Chapter 22 Flashcards
Economic and social developments
What were the USSR’s severe economic strains following World War Two?
70% of industrial capacity was destroyed, the USSR faced a huge defence budget, Lease-Land Act was ended
What aid did Stalin notably refuse in 1947 and what two bodies did he introduce instead?
He refused US Marshall Aid, and instead established the Cominform and Comecon
What was the Cominform?
The Communist information bureau (1947) which aimed to couter Western propaganda
What was the Comecon?
The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (1949) to coordinate the economic growth of the Soviet bloc
What were the aims of the Fourth Five Year Plan, 1946-50? - Heavy Industry
To ‘catch up’ with the USA, to rebuild heavy industry and transport, to revive the Ukraine
What were the results of the Fourth Five Year Plan, 1946-50? - Heavy Industry
The USSR became 2nd to the USA in industrial capacity, most targets in heavy industry met, workforce increased to 77 million, industrially stronger than pre-war
What were the aims of the Fifth Five Year Plan, 1951-55? - Heavy Industry
Continuation of development of heavy industry and transport, consumer goods and housing investment (Malenkov)
What were the results of the Fifth Five Year Plan, 1951-55? - Heavy Industry
Most growth targets were met, national income increased 71%, Malenkov lost leadership in 1955
What were some of the issues of the Stalinist system by 1953?
Ministers of Moscow set different industrial targets for each enterprise, too few administrators, enterprises were judged solely on their output targets, resources were not efficiently used
What were Khrushchev’s most crucial decentralisation developments?
Sixty Moscow ministries were abolished and the USSR was divided into 105 economic regions, with their own councils
What were Khrushchev’s shifting priorities from heavy industry to modern industry?
Vast expansion of chemicals industry, housing factories to produce prefabricated sections for new flats, increased production of consumer goods, greater exploitation of USSR’s resources
In terms of transport, how had this changed under Khrushchev?
Many railway lines were electrified and were expanded, as was air transport (now including passenger travel)
How had space travel changed under Khrushchev?
The USSR launched the first artificial satellite (Sputnik) and took a dog, Laika, into orbit, and Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space
How much had coal output changed from 1955 to 1965?
It changed from 361 million tons to 578 million tons
What were the most obvious weaknesses of Khrushchev’s modernisation techniques?
Heavy spending on armaments and the space race distorted the economy, especially as the USSR could not surpass the USA’s economy
What was the economic growth of consumer industries in 1964?
2%
Why was Stalin’s agriculture in a desperate state following the war?
Only a third of farms were left operational due to the scorched earth policy, 1946 had the worst drought since 1891 and many animals were destroyed
What were the aims of the Fourth Five Year Plans, 1946-50? - Agriculture
To force the kolkhozes to deliver agricultural products, to revive the wheat fields of the Ukraine
What were the results of the Fourth Five Year Plans, 1946-50? - Agriculture
State procured 70% of harvest, output off kolkhozes increased, incentives remained low, lagged behind industry, agricultural theories were inaccurate
What were the aims of the Fifth Five Year Plans, 1951-55? - Agriculture?
Continuation of the Fourth Five Year Plan’s aims plus Khrushchev’s initiative to develop ‘virgin lands’ and build ‘agrocities’ from 1953
What were the results of the Fifth Five Year Plans, 1951-55? - Agriculture
Agricultural production still behind industry, not yet to level of 1940
How did Khrushchev criticise Stalin’s agricultural policies in 1953?
He critiqued Stalin’s encouragement of particular farming methods as counter-productive and scientifically dubious
What incentives were introduced to incentivise peasants to produce more?
The price paid for grain was raised, state procurement quotas were reduced, taxes were reduced, quotas on private plots were cut, collectives set their own targets
What other agricultural changes were designed to increase production?
Increase in the number of farms connected to the energy grid, 1962 campaign for more chemical fertiliser, increasing use of farm machinery, encouragement to merge collectives
What was the Virgin Lands Scheme?
Khrushchev launched a campaign for western Siberia and northern Kazakhstan to be cultivated and settled on, with 35.9 million hectares being ploughed for wheat
Why was the Virgin Lands Scheme less successful than initially appearing to be?
Climatic conditions had not been taken into control, land was worked too intensively, soil rapidly became infertile, bad harvest in 1963
What were some of the weaknesses of Khrushchev’s other agricultural schemes?
Failed to encourage peasants to put more effort into their work, state officials kept altering prices, farm management reduced worker output, over-enthusiasm of local management
What was social change like under Stalin?
Peasants lived at 20% of the wage of an industrial worker, poor diets and scarce housing and services, working week at wartime levels
How were women affected by social change under Stalin?
Women were expected to make up for the war effort and represented a third of all workers
What wiped out savings in 1947?
A 90% devaluation of the rouble
What kind of consumer goods became more widely available under Khrushchev?
Radios, televisions, sewing machines and refrigerators
How did taxation change under Khrushchev?
In 1958, compulsory voluntary subscriptions to the state were abolished, and both the bachelor and childless taxes were removed
How were workers affected by Khrushchev’s social change?
Hours of work were reduced (40 hour week), wage equalisation campaign, more responsibilities of trade unions, widely available education
What were the limitations to Khrushchev’s social changes?
Privileges such as non-wage payments, commodities, healthcare and holidays still existed, cars were only available for elites, significantly lower living standards than other countries
What kind of social restrictions were lifted under Khrushchev?
Restrictions on the reading of foreign literature, listening to foreign radio, travel abroad, televisions and sports were lifted
How were the youth were greatly affected by these cultural changes?
They were more Westernised and introduced to different dress and music such as jeans, rock and roll, jazz, make-up, greased hair, slang and movies
What is the name of the author who enjoyed the freedoms of cultural changes, writing ‘Not by bread alone’ in 1956?
Vladmir Dudinstev
Why did artists not enjoy complete cultural freedom?
Khrushchev’s own tastes were quite conservative as he disliked Modernism and works that outright challenged Communism or the Soviet State were outlawed
Which author and book sparked intense scrutiny in the USSR, forcing the book to be published elsewhere?
Boris Pasternak, ‘Dr Zhivago’
How did atheism play a greater role in society under Khrushchev?
It was on the school curriculum and all other religions were forbidden, children were banned from church services
How much were Orthodox churches reduced by from 1959 to 1965?
From 22,000 to even under 8,000 by 1965
What did the 22nd Party Congress of 1961 state about ethnic minorities?
It stated that the ultimate aim was for ethnic distinctions to disappear and for a single common language to be adopted
