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Between 1918 and 1924, Lenin and the Bolsheviks performed one of the most dramatic U-turns in modern history. First, during the Civil War, they implemented War Communism, a brutal, desperate attempt to force Russia into a perfect communist state overnight. It was an economic disaster that brought the country to its knees. Then, in 1921, facing total collapse, Lenin slammed on the brakes and reversed, introducing the New Economic Policy (NEP), a “strategic retreat” that brought back elements of capitalism. These two policies are a story of ideological ambition versus pragmatic reality. They represent the two extremes of Bolshevik thinking.…