The surplus-surplus is ... The introduction of the surplus-surplus

Such a phenomenon as the food distribution, also known under the abbreviated name of the surplus-appropriation, took place in Russia between 1919 and 1921. At this time, the government decided to set certain standards for bread and other products that peasants can keep, and they should sell all surpluses to the state at minimum prices. In the food requisitioning, food detachments, poor committees and regional councils participated, which forced the peasants to surrender their supplies.

Influence on population

The introduction of the surplus-surplus further exacerbated the already difficult situation of the ordinary population. The rates of surrender of bread, which were distributed or distributed as a tribute, very often exceeded the real stocks of residents.

Many peasants made attempts to hide their products, but the food detachments quickly found everything and even punished the malicious "concealers".

Results of the surplus

Already during the first year of food terror and the beginning of food distribution, the population bought about 44.6 million poods of grain. The second year marked a serious increase in the indicators and brought the state 113.9 million poods. The sharp increase in rates was triggered by the White invasion, as some of the common people agreed to support the Communists in order to avoid the victory of the enemy forces. Therefore, in November alone, in 1917, about 33.7 million poods were surrendered, but this was made possible solely by the Provisional Government's machinery of food supplies functioning at that time, with the help of which the surplus-appropriation was carried out.

This phenomenon, whose goal was to provide the armed forces, had a number of shortcomings. The main problem here was a poor organization, because of which a large part of the collected stocks did not reach their destinations on time, but simply deteriorated from time to time. 60% of meat and fish, 100% of tobacco, and 40% of bread were used for the needs of the army, which were collected by surplus. Peasants and ordinary workers were forced to starve, while the products selected from them, reaching the large cities, were very often stolen and divided into rations.

Why was the surplus-stock carried out

The definition of limits for the quantity of peasant products allowed the workers and employees to be kept at least half-starved. A little more lucky for the soldiers, and under the best conditions there was a government leadership, which was provided with regular meals. The surplus-appropriation became the reason for the lack of the desire of the peasants to work, because they still selected the entire crop. This was one of the main factors that led to the complete devastation of agriculture by 1921 already. Throughout the country, mass uprisings of peasants have begun, requiring the abolition of similar procedures.

During this period, there was a replacement of the surplus-fund by the tax, which was the first and most important step for the transition to NEP.

Advantages and disadvantages

Despite the fact that this process was able to relatively stabilize the situation with food in the country, it brought many negative consequences. Officially, the surplus-appropriation was introduced on January 11, 1919, at a very difficult period for the Soviet government, when the country needed support.

According to the official version, the peasants had to hand over surplus of their products, exceeding the norms that were set by the government, but did the appropriation take place? It's rather difficult to establish now, almost a century later, but some genuine information has been preserved. Sometimes ordinary peasants were also selected for what was to remain for the personal needs of the population, and the money that they were supposed to receive was replaced by various kinds of receipts for which nothing could be purchased. This led to bloodshed, arrests and uprisings. Therefore, from a historical point of view, this is a twofold process.

Data

• The first stages of the food surplus in the slowly collapsing Russian Empire began already in December 1916. But this, as well as many other initiatives of the government, only contributed to the rapid collapse of the state.
• The provisional government, which also resorted to food inspections, was able to succeed in replenishing food reserves, collecting 280 million poods of grain from the planned 650.

• The surplus-appropriation, officially introduced in early 1919, became part of the food terror of the Bolsheviks during the Civil War, which took place during the days of "War Communism."
• For the Bolsheviks, the surplus-appropriation (this was officially proved) was rather difficult. Its implementation was initially impossible in some areas, so it was conducted only in the central region of the country.
• Initially, the surplus-seeder distributed exclusively to grain, but at the end of 1920, measures were applied to all existing agricultural products.
• Initially, the peasants were going to pay for the collected products, however, the delivery of goods was virtually free of charge, because the money was depreciated, and the industry was in utter decay - there is nothing to change.

• Naturally, the peasants did not always agree to voluntarily part with the acquired, so there were special armed detachments, committees of the poor and Red Army units.
• When the peasants no longer had the desire or the opportunity to resist the measures of the government, they began to hide food and raise bread no more than the norm.
• Even taking into account that the food dictatorship led to deprivation of the peasants, there is no doubt that the army could only be supported by a surplus-stocking. This phenomenon also helped to save the urban proletariat.
• In the period from 1918 to 1920 the head of the Russian food detachment was a Communist, who later became a member of the Third Reich. It was Roland Fraesler.

The result

The phenomenon of food distribution, as well as many other initiatives introduced by the Bolsheviks, had a number of advantages, as well as many shortcomings. Despite the fact that this process helped to provide armed forces with the necessary products, most of the goods simply disappeared, although it was taken away from the people who needed them, that's how the surplus-appropriation was actually carried out. The year when it began, became a point of no return to stability and the beginning of everything that will subsequently lead to a serious crisis.