War Communism and the New Economic Policy: A Comparative Analysis:
The Bolshevik regime followed two different kinds of economic policies- War Communism and New Economic Policy (NEP)- that they introduced to fight against the Russian Civil War and later, the economic debacle that emerged afterward.

War Communism (1918-1921)
The extreme centralisation policy and complete control by the state characterised the War Communism. These included:

Nationalisation of industry: All big-scale industries were nationalized, and workers were put into labor armies.

Forced requisition of grain: The government seized grain from the peasantry for feeding Red Army and city workers.

Rationing: Foodstuffs and other vital commodities were rationed for proper distribution.
Ban on private trade: Private trade was banned and replaced by barter and markets controlled by the state.

Effects of War Communism:

-Economic breakdown: The policy brought about total economic ruin as the industrial production drastically fell and the agricultural production sharply declined.
-Famine and starvation: The policy caused widespread famine due to grain requisition.
-Social turmoil: The policy also alienated the peasantry who did not accept the seizure of their grain. It brought about much social unrest in many regions.

The New Economic Policy (NEP) (1921-1928)

To alleviate the failure of War Communism, the Bolsheviks brought forward the New Economic Policy, which came into effect from 1921 to 1928. The main features of this policy were:

-Market reforms: NEP permitted the resumption of private trade and small-scale industry.
-Taxation in kind: Forced requisition of grain was substituted with a fixed tax in kind that left peasants free to sell any surplus on the market.
-Concessions to foreign capital: The government offered concessions to foreign companies to invest in Russian industries.
-Mixed economy: The NEP was a mixture of a market economy with state control in sectors such as heavy industry, banking, and transportation.

Aftermaths of the NEP:

-Economic recovery: The NEP brought a major recovery to the Russian economy with the growth of agricultural and industrial production.
-Improved living standards: The policy enhanced the living standards of the population, especially in urban centers.
-Strengthening of the Bolshevik regime: Economic recovery helped stabilize the regime, and more importantly, the living conditions improved.
Social tensions between the wealthy peasants, known as kulaks, and less fortunate peasants, and between citizens in the cities and rural areas created social tensions because of NEP.

In conclusion, both War Communism and the New Economic Policy had severe effects on Russia. War Communism, although a necessity to keep the Bolshevik regime alive in the Civil War, was doomed to economic collapse and social uprisings. The NEP stabilized the economy and improved living standards but created new social tensions and challenges for future development of the Soviet Union.