15.2 The economy under Stalin Flashcards
What was Stalin’s process to moving towards the 5 year plans?
1925 - 14th Party Congress called for Russia to become industrialised and self-sustaining
1926 - NEP was maintained though concerns were raised as more investment was needed to advance the country
December 1927 - 15th Party congress announced the end of the NEP and move towards 5 year plans
1st 5 year plan
1928 - 1932
2nd 5 year plan
1933 - 1937
3rd 5 year plan
1938 - 1942
What were goals of the 1st 5 year plan?
- Increase production by 300%
- Develop heavy industry
- Boost electricity production by 600%
- Double light industry output like chemicals
How successful was the 1st 5 year plan? + why
- Electricitytrebeled
- Coal and Iron doubled, Steel increase by 1/3
- Enthusiastic response
- Stalin claimed that targets were met in 4 years though none of the major targets were actually met
+Too few workers and they were not skilled enough
+Smaller firms lost out vs larger
What were goals of the 2nd 5 year plan?
- Continue heavy industry
- Emphasis on light industries like chemicals
- Develop communication between cities
- Boost engineering and tool-making
How successful was the 2nd 5 year plan?
- Had some success; Moscow Metro 1935, Volga canal 1937
- Electricity production and chemical industries grew
- 1936 there was a shift to focus on rearmament which rose 4% of GDP in 1933 to 17.5% by 1937
- 1937 Soviet unionwas virtually self-sufficient
BUT
- Oil production failed to meet targets
- No increase in consumer goods
- Emphasis on quality not quantity
What were goals of the 3rd 5 year plan?
- Focus on heavy industry
- Promote rapid rearmament
- Complete transition to Communism
How successful was the 3rd 5 year plan? +
+ what did rearmament cause?
++ what was the biggest cause of problems x2
- Heavy industry was the main proponent for change
- Lots of resources were diverted to rearmament; spending doubled between 1938-1940
+ Other areas like oil and steel production stagnated
+ Consumer goods also relegated
++ Lack of good leaders and specialists after Stalin’s purge
++Plan had to end early after the invasion in 1941
Stage 1 of Collectivisation
1929-1930
Stage 2 of Collectivisation
1930-1941
What happened to the Kulaks in Stage 1 and why?
+ what was it also designed to do?
Stalin thought that the lower than expected grain harvest had been caused by the Kulaks which led to their ‘annihilation’
- Kulaks said to represent 4% but 15% of households were destroyed
- 150,000 were forced ro move North
+ Awful treatment was to frighten the poor into collectivisation
Why was voluntary collectivisation allowed?
The speed of collectivisation caused hostility so voluntary collectivisation was permitted until after the harvest
What % of households were collectivised by March 1930?
March 1930 58%
