second to the Social Revolutionaries, was dissolved, with Lenin claiming that they were supportive of the oppressive Bourgeoisie. The former Tsarist secret police, the Okhrana, was replaced by the Cheka whose job was to prevent any counter-revolutionaries and did so brutally.

Land was taken from the nobility, including the Tsar, the church and all other landowners and given to the peasants who had control over it themselves through peasant soviets. This simply made legal what the peasants had been doing since 1916. All grain was put under state control to feed the starving people in the towns and cities and requisition squads were sent out to forcibly take excess grain from those who did not wish to give it. Along with this, industries such as large factories, banks, mines and railways, were put under state control however the smaller factories were handed over to the workers, as promised. The 'Supreme Council of the National Economy' was introduced to oversee the entire economy but Lenin still had a long way to go.

The start of the civil war in 1918 saw the inauguration of 'War Communism'. Lenin saw this as the first step toward socialism and wanted workers and peasants to have a much greater role in the future development of Russia. Many promises made before the seizure of power remained unresolved and now, with more and more dilemmas being brought on by civil war and with the Bolsheviks still being a minority party, Lenin needed to pull out all the stops in order to simultaneously maintain power and gain support. He was required to solve the problems aroused by war, the breakdown of the transport system, inadequate supplies of raw materials, rampant inflation and withdrawal of foreign capital, whilst sticking to his ideological beliefs.

War communism consisted of many harsh policies including extensive nationalisation of grain, the forceful, and now more frenetic, requisitioning of grain - to feed the army first, then towns and cities, labour conscription for the sixteen to sixty year olds, although the middle class were still unable to work, the temporary abolition of money, it was practically worthless already due to high inflation, and harsh discipline for workers were all part of Lenin's attempts to gain control over a country facing a dire future.

By 1921, the Bolsheviks had successfully fought off the White Armies and quelled the civil war. Lenin's measures for rebuilding the economy came in the form of the 'New Economic Policy'. This, although seeming to answer to Russia's problems, meant reverting back to some aspects of capitalism and so provoked unrest within the party. With this policy, Lenin was trying to boost the production in towns, cities and the countryside and so the abhorrent practise of grain requisitioning was ended. Instead of this, peasants were able to sell grain for a profit, giving 10% of this in tax to the government. Although the larger factories remained under state control, smaller factories were returned back to private ownership and the militaristic rule over factories was stopped. Money was reinstated and anyone could set up a shop and sell or hire goods for a profit. Lenin remained adamant that this was not a permanent back track to capitalism, it was a temporary measure, and once the economy picked up the NEP would be eradicated.

The NEP's results were unexpected. The starvation in the towns and cities, which had driven some to cannibalism, was over and life began to flow back into the cities. Grain became so readily available that the prices dropped, causing more unwillingness to sell grain. The government responded by bringing prices down on industrial goods to balance the problem. The NEP appeared to be the answer to all of Russia's problems but Lenin insisted that communism was not dead, it was simply on hold.