Stalin's rise to power; economic developments

Question 1

What problems did the Russian economy face?

Answer 1

Industrial economy badly damaged by WW1, Civil War and Russo-Polish War

Degree of industrialisation and recovery with NEP after 1921 was slow and variable despite relative stability it bought.

Elaborate planning from central organisations like Gosplan and Veshenka ineffective

Question 2

What economic problems were blamed on the NEP?

Answer 2

Production was weak; NEP blamed for strikes, managerial inefficiency and low levels of mechanisation.

NEPmen blamed for blocking central planners

Question 3

What were factory managers blaming economic problems on?

Answer 3

the government interference and government demanding unrealistically low prices.

Question 4

How were problems with industrialisation and collectivisation linked?

Answer 4

regime required enough food for indsutry workers and hoped collective farms would achieve this

however, voluntary collective farming not working; 1929 - less than 5% collectivised; was no incentive for peasants to work

Question 5

What was the Great Turn of 1928

Answer 5

radical change in economic policy that rejected the NEP

Question 6

What was the policy aspects of the Great Turn?

Answer 6

reject the NEP

committed to industrialisation under state control

collectivisation of agriculture

Question 7

When was the Great Turn initially promised?

Answer 7

1925 - 14th Party Congress; party commits to industrialse.

1927 - Party congress announces end of the NEP

Question 8

What other event occured alongside the Great Turn?

Answer 8

Beginning of Stalinism

Question 9

What were the reasons for the Great Turn?

Answer 9

Stalin knew a weak country was one that was not industrialised.

Russia needs strong industrial base to fight modern wars

Make the USSR less dependant on capitalist countries

Stalin wants to show he is a capable leader and Lenin’s rightful successor

USSR to have standard of living match European countries

Question 10

What were more reasons for the Great Turn?

Answer 10

Believed socialism could only survive in an industrialised country

Party was impatient to revert to “True socialism” which demanded state control of production and no dependence on peasants for grain

Stalin felt secure enough as a leader to finally pursue his dream policies

Question 11

What was the Grain Procurement crisis of 1927-8?

Answer 11

Food shortages caused by the regime struggling to buy enough grain from the peasants

Question 12

Statistics to show effect of GPC?

Answer 12

1926 - State Grain Procurement at a record 10.6 mill

1927 - State Grain procurement drops to 4.9 mill

Question 13

How was the Grain Procurement Crisis Fixed?

Answer 13

1928 - Law of Spikelet’s

Grain requisitioning

Adjusting NEP for more market-oriented practices; giving peasants an incentive

Grain targets and quotas lowered

Question 14

What was the 1928 Law of Spikelet’s?

Answer 14

Made it illegal to hoard grain with punishment of prison/exile

Question 15

What was the impact of the Great Turn?

Answer 15

Began an economic and social revolution

massive impact on debates and power struggle within the party - Stalin and Bukharin’s relationship deteriorates

Many members pleased to see commitment to radical change and back Stalin.

Question 16

What was the impacts of the Great turn on citizens?

Answer 16

Propaganda had huge effects - urban workers hoped for better employment and living standards; poor + mid class hoped to benefit from land reform and modernisation

was a worry that higher wages would restart class differences

managers of industrial productions critical of central planning and interference.