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EDEXCEL Russian History > 1.5a How important were economic weaknesses in bringing about the collapse of the USSR? > Flashcards

1.5a How important were economic weaknesses in bringing about the collapse of the USSR? Flashcards

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1
Q

What did the ending of the Brezhnev doctrine do?

A

Ended Russian control in Eastern Europe

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2
Q

What long-term impact did ending the Brezhnev Doctrine have on Russia?

A

Allowed them to voice their discontent and eventually split from the USSR

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3
Q

Give the 5 fundamental economic weaknesses of the Russian economy

A
  • lack of incentives
  • waste
  • failure to modernise the economy
  • the arms race
  • centralisation
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4
Q

1970
Richest 10% of US people _x wealthier than the bottom 10%
Richest 10% of USSR people _x wealthier than the bottom 10%

A

1970
Richest 10% of US people 7x wealthier than the bottom 10%
Richest 10% of USSR people 3x wealthier than the bottom 10%

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5
Q

Define egalitarian

A

believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities

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6
Q

Why was there such a lack of incentives in Russia other than the lack of consumer goods?

A

The difference between rich and poor was so small

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7
Q

In 1986, Gosplan estimated that what percentage of machinery was never actually used?

A

12%

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8
Q

By the 1980s, how many tractors had been built and how many of these were not used?

A

400,000 built

20% not used

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9
Q

What was Gosplan?

A

The department that measured and rewarded based on production

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10
Q

US farms were how many times more productive than USSR farms?

A

6 times

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11
Q

Why did the USSR fail to modernise?

A

They lacked the funding and subsequently the modern technology

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12
Q

What did the lack of modern storage facilities cause in the USSR?

A

Much food went off through rotting

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13
Q

What other part of the USSR infrastructure was severely lacking, causing low productivity and high waste?

A

Transport system

  • people late for work
  • food went off in transport
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14
Q

In 1960, what % of workers were employed on farms?

A

25.4%

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15
Q

In 1960, what % of US workers were employed on farms?

A

4.6%

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16
Q

How did centralisation cause agricultural issues?

A

The government set the timetable for planting and harvesting so farmers could not use their expertise

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17
Q

What happened as a result of central planners setting schedules for the delivery of fertilizers?

A

They often arrived at the wrong time which ruined the whole harvest

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18
Q

Why did the arms race contribute to the fundamental economic weaknesses of Russia?

A

It starved other areas that needed funding

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19
Q

Between 1965 and 1985, the proportion of Soviet GDP spent on defence rose from __% to __%

A

12% to 17%

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20
Q

From what year onwards did Russia produce ever more expensive missiles?

A

1945 onwards

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21
Q

In what year was the Novosibirsk report?

A

1983

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22
Q

What did the Novosibirsk report draw attention to?

A

The crisis caused by state inefficiency and inflexibility

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23
Q

What was Gorbachov’s very first economic reform?

A

Discipline & Acceleration

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24
Q

What was the focus of Gorbachov’s ‘Discipline & Acceleration’ reform?

A

To stop alcoholism and improve health

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25
Q

How did Gorbachov ensure his ‘Discipline & Acceleration’ reforms would be carried out?

A

Placed like-minded reformers into power

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26
Q

Which 2 reformers did Gorbachov bring in under the ‘Discipline & Acceleration’ reforms?

A

Yegor Ligachev and Nikolai Ryzhkiv

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27
Q

In the mid-1980s, what percentage of USSR household spending did alcohol make up?

A

15%

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28
Q

What 3 things did Gorbachov do to curb drinking?

A
  • raised legal drinking age to 21
  • reduced the number of places to buy alcohol
  • burned down vineyards and closed distilleries
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29
Q

By how much did the price of vodka increase after Gorbachov’s ‘Discipline & Acceleration’ reforms?

A

Tripled

30
Q

Give the 2 detrimental consequences of Gorbachov’s ‘Discipline & Acceleration’ reforms

A
  • Moonshine produced

- Reduced tax revenue and left a budget deficit

31
Q

What was the focus of the 12th FYP?

A

Science and research with particular focus on engineering

32
Q

Why was investment into construction projects under the 12th FYP an issue?

A

Had a habit of leading to extra spending which was not originally planned

33
Q

Why was the 12th FYP so unproductive in their output?

A

Productivity was low because of out-of-date technology that was prone to breaking down

34
Q

Why did the government stop additional agricultural spending during the 12th FYP?

A

Agriculture was swallowing up vast amounts of money with no change in output

35
Q

Why was there no increase in consumer good production under the 12th FYP?

A

Focus still on quantity rather than quality

36
Q

What was the main issue with the 12th FYP?

A

There was much party opposition to change

37
Q

What were ‘superministries’? (12th FYP)

A

An organisation who tried to increase coordination and reduce waste

38
Q

What was the problem with superministries? (12th FYP)

A

They were run by those in the positions the reforms were trying to get rid of

39
Q

What other group opposed the changes made by the 12th FYP?

A

The military

40
Q

Why did defence spending have to be increased under the 12th FYP?

A

Because of the Afghanistan war and the USA’s ‘Strategic Defence Initiative’

41
Q

Between 1982 and 1985, under the 12th FYP, the deficit of the Soviet economy rose from __% to __%

A

2.4% to 6.2%

42
Q

In what year was Perestroika introduced?

A

1987

43
Q

What did Perestroika do?

A

Introduced market mechanisms and allowed private enterprise

44
Q

Give the 3 main reforms under Perestroika

A
  • Encouragement of joint-ventures
  • Law on State Enterprises
  • Co-Operatives legalised
45
Q

How were joint ventures designed to help the economy?

A

Allowed foreign firms to establish business in the USSR and open the USSR up to modern technology

46
Q

In what year did Moscow open up its first McDonald’s?

A

1990

47
Q

What 3 things did the law on State Enterprises do?

A
  • Loosened state control over wages and the price of goods
  • Allowed elections in factory management
  • Factories given the right to produce what they wanted
48
Q

What was the aim of legalising Cooperatives?

A

Allowed small-scale enterprise

49
Q

What flourished after the legalisation of cooperatives?

A

Cafes, restaurants and small shops

50
Q

In what years did food production show a small increase in growth through Perestroika?

A

1986-1987

51
Q

What proportion of Soviet food was imported under Perestroika?

A

1/5

52
Q

Why were State Enterprises not majorly effective?

A

They were still subject to state allocation of materials

53
Q

Why did inflation occur so severely under Perestroika?

A

Foodstuffs were often diverted to cooperatives over state shops who charged a much higher price

54
Q

Who in particular did inflation from Perestroika have an impact on?

A

People like pensioners with a fixed income

55
Q

What did the success of cooperatives attract?

A

Government corruption who demanded bribes

56
Q

Why did much of the populus hoard food?

A

Due to uncertainty of there being food in state shops or not

57
Q

In 1988, food was rationed in __/55 regions in Russia

A

26/55

58
Q

Under Perestroika, urban wages grew by _% in 1988 and __% in 1989

A

1988 - 9%

1989 - 13%

59
Q

By the end of 1990, how many joint ventures were there?

A

3,000

60
Q

Why were the joint ventures under Perestroika not very effective

A

They were very small scale and had little impact on the economy

61
Q

Give an example of government officials sabotaging Perestroika

A

In leningrad, the city admin withdrew all sausages and buried them

62
Q

What made the economy even worse under Perestroika?

A

Reduction in oil prices

63
Q

Oil exports made up what percentage of Soviet exports by 1984?

A

54%

64
Q

What did the government do in 1989 in an attempt to stop protests and strikes & why didn’t it work?

A

Increased wages

There was nothing to buy

65
Q

What is the final economic reform of this section?

A

The 500 Days Programme

66
Q

Why did the ‘500 Days Programme’ cause chaos?

A

It was rejected by the Soviet Government but accepted by the Russian Parliament

67
Q

What was the economic result of the ‘500 Days Programme’?

A

The economy collapsed

68
Q

What did the ‘500 Days Programme’ do?

A

Moved to a market led economy quickly

69
Q

Soviet output declined by what fraction between 1990 and 1991?

A

1/5

70
Q

What Russian word was Perestroika described as?

A

Catastroika - economic catastrophe

EDEXCEL Russian History (16 decks)

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