Why was the New Economic Policy (NEP) introduced?

Lenin introduced the NEP in the aftermath of the ruinous Russian Civil War of 1917-1922. The Soviet state had pursued a policy of 'War Communism' during the war in order to keep the Red Army well provisioned with food and weapons. 'War Communism' entailed forced grain requisitioning, the banning of private enterprise, labour duty, and the nationalisation of industry. Famine, urban plight, and a flourishing black market were all consequences of the draconian Soviet policy, though the Red Army was victorious in the war. The NEP was introduced in order to aid the recovery of the ruined Soviet economy, and to quell the uproar amongst the urban and rural population. The NEP rolled back total state control of the economy, aiming for the Russian economy to become more independent. It involved a more capitalist-oriented economic policy (including a 'free market'), and the return of private enterprise. More importantly, however, it returned Russian lands to private landholders, representing a move away from the reorganisation of land into the hated collective farms. Farmers now had the option to sell some of their produce, rather than it being seized by the state without compensation.