Stalin Flashcards
What did the Chitska do (1932-35)
Removed officials that opposed the policies implemented in the first 5 year plan.
What % of the party had been removed by 1935?
22%
What was gosplan?
The state planning commission that was originally a forecasting agency but was used to decide input and output figures during the 5 year plans
Why were plans completed a year ahead of schedule
To create the impression of being very productive
Define gigantomania
Spectacular projects that were meant to demonstrate the might of Soviet Russia.e.g. the Volga canal in Moscow
Successes of the first 5 year plan
✔ Electricity production trebeled from a low base. Partially from Magnetiogosk, hydro electric dam
✔ Targets were overly ambitious creating an overly negative picture
How did Vesenkha and Gosplan’s rivarly impact the 1st 5 year plan.
Give an example?
❌ Vesenkha and Gosplan’s rivalry caused them to set unrealistic targets that could not be met.e.g. coal’s targets going from 35 to 75 million tonnes
❌ High targets put strain on the economy
❌ Lots of bribery and corruption because failure to meet targets was a criminal offence.
❌ Output was substandard and mass overproduction caused wastage.
Successes of the 2nd five year plan
✔ large investments in railway systems increased the amount of freight it was able to carry
✔ USSR was almost self sufficient in production of machine toold and less dependent on foreign imports
✔ Commissariats were more organised
When was the first 3 five year plans?
1928 to 1941
Failures of the 3rd 5 year plans
❌ Iron and steel stopped growing
❌ Fuel crisis because oil industry could not meet modest targets
❌ Purges deprived economy of valuable personnel
What happened to oil production during the first 3 five year plans?
Rose from 11.7 million tonnes in 1927 to 21.4 million in 1932. Target: 22 million. Rose to 28.5 million in 1937. Target 46.8 million tonnes.
Magnitogosk fact
Was built from scratch. Grew from 25 ppl in 1929 to 250 000 by 1932. Most workers lived in wooden huts
What happened to consumer goods during the first 3 five year plans?
Neglected. By the 1930s in Moscow shoe queues often exceeded 1000 people.
What was the Ryutin Platform?
A 200 page document criticising Stalin by listing the atrocities he commited. Causes his wife to commit suicide. Stalin does not have enough power to eliminate Ryutin
Was planning detailed? Impact on the 1st 5 year plan?
No which caused a lot of disorganisation
