Merchants and Markets in Revolutionary Russia, 1917-30 (Studies in Russian and East European History and Society)

Explores the impact of the 1921 reversal of Soviet policy that permitted primate markets only months after banning them. Shows how it was the beginning of the New Economic Policy of the 1920s, which remains memorable for its blend of diverse economic structures, competing social groups, fervent debates, and vibrant cultural expressions. Examines how the Soviet leadership alternatively and simultaneously nurtured and discouraged the markets, weighing them down with taxes and denying them loans and merchandise to reduce their importance before they could be totally eliminated. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.