Economy and society, 1929–1941 Flashcards
(28 cards)
When were the 2 stages of Collectivisation
Stage 1 - 1929-1930
Stage 2 - 1931-1940
What % of peasant housholds were destroyes compared to kulak households?
15% destroyed, 4% Kulak
What % of houses were collectivised in Oct 1930?
20% compared to 50% in 31 and 100% in 41
What was the quota of Kolkhoz farms?
Very high - 40%
By 1938 what % of threshing, ploughing and harvesting were doing mechanically?
Threshing - 95%
Ploughing - 72%
Harvesting - 48%
How many died due to resistance or effects of collectivisation?
10 million
In 1939 how many peasants migrated to towns?
Over 19 million
Who carried out collectivisation
Stalin enlisted an army of 25,000 urban party activists
OGPU and military control pop through fear and violence
What methods were used to ensure collectivisation?
Villages were ‘persuaded’ to sign a
register demanding to be collectivized
Terror – ‘Kulaks’ or those who resisted were
rounded up and shot, imprisoned or deported.
Propaganda – Anti-kulakand promoting collectives
How did the peasants resist collectivisation?
Riots and armed resistance
Sabotage, Burned crops, tools and houses. Slaughtered animals and gorged on them (25-30%)
All female revolts
MIgrating to towns
Why was there a famine from 1932 to 1934
Burned crops, tools and houses. Slaughtered animals and gorged on them (25-30%)
Huge amounts of animals had been slaughtered as part of resistance
There was a drought in 1931
Estimated 7 million died because of famine
Some suggest the famine was man - made
Impact of collectivisation on agriculture
Grain output did not achieve pre collectivisation levels until 1935, same with livestock
Collective farms were poorly organised
Most of the best farmers were killed during dekulakalisation
By March 1930 58% of peasant households were collectivised but this reduced to just 20% by October after Stalin relaxed measures
on the back of complaints and resistance
By 1934 what % of farms were collectivised
70%
Was collectivisation economically successful?
Allowed more grain procurement than under the NEP
Grain exports rose from 1 million tonnes to 5 million tonnes
Grain harvests were frequently smaller than they had been under the NEP
Collective farms were frequently less successful than private farms
How did Collectivisation benefit Stalin?
Allowed Stalin control over the countryside
Party didn’t have to negotiate with the peasants for grain
Made the peasants serve the workers and towns
Aims of the five year plans
28-32 - develop heavy industry, electrification, double output for light induustry
1933-37 - Continue frowth for heavy industry, develop communication, boost consumer goods
38-41 - Renew emphasis on heavy industry, rapid rearmanent, complete transition to communism
How successful was the 1st 5 year plan?
Electric output trebled
Coal and Iron doubled
Magnitogorsk
Little growth in consumer goods
Chemical target not fulfilled
Lack of skilled workers created major issues
How successful was the 2nd 5 year plan?
By 1937, USSR largely self sufficient in machine making and metal working
Minerals such as copper and zinc mined for the first time
Consumer goods still lagging
Oil Production did not meet the expected advances
How successful was the 3rd 5 year plan?
Defence and armaments increase rapidly
Fuel crisis
Material shortages
Industrial Projects
Magnitogorsk - A gigantic steel plant and town of 150,000 people
Moscow Metro - Opened 1935, designed to cope with the influx of peasant workers
Social Impacts of the 5 year plans for workers
For working men - 7 day week, dismissed if late for work, Stakhanovite movement, 1938 labour books used in order to log employment and discipline issues, wages lower than in 1920’s
Managers - Recieve bonuses for exceeding targets (led to poor products), trialed or executed if they failed to meet targets
Social Impacts of the 5 year plans for women and foreigners
Women - State provided nurseries, crèches and child clinics, managers encouraged to hire wives of workers, by 1940 around 40% of workforce women who earned less than men
Foreigners - Foreign companies were recruited to provide expertise developing new industries, higher wages and prestige of working on mega projects attracted Westerners, OGPU arrested British engineers working on the Moscow Metro under suspicion of spying
Stakhanovite movement 1935
Stakhanov was a miner, known for being very productive
A system was set up to supply him with air and tools to allow him to produce a superhuman 16 times more coal than the average produced in a shift - set a record
Several miners demanded the chance to beat the record, and by 5th September 2 had done so
There was pressure from above to meet increased targets, and from below with workers wanting to break records, meaning all managers had to adopt the new methods of production to keep up
Development of the stalin cult
Grew steadily from 1929
Icon of confidence during a period of rapid change
Stalin was shown as the all-knowing
leader
