War Communism and the Red Terror: The Bolsheviks' Desperate Gamble

In the chaos of the Russian Civil War, the Bolsheviks adopted radical economic policies known as War Communism — nationalizing industry, confiscating grain, and abolishing money. This episode explores how Lenin and Trotsky justified these measures as necessary for survival, the brutal reality of grain requisitioning squads that sparked peasant revolts, and the catastrophic famine that killed millions. We also delve into the Red Terror, the Cheka's campaign against 'class enemies,' and how terror became a tool of statecraft. Was War Communism ideological commitment or sheer desperation? The catastrophic Tambov Rebellion and the Kronstadt sailors' uprising — former Bolshevik supporters — provide the answer. Finally, we consider the long shadow these policies cast on Soviet history, from collectivization to the gulag.

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