Theme 2b Flashcards
dates of 4 5 year plans under stalin
1 - 1928-32
2 - 1933-37
3 - 1938-41
4 - 45-50
aims of 5 year plans
industrialise russia and increase production
catch up to britain and USA. stalin said USSR was 100 years behind but they could catch up in 15
eliminate efficiencies in NEP - through large scale govt. controlled production
eliminate Nepmen
defend soviet territory (requires modern industry for weapons)
demonstrate Stalins authority
nature of 5 year plans (who made targets…)
Gosplan formulated prodution targets
soviet managers and workers responsible for meeting targets
propaganda campaigns to inspire workers - how heroic the plans were, their success, how they would create a modern industrial future, how they’ve led to capitalist destruction
no attempts to ensure factories had resources, or what produce would be used for (command economy rather than planned economy)
outcomes of plans
industrialised USSR
success in heavy industry, rearmament, productivity, transport
consumer goods shortages
wastefulness
USSR’s economy goes from a capitalist agricultural one to a powerful urban one
heavy industry in first 3 plans
iron, steel, coal, oil, electricity all increased
1927-40 coal increased 130 mil tons (470%), steel increased 14 mil tons (450%)
new factories (Magnitogorsk, Tula, Lipetsk metal works built 1929-36)
rearmament in first 3 plans
by 1940 - 1/3 govt. spending devoted to rearmament
1939-41- 9 military aircraft factories
consumer goods in first 3 plans
1928-41 shortages of consumer goods - as Stalin prioritised heavy industry and defence, poor planning, and production techniques (good at raw materials bad at complex things)
rationing of these goods - sometimes supplies so low that govt. didn’t have enough rations (Shoe queues in Moscow in 30’s exceeded 1000 people)
housing and living in first 3 plans
plans needed larger urban workforce, which needed more housing but these needed houses were never built ( those that were built were poor quality and didn’t have basic necessities like running water )
living conditions decreased (food rationing, 7 day work week, long hours, lateness and absenteeism criminalised, internal passports introduced to stop workers moving in search for better pay)
labour productivity in first 3 plans. example
1st plan - low as low wages, long hours and no incentives
1935 - nationwide initiatives (higher pay and system of rewards for hard workers)
Stakhanovites
transport in first 3 plans
1935 - Moscow Metro’s first line
1932-37 - Moscow-Volga canal (increased efficiency of goods transport)
what were Stakhanovites
efficient workers who were allowed to reorganise their workplace for increased efficiency and educated other workers about efficiency
production problems in first 3 plans
production quality decreased - targets in quantity not quality
little co-ordination between factories, also not told what materials should be used for
materials left to decay
lack of transport and disorganisation
purges got rid of managers and economic experts
unrealistic targets (managers lied, and impossible to plan without accurate data)
black market in first 3 plans
failure to end free market
workers stole goods and sold them
thefts covered up by falsifying paperwork
causes of collectivisation
communist ideology
NEP failures
leadership struggle
how did communist ideology cause collectivisation
private property capitalist (therefore abolish private property and implement state run farming)
communists wanted efficient economy (large farms more efficient due to sharing of resources)
