Making a Socialist Society
During the time of civil war, Bolsheviks kept industries and banks nationalized. They permitted peasants to cultivate the land that was socialized and confiscated land to demonstrate the meaning of collective work. A process of centralized planning was introduced. Officials tried to access how the economy would work and set targets for a five-year period and made the Five Year Plans. The government had fixed all prices to promote industrial growth during the first two “Plans”.
Centralized planning led to the process of economic growth. Industrial production had stood up and new factory cities came into being. However, the rapid construction did lead to poor working conditions. Workers had to live hard lives and the result was 550 stoppages of work in the first year alone. The living conditions were bad as well, with no proper housing and toilet facilities. An extended schooling system developed and some arrangements were made for factory workers and peasants to enter universities. Cheap public health care was provided. Model living quarters were set up for workers. The effect of these changes was kind of uneven since government resources were limited in nature.
What Changed After October?
Numerous changes were brought in by the Bolsheviks immediately after the October Revolution. The most important ones included, banks and industries that came to be nationalized; the land was declared as social property, thereby allowing peasants to seize the property from the nobility. In the urban areas, houses were partitioned according to the requirements of the family. Also, old aristocratic titles were banned and new uniforms were designed for the army and officials.