Stalin economic policies

Question 1

Collectivisation

Answer 1

is the force of collecting all land over the soviet union and turning it into vast state farms

Question 2

Base of communist ideology

Answer 2

bottom line of the communist ideology is based on the ideological force of the proletariat, marxism does not talk about a dictatorship

Question 3

Economic policy under stalin is ideological (partly)

Answer 3

most of society is peasants, stalin removes the idea of peasants farmers, and destroys landowning peasants, he has to rapidly industrialise

Question 4

Success of collectivisation

Answer 4

Economic (productivity, control over grain, export of grain for technology, surplus labor for industry), Ideological and political (removal of middle class peasantry, urbanise/proletariat peasantry, consolidates stalin’s control over the countryside), increased yields, low yields in problem because they need to feed growing labour workforce, mechanised farming, will give state control over grain,

Question 5

reducing labour intensity this will allow?

Answer 5

growing proletariat

Question 6

Does stalin complete his aim?

Answer 6

does not completely achieve this aim, not anywhere near the level of western states, initially peasants resist (some sent to gulag, tend to be small, middle class peasants), peasants working the farms are not skilled or educated, productively issue

Question 7

Effects of having control of the countryside

Answer 7

(first time in russian history) which is fundamentally is key, state can export grain, big reduction in peasants and increase in population for the 5 year plan

Question 8

Stalins slogan for 5 year plans

Answer 8

we are 100 years behind, Economics to make good in 10 years

Question 9

Success of 5 year plans

Answer 9

stalin definitely industriales USSR, data is mindblowing good with coal and others, achieves ideological aim of society focused on the proletariat, Ideological (to develop [proletariat soviet society, to indoctrinate, Security/defend USSR (industry capacity and technology to defeat threat from west nazi germany

Question 10

Failures of collectivisation

Answer 10

Economic - productivity fails; resources and famine, human cost in catastrophic
Ideologically - problem due to collective farms ran by people with low motivation and famine, removal of most effective farmers

Question 11

Failures of 5 year plans

Answer 11

Economic - genuine economic status expose weakness, lack of diversity in targets in 5 year plans, problem with supply and stockpiling and moving, falsified data, 0 consumer products (soap, cooking utensils, childrens shoes etc.), shadow story is infrastructure projects are built by slave labour from gulag, impact of purges which cause problems with productivity
Security - if main thrust of plans which was to modernise and defend from attacks and then purging military, increases security risks forcing the nazi-soviet pact, has the industry for war but not the people

Question 12

Conclusion

Answer 12

Success of collectivisation as a state had control over grain, export for industrialization, ideological success with liquidation of middle class peasants and Stalin has consolidated his control over the countryside. The 5 year plans were successful in achieving the key aim of fully industrialising the USSR and enabling it to secure victory against the Germans in WW2 after 1941. However, collectivisation failed in its aim of increasing agricultural production and together with the 5 year plans Stalin’s economic achievements came at a catastrophic human cost.

Question 13

are stalins ideological aims achieved

Answer 13

Ideologically is success because creation of proletariat, central position of proletariat is key and symbolistic dynamic between 5 year plans and proletarians, 5 year plans are a success

Question 14

Famine in ukraine

Answer 14

stalin made it worse - 3.9 million died, reconsigned it as a genocide by 15 countries, bordar put around ukraine so they cannot leave, end result was terrible famine and nearly 4 million people died, called holodomor, stalin did this because he wanted to kill revolution and ukrainian nationalism

Question 15

First 5 year plan

Answer 15

(1928–1932)
Start Date: October 1928

Focus: Heavy industry (coal, iron, steel, oil, electricity)

Goals: Increase industrial output by 200%; heavy industry by 80%

Outcomes:

Coal: Increased from 35 million to 64 million tons

Iron: From 3.3 million to 6.2 million tons

Electricity: From 5 billion to 13 billion kWh

Successes: Rapid industrial growth in key sectors

Problems: Poor quality goods, lack of consumer goods, human cost

Question 16

Second 5 year plan

Answer 16

(1933–1937)
Focus: Continue heavy industry, develop transport, and increase output of consumer goods

Achievements:

Steel: Rose from 5.9 to 17.7 million tons

Coal: Up to 128 million tons

Electrical power: Doubled again

Transport: Moscow Metro (1935), canals, and railways

Consumer Goods: Some improvements, though still lacking

Question 17

Third 5 year plan

Answer 17

(1938–1941)
Focus: Re-armament and defense industry

Interrupted: By the Nazi invasion in June 1941

Achievements:

Military spending: Rose to 33% of GDP by 1940

Machinery and engineering: Increased output

Issues: Purges affected management and technical skills

Question 18

Collectivisation

Answer 18

(1928–1940)
Start Date: 1928 (intensified in 1929)

Main Goal: Combine small farms into collective farms (kolkhozes) and state farms (sovkhozes)

Targets:

By 1932: 62% of peasant households collectivized

By 1936: About 90% collectivized

Impact:
Dekulakization:

Around 5–10 million kulaks affected

Millions deported to Siberia or labor camps

Famine:

1932–33, especially in Ukraine (Holodomor)

Estimated 5–7 million deaths

Grain production:

Dropped during early 1930s

1928: 73.3 million tons

1934: 67.6 million tons

Livestock:

Between 1929–1933:

Cattle fell from 70 million to 38 million

Pigs halved

Horses fell by half