Capitalist Russia in the roaring 20s?

So, Somehow the russian revolution is changed from communist to democratic, they manage to reform to the point where they the same economic boom the west recieved in the west. How does Russia and it's people react to this?
 

yourworstnightmare

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Russia would still not be able to become capitalist in the Western meaning. For a democratic Russia to survive, they'd need to attend all the social problems Russia faced. And enact a land reform, the only way to get peasant support, and most Russians were peasants. Also, in a democratic Russia the Mensheviks and Left SR would still be strong influential parties.
 
Russia would still not be able to become capitalist in the Western meaning. For a democratic Russia to survive, they'd need to attend all the social problems Russia faced. And enact a land reform, the only way to get peasant support, and most Russians were peasants. Also, in a democratic Russia the Mensheviks and Left SR would still be strong influential parties.

Of course, the Menshevik platform was actually in line with Marxist theory, unlike the Bolsheviks, and they wanted to work with in the capitalist system. It'd be interesting to see how that panned out; I don't see how a communist party could keep popular support without actually advocating communism.
 
Well to my knowledge, the New Economic Policy ("One step backwards in order to make 2 steps forward in the name of socialism") adopted by the Communists in the early 20's could have led Russia down such a path, had it been extended and had the Communist line-up been altered in a major way that those in charge were more sympathetic to the changes that occurred due to the NEP. One would think that Stalin would have to be removed somehow and that Lenin would be in a healthier state to at least be in the leadership background of the Communists to keep the NEP running.

I think this would be akin to China's own opening up of it's economy.
 
So, Somehow the russian revolution is changed from communist to democratic, they manage to reform to the point where they the same economic boom the west recieved in the west. How does Russia and it's people react to this?
I'm not sure that non-communist Russia (let's leave the $1 mln question how the country escaped Bolshevik rule outside of discussion scope) would have it's ups and downs in sync with rest of "civilized world". The country is so big and so relatively unlinked to world economy (Russian industries pre-1914 were driven by internal demand and it's Asian export markets much more than by trade with West), it always tended to have it's ups and downs independently. It will be heavily weighted down by external debts post-WWI (to the magnitude it might declare itself bankrupt, although this is not too likely), so it might very well spend 1918-1925 recovering. However, market meltdown of Depression could give Russia golden opportunity (exploited by Stalin IOTL) to buy Western equipment and know-hows at deeply discounted prices in 1930-1935.
 
I think NEP to roaring twenties is pretty bloody big leap, both economically and in terms of logic.

Have the Republic survive, no Bolshie Revolution. No here you have the SRs dominating, they carry out land reform, dont crush the kulaks. You'll see steady trickle to the cities (as opposed to massive back and forth under the Bolshies) however I'm doubting much rampant capitalism both due to the SRs and Russia's development at this stage. You will have a elite of businessmen and what not though, just not THAT important or massive though they'll no doubt grow particularly as Russia becomes the West 1920s equivalent to India or China today- mass investment for new markets and cheap labour, something that was more or less happening in the Soviet Union OTL anyway.

As time passes, I'm not to sure how politics will change, steady de-radicalisation could see a shift to the centre or voter loyalty (we're talking illiterate serfs being educated and given land by these people after all) might just see a more mainstream Socialist Revolutionary hegemon for some time.

Eventually the more conservative elements of the old aristocracy, Church etc. might decide to more radically move the country towards open capitalism or possibly Nationalist Populism
 
However, market meltdown of Depression could give Russia golden opportunity (exploited by Stalin IOTL) to buy Western equipment and know-hows at deeply discounted prices in 1930-1935.

Buy with what? Russia was a commodity driven economy, in terms of foreign currency.

You'd see slower progress on literacy; the debts problem, of course; OTOH, Russia might have greater foreign investment in some fields. Hrmm.
 
If Russia stays capitalist, then the Belgian and French investments there will remain, preserving Russia's financial infrastructure, and the Ukrainian grain trade will continue, giving Russia foreign currency to service its debts.

Without Russia's repudiation of its debts, Britain and France won't be beggared to the same degree, so will be able to repay the US in turn. This will reduce the intensity of the reparatins issue.

All in all, there probably won't be a Depression. Russia will continue to industrialise with western capital and gradually modernise its agricualture as it proves profitable.
 
Buy with what? Russia was a commodity driven economy, in terms of foreign currency.
Well, that's a good one. However, grain was still selling, even at the height of Depression (where do you think Stalin got his money). It is just that discounts were pretty steep. And it isn't like Czarist Russia haven't had this legacy of selling grain when parts of it's own population were starving ("we will starve, but sell" mantra was repeatedly used in 1900-1913).
 
Agreed - France in particular had very heavily invested in Russia and were hit hard by the Bolshevik revolution. Discovery of oil and gold in Siberia will also be very good for the Russians.

If Russia stays capitalist, then the Belgian and French investments there will remain, preserving Russia's financial infrastructure, and the Ukrainian grain trade will continue, giving Russia foreign currency to service its debts.

Without Russia's repudiation of its debts, Britain and France won't be beggared to the same degree, so will be able to repay the US in turn. This will reduce the intensity of the reparatins issue.

All in all, there probably won't be a Depression. Russia will continue to industrialise with western capital and gradually modernise its agricualture as it proves profitable.
 
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