The Stalin era: recovery from war after 1945 Flashcards
(31 cards)
What did the Second World War do to the Soviet economy?
Devastated it
After the Second World War, what did economic planners set out to do using techniques developed in the 1930s?
Set about rebuilding Soviet industry and reviving Soviet agriculture
After the Second World War, Soviet agriculture grew rapidly but industry grew more slowly.
True or false?
False.
Industry grew rapidly and agriculture more slowly
Give some examples of how the Soviet economy was set back significantly by the Second World War.
People were homeless
Production in industry decreased
Grain production decreased
By 1945, how many people were homeless?
25 million
By 1945, how had industrial production decreased?
Soviet industry was producing around a third of what it had produced in 1940
By 1945, how had grain production decreased?
Soviet agriculture was producing around half the grain it had in 1940
What did the post-war plans focus on?
Heavy industry and rearmament
Post-war, what percentage of economic investment was devoted to developing heavy industry?
Almost 90%
BY 1950, what was the Soviet economy producing more of than it was in 1940?
Coal
Oil
Electricity
Iron
Steel
BY 1950, what was the Soviet economy like?
The fastest growing in the world
After the Second World War, why did the Soviet Union continue to prioritise military spending?
Because of the development of the Cold War
What was the Cold War?
Period of heightened political tension between the Capitalist West, led by America, and the Communist East, led by Russia.
By 1952, what percentage of the government spending was the Soviet military budget?
Around 25%
Why had military spending led to real achievements?
By 1949, Soviet scientists had successfully tested their first atomic bomb
Between 1945 and 1953, summarise 8 problems the Soviet economy was plagued by?
Economy remained inefficient
Light industry failed to grow
Soviet workers remained unproductive compared to those of other industrial nations
Consumer goods remained scarce
High-tech production lagged behind other modern economies
Tractors, trucks and other high-tech goods were poorly made
Farming remained labour-intensive
Productivity on farms was low
What is light industry?
Manufacturing that produces consumer goods
Why did the economy remain inefficient between 1945 and 1953?
Due to the problems associated with the command economy
Give evidence of how light industry failed to grow between 1945 and 1953.
Less than 12% of industrial investment in Stalin’s last years went into light industry
Why did consumer goods remain scarce between 1945 and 1953?
Due to lack of investment in light industry
Why did high-tech production lag behind other modern economies between 1945 and 1953?
High-tech production relies on the quality of material and precise engineering, whereas the Soviet economy was designed to create vast quantities of material.
Why was productivity low between 1945 and 1953?
Lack of incentives
What did Stalin’s economy do for the Soviet Union?
Industrialised it
Despite Stalin’s economic growth, why did this not lead to a better living standard for most citizens?
Some historians argue, his economic policies reflected his gigantomania
