How did Lenin retreat from pure communism?

Answer 1

Lenin believed pure communism could not be achieved immediately. What he began instead was the "New Economic Policy". He believed this would put Russia on the road to pure communism over time. He also sought cooperation from other nations in order to bring the desired economic state about.

Answer 2

Lenin did not exactly retreat from Communism since true Marxian communism was never set up. Lenin did retreat from Marx's view of post-revolutionary socialism and its aim that private property would be abolished and that all vestiges of capitalism would be eradicated. What happened was the abolition of private property in Russia's industries caused production to plummet making things worse than they had been prior to the revolution. In order to rebuild Russia's crumbling industrial base, he instituted the "New Economic Plan," (NEP). This was an example of Lenin's phrase "take two steps forward, one step backward." Under the NEP, peasant farmers were allowed to retain ownership of lands and work their lands for personal profits just like capitalists. Even some industries were allowed to work for individual profit. Lenin saw this strictly as a short term remedy to get Russia and its economy back on its feet. Many Russians Marxists were appalled at this, because they saw it as a retreat from the goals of the revolution especially that of eradicating capitalism.