Changes In Industry

Question 1

What were Stalin and the Communist Party’s main goals for industrialisation?

Answer 1

To build a strong, modern economy and defend the USSR from enemies through state-organised industrialisation.

Question 2

What were Stalin’s ideological reasons for industrialisation?

Answer 2

Marxism taught that socialism required an industrial working class
The USSR had to industrialise to become a proper socialist state

Question 3

What were Stalin’s political reasons?

Answer 3

NEP had caused industrial stagnation
Stalin’s rival Bukharin supported NEP
Stalin used problems under NEP (like the scissors crisis) to push for rapid industrialisation and weaken Bukharin

Question 4

What was the scissors crisis?

Answer 4

As food prices dropped, peasants had less money to buy goods
Industrial goods had no market, so production could not grow

Question 5

What was Gosplan and its role?

Answer 5

Gosplan was the State Planning Committee
It was responsible for setting industrial targets and planning the Five-Year Plans

Question 6

What was the overall plan for industry from 1928 to 1937?

Answer 6

Set up 5,000 new factories
Focused on heavy industries like steel-making, engineering, and chemicals

Question 7

What were the pressures faced by workers and managers?

Answer 7

Faced enormous pressure to meet quotas
Emphasis on quantity over quality

Question 8

What was the reward for meeting targets?

Answer 8

Higher wages and other benefits for those who met or exceeded goals

Question 9

What did the First Five-Year Plan (1928–32) focus on?

Answer 9

Heavy industry (e.g., coal, iron, steel)
Laying the foundation for future growth

Question 10

What did the Second Five-Year Plan (1933–37) focus on?

Answer 10

Still heavy industry, but with more efficiency
Some growth in consumer goods

Question 11

What did the Third Five-Year Plan (1938–41) focus on?

Answer 11

Military production
Improvements in education

Question 12

Why was planning difficult for Gosplan?

Answer 12

Complexity of coordinating a huge economy
False production figures were often reported
Targets became unrealistic

Question 13

Who was Aleksey Stakhanov?

Answer 13

A coal miner who reportedly mined 14 times his quota in a single shift
Became a Soviet propaganda hero

Question 14

What was the purpose of the Stakhanovite movement?

Answer 14

To encourage all workers to over-fulfil targets
Help achieve the Five-Year Plans ahead of schedule

Question 15

Was Stakhanov’s feat real?

Answer 15

Mostly a myth — he had lots of help
It was a propaganda stunt

Question 16

What were the effects of the movement?

Answer 16

Mixed results
Some managers who resisted it were purged
Ordinary workers resented it because it made it harder to live and earn decent wages

Question 17

What was the overall impact of industrialisation under the Five-Year Plans?

Answer 17

Massive growth in Soviet industry
But production was often low quality, inefficient, and ignored consumer needs

Question 18

What was the increase in coal production from 1928 to 1936?

Answer 18

1928: 35.4 million tonnes
1936: 64.3 million tonnes

Question 19

What was the increase in iron production from 1928 to 1936?

Answer 19

1928: 3.3 million tonnes
1936: 6.2 million tonnes

Question 20

What was the increase in steel production from 1928 to 1936?

Answer 20

1928: 4.0 million tonnes
1936: 13.4 million tonnes

Question 21

What was the increase in electricity production from 1928 to 1936?

Answer 21

1928: 5.0 billion kilowatts
1936: 24.4 billion kilowatts

Question 22

What labour issue was associated with industrial production?

Answer 22

Some production relied on slave labour from Gulags

Question 23

What were factory conditions like?

Answer 23

Often dangerous and unsafe

Question 24

Did people’s living conditions improve?

Answer 24

Many lived in tents and queued for basic goods
Consumer shortages were widespread

Question 25

How did targets affect product quality?

Answer 25

Focus on quantity over quality Many products broke easily

Question 26

How did Soviet productivity compare internationally?

Answer 26

Lower than other industrialised countries

Question 27

What organisational issues existed?

Answer 27

Inefficient techniques, poor communication, and lack of transport created confusion and waste

Question 28

Why couldn’t the government trust industrial data?

Answer 28

Targets were unrealistic Managers lied about production or submitted false figures

Question 29

What was achieved in terms of national development?

Answer 29

The USSR became a fully industrialised nation

Question 30

How did industrialisation help in World War II?

Answer 30

Increased arms production helped the USSR resist the German invasion

Question 31

How did raw materials and infrastructure improve?

Answer 31

Raw material supply increased New towns and cities like Magnitogorsk were built

Question 32

What was the impact on employment?

Answer 32

No unemployment Huge new factories and industrial complexes created work

Question 33

How did industrialisation affect political support?

Answer 33

The Communist Party gained more support from industrial workers than from rural peasants

Question 34

What did Stalin claim industrialisation had achieved?

Answer 34

“We are becoming a country of metal, cars and tractors.” — Stalin

Question 35

How did industrialisation change Soviet society?

Answer 35

The USSR became increasingly urban Millions moved from countryside to cities Industrialisation was state-directed and organised

Question 36

What long-term problems were caused by rapid industrialisation?

Answer 36

Raw materials didn’t arrive on time Lack of spare parts for repairs Targets led to lying about production or creating poor quality goods Managers faced constantly changing expectations