4.2 Changes in Industry under Stalin

Question 1

Why was industrialisation important for Stalin?

Answer 1

Stalin and the Communist Party wanted and industrialised USSR for ideologicals reasons and to defend the Soviet Union against enemies.

Question 2

What were the three different motives behind introducing industrialisation?

Answer 2

1. Ideological motives.
2. (Stalin’s) political motives
3. Industrial stagnation under NEP.

Question 3

What were the ‘Ideological motives’ behind industrialisation?

Answer 3

Marxism taught that socialist countries would be industrialised countries, with industry under the control of the workers - the USSR needed to follow this.

Question 4

What were Stalin’s political motives behind industrialisation?

Answer 4

Bukharin, who was Stalin’s rival, supported the NEP and was against the idea of rapid industrialisation. Since problems began to increase under NEP, Stalin used the opportunity to undermine Bukharin by arguing FOR rapid industrialisation.

Also, during the power struggle, first Trotsky then Kamenev and Zinoviev had criticised the slow pace of industrialisation. By leading on it, Stalin could undermine any support they had.

Question 5

What was the ‘scissors crisis’?

Answer 5

As food prices dropped, peasants had less money to buy manufactured goods (and prices were rising). Industrial production could not grow without a market.

Question 6

When was the New Economic Policy implemented?

Answer 6

1921

Question 7

What were the reasons for the implementation of the NEP?

Answer 7

1. The disastrous economic consequences of War communism.

2. The political opposition caused by War communism.

Question 8

What were the failures of the NEP?

Answer 8

Along with agricultural production problems, industrial production was failing to increase with sufficient speed. The ‘scissors crisis’ in 19.. suggested that the NEP was never going to be able to to pay for industrialisation at the pace the communist leadership wanted. Maybe if Stalin had compromised with the peasants - by allowing more time for the economy to grow - this might have turned out differently.

Question 9

What were the economic effects of the NEP?

Answer 9

1. Agricultural production increased as peasants began to produce more. Grain production in 1921 was 37 million tonnes and by 1923 it was 56 million tonnes (although it had been 80 million tonnes in 1913).
2. Industrial growth increased but more slowly. The shortage of industrial products kept them expensive while food became cheaper. This was called the ?scissors crisis?. It meant peasants stopped producing so much food, leading to fears of more famine. The government cut prices for industrial products.
3. Some traders (NEP-men, NEP-women) made profits from the shortages of food and manufactured goods. Wealthier peasants also did well as they had the most surplus produce to sell, but this let to inequality within the USSR, which was not socialist.

Question 10

How did people react to the NEP?

Answer 10

The NEP had been POPULAR with peasants and traders. Although wealthier peasants did best from the NEP, all peasants preferred the freedom to sell what they wanted rather than see the state requisition almost everything they produced.
However…Many Communist Party members DID NOT like the NEP as it was a backwards step that seemed to bring capitalism back to the USSR. It also gave the peasants what they wanted at the expense of the workers.

Question 11

What was Gosplan?

Answer 11

Gosplan was the State Planning Committee. Its job was to take the general aims of the communist leadership and turn them into specific goals for key industries to meet.

Question 12

When was the Gosplan set up?

Answer 12

The first ever state planning organisation was set up in 1920.
In 1923, it was given the job of coordinating the industrial plans of the different soviet republics.

Question 13

What had the Gosplan achieved?

Answer 13

From 1928, it was gosplan that set and supervised the targets that factory managers and workers had to achieve across the whole of the Soviet Union. Under Gosplan, 5000 new factories were established between 1928 and 1937.

Question 14

Why did Stalin launch the Five-Year Plans?

Answer 14

They were detailed plans set out to modernise the Soviet Union at a rapid speed. Each plan had set targets for different industries and so a lot of pressure had been put on managers and wokers to meet targets.

Question 15

What were the dates and aims of the first Five-Year Plan?

Answer 15

First Five-Year Plan (1928-32)

1.Increase output of heavy industries such as coal, iron, steel, engineering and chemicals.

Question 16

What were the dates and aims of the second Five-Year Plan?

Answer 16

Second Five-Year Plan (1933-37)

1. Increase output of heavy industries such as coal, iron, steel, engineering and chemicals.
2. Greater efficiency and better use of resources. 3.Make some customer goods.

Question 17

What were the dates and aims of the third Five-Year Plan?

Answer 17

Third Five-Year Plan (1938-41)

1.Improvements to education. 2.Make more military equipment.

Question 18

What caused the Stakhanovite Movement?

Answer 18

Aleksey Stakhanovite was the son of a peasant who worked in the coal mines of Eastern Ukraine. It was recorded that on the night of 31 August 1935, he had mined a record 102 tonnes of coal in less than 6 hours - which was 14 times his quota. This had started the movement, in which workers across the Soviet Union were encouraged to copy Stakhanovite and over fulfil targets.

Question 19

What was later discovered about the Stakhanovite Movement?

Answer 19

It was later found that the whole thing was a set up; Aleksey had assistants and equipment.

Question 20

Did the Stakhanovite Movement have only positive effects?

Answer 20

No, soon many workers came to resent the movement. Stakhanovites started becoming a cause of disruption instead and so mine and factory managers spent a lot of time dealing with them. Stakhanovites were sometimes murdered by fellow workers.

Question 21

Give an example of how Coal production increased.

Answer 21

Coal production increased by 28.9m tonnes (1928-37)

Question 22

How did industrialisation affect the growth in industry?

Answer 22

Industrialisation through the 5-Year Plans increased the quantity of production in the Soviet Union, but the products and processes were low quality, inefficient and ignored the consumer.

Question 23

Give an example of how iron production increased.

Answer 23

Iron production increased by 2.9m tonnes (1928-37)

Question 24

How did oil and electricity production increase?

Answer 24

Oil production increased by 9.7m tonnes and Electricity production increased by 8.4billion kilowatts

Question 25

What were the seven successes of industrialisation?

Answer 25

1. The USSR had been transformed into a fully industrialised nation from a peasant country.
2. Increase in production of arms helped eventually to repel the German invasion during the second world war.
3. Supply of raw materials increased.
4. New towns and cities, such as Magnitogorsk were built.
5. There was no unemployment.
6. Huge new factories and industrial complexes were built.
7. The Communist Party had more support from industrial workers than from rural peasants.

Question 26

What were the seven failures of industialisation?

Answer 26

1. Some production depended on slave labour from the gulags.
2. Factory conditions were often dangerous.
3. Living conditions for some did not improve with many living in tents and having to queue for basic items because of a shortage of consumer goods.
4. Targets meant quality was compromised and many goods broke easily.
5. Productivity was low compared with other industrialised countries.
6. There was waste and confusion because of inefficient production techniques and lack of communication and supporting transport.
7. Targets were set low or missed targets were overlooked - factory managers could not be trusted to give accurate figures.