The social and economic position of the Soviet Union by 1941 Flashcards
Statistics to show that the Soviet Union had developed?
In 1926, 17% of the population lived in towns and this had risen to 33% by 1939
The USSR had overtaken Britain in iron and steel production and was not far behind Germany
How had the third Five Year Plan helped prepare Russia for WW2?
Coal and oil production increased significantly
Nine aircraft factories were constructed in 1939
Spending on rearmament had increased significantly
How much had spending on rearmament increased before the war?
Between 1938 and 1941, spending on rearmament rose from 27.5 billion roubles to 70.9 billion roubles
How much weaponry was the Soviet war industry producing before the outbreak of WW2?
230 tanks, 700 military aircraft and more than 100,000 rifles per month
How much of Russia’s budget was devoted to defence by 1940?
32.6%
What was the main economic weakness of Russia before WW2?
Consumer goods were scarcer than they had been under the NEP and the quality of goods was poor
Was the Russian economy prepared for WW2?
While the economy had improved, it was not prepared for imminent war (as shown by the fact that the third Five Year Plan had to be cut short at the outbreak of war)
Comparison of German vs Russian industry right before the war?
Russia had 164.6 million tonnes of coal, while Germany had 186 million tonnes (and the USA had over 350 million tonnes)
Russia had 18.4 million tonnes of steel, while Germany had 22.7 million tonnes.
Example of consumer good in very low supply in 1940?
Less than a million cars and washing machines were being produced
Positive social change before the war?
Stalin could claim to have worked towards socialism as state ownership was a form of social ownership
How had Stalin acquired control over the people in the countryside?
From 1929, peasants were supervised by Party officials attached to each kolkhoz and secret police units were stationed at each Machine Tractor Station
How had Stalin acquired control over the people in the industrial towns and cities?
Factory managers were subject to the controls of the Party (or risk being imprisoned or executed), while the workers were kept in order through labour books and internal passports
What negative social change had Stalin brought about?
He had not created an equal society, but a hierarchical one dominated by the privileged Party elite
How had Stalin’s social changes gone against Marxist theory?
Instead of the state ‘withering away’ under socialism, it had grown even more domineering and brutal
Example of state control of managers?
In 1940, a decree was issued making poor quality production a criminal offence (breaching a Central Committee directive of 1929 which forbad party interference in enterprises)
