What is war communism?

Answer 1

The term "war communism" is translated from the Russian "voennyi kummunizm.". The term is in itself ambiguous and the results of however it is translated showed political observers the sham created by the Bolsheviks. They refused to follow Marxist theory and practise, resulting in a terrible loss of life in Russia. So much in fact that Lenin had to "junk it" in favor of the NEP. However to return to the term, two translations can be made which became a policy of sorts in Russia in 1918. The question does not take into consideration the Russian words in terms of the other translation from voennyi kummunizm. Speaking from a political science point of view the distinction is important as it better defines the "2nd" Russian revolution by the Bolsheviks.

If it is simply taken as "war communism" voennyi kummunizm is a name for the means that were taken because of the pressures of the civil and foreign wars. ( it should be noted that despite the withdrawal of Russia from WW1, Poland had battles with Russia as late as 1920.)

However, translated as "militant communism" there is a more threatening meaning that was generated by a failed Marxist revolution and a more successful Bolshevik one. In this case of "militant" it can be seen as stress laid upon the Russian people, whereby war time measures against Russians were rationalized with the implication being that the new Bolshevik regime led by Lenin was sincere in its professed intention to introduce communism at once through militant radicalism.

The Dictatorship of the Proletariat never was the result of the revolution. In fact the revolution was not against a capitalist regime at all. The Provisional governmentcan best be described as a "democratic socialist regime".

The details of the latter translation fits much better than the former one.