Chapter 3: Economic And Social Developments Flashcards
The state of agriculture when Khrushchev came to power ?
- there were fewer animals in the USSR than before the revolution
-farmers income was far to low because of the low state procurements prices
-productivity was very low
-high taxes on farmers were a disincentive to progress
-there was a historical lack of investment and innovation
-famine was not a distant memory in the minds of peasantry
What were Khrushchev aims for agriculture ?
-increase the process paid to collective farms (Kolkhozes) for their agriculture products
-open up new crop-growing regions (the virgin land scheme)
-introduce crop changes such as maize to feed livestock, increase butter and milk production
What was partial decentralisation ?
It was Khrushchev implementation of his agricultural reforms into the hands of local party organisations
What did Khrushchev focus on within agriculture?
-cultivating land through virgin land scheme
-raising prices that the state paid for agriculture products
-reducing procurement quotas so the kolkhozniks had incentive to produce more
-quota on kolkhozniks private plot were cut so money produced would to straight to the household
-increasing production machinery and fertilizers
-encouraging collective farms to join together to create state farms
-urban dwellers no longer allowed to keep cattle
Why was agriculture a pressing priority for Khrushchev ?
-there was a lack of historical investment and innovations, farmer were losing income and had to pay high taxes.
- feared that the USSR will not become self sufficient which could lead to have to trade with the west
How did Khrushchev aims for agriculture fit with what he focused on his reforms ?
-he cultivates land for his new virgin land scheme and wanted to increase pay for farmers by cutting their taxes down
What problem might Khrushchev experience in trying to implement his agriculture reforms ?
-many urban dwellers could no longer cattle leaving 12.5 million families affected
-decentralisation and encouraging collective farms created tension with the state of communism
What was the virgin land scheme ?
-it was designed to utilise new land for agriculture production by transforming the land into arable pasture
When was the virgin land scheme implemented ?
August 1954
How many people joined the virgin land scheme
Around 1.7 million
How many Komsomol took part of the virgin land scheme ?
300,000
By 1956 how much grain was produced ?
-more than 125 million tons of grain grown the largest yearly production to soviet union witnessed
What were the failure of the virgin land scheme ?
-lack of detailed planning
-20% of all soviet investment in agriculture
- the 1963 harvest was so poor that grain had to be imported form the west highlighting the short term success
-each harvest was unpredictable
-living condition for the ones who cultivated land were very poor
-not enough machinery
-the dry land conditions in Kazakhstan were not favourable for grain production and soil erosion cause problems
What were the successes of the virgin land scheme ?
-grain production increased to 125 million in the 1950s
-land brought under cultivation increased by 40 m of headquarters
What was the role of Komsomol ?
They were union Leninist young communist league members who were to cultivate land
The successes of Khrushchev agriculture policies ?
-raising the prices that the state paid for agriculture products produced a rapid increase in production
-taxes were reduced and collective farmers has their own autonomy
-increase in average wages in the kolkoz of 68% from 1915 to 1958
-by 1956 virgin land scheme contribute over 50% total grain harvest for the USSR
Failures of Khrushchev agriculture reforms ?
- the virgin land scheme was a waste of land power and land because only 1/6 of maize was harvested
-production pressures led to massive frauds
-prices offered were often less than the cost of production
-wages remained so low that farmers put more efforts into their private plots
-closing of MTS led to lack of storage space and farmers lacked expertise to maintain machinery
What led to the 1962 protests in novocherkassk ?
-rioters broke into the city soviet HQ due to the shortages which caused the government to raise prices
-this resulted into shooting dead of 24 people
What were procurements prices ?
The prices paid by the government goods
How much of the USSR agriculture produce came from private plots ?
30%
How much cultivated land was made up of private plots ?
3%
How was the soviet industry i the 1950s ?
-industry heavy based on mines and coals
-east lacking industries
-soviet industry had been dominating by heavy industry
-planned economy had inherited problem high production focused on high quantity not quality
-wasted potential lots of coals and lignite not yet discovered or mined
-lack of focus on consumer goods and light industries
What were Khrushchev aims within industry ?
-he wanted to lessen dependence on heavy industry and give greater prominence to light engineering and chemicals
-wanted to see the administrative systems streamlined and decentrlaised
- catch up and overtake the waste within a few years
-reorganisation of industry structure and management
What successes where in Khrushchev aims ?
-lead in space technology and missile programme
-introduced policies with remarkable vigour and enthusiasm
-shift to consumer industry
What failure were in Khrushchev aims ?
-USSR still highly committed to military development
-fifth plan year developed to seven plan year in 1959 but began actual performance in 1965
What were Khrushchev reforms ?
- seven year plan light industry and production of consumers goods were supposed to grow faster than heavy industry
-planned economy
-wanted to improve the sovnarkazy efficiency of soviet industry by decentralising economic control down to regional level
What were the success of industrial policies ?
-the industrial sector performed better than then agriculture sector
-in 1956 the minimum wage was introduced
-production levels increased
- increase number of consumer goods by 1960, 50% of households has a TV and a washing machine
-impressive achievement in transport, diesel trains were added and many miles of track were electrified
- increased number rates for light industry
What were the failures of Khrushchev industrial policies ?
-heavy industry carried on outpacing production of consumer goods meaning consumer goods were very bad quality
-the implementation of a central planning was far to complex of a task
-products based on quantity rather quality e.g many new apartment lacked running water or lifts and there remained a serious housing shortage
-managers remained fearful of innovation therefore new production methods were not introduced for fear of disrupting production
-production was wasteful
What were the failures of industry ?
- central planning worked well for heavy industry production so it didn’t work when it shifted to benefit light industry
-central planning was inherited conservative therefore lacked innovation
-state and party officials were also to powerful to allow investment to be moved from them to consumer product
What was the name of the state planning agency which was originally created in the 1920s and decided on the 5 and 7 year plan ?
Gosplan
What were Khrushchev successes within social reforms ?
-millions of new prefabricated apartment blocks were built know as khrushchyovka
- income rose by around 30% between 1960 and 1964
-there were big increase in pension and social security benefits
-introduction of minimum wage, shorter hours, longer holiday and maternity leave
-pay rise for farm workers
-absence of work was no longer a criminal offence
-all students were provided with work experience opportunities
What were Khrushchev negatives within social reform ?
-new apartments were low quality, hastily built and sometimes unsafe
-pay rises for farm workers came at cost the state farms often reduced the amount of land that workers had for their crops which they used ti live on and to sell for cash
What was the cultural Thaw ?
It was a period from the mid 1950s when repression and censorship in the soviet union were eased under the party leader Khrushchev
Why was the thaw introduced and how it would be achieved ?
-This was designed to get the regime some basis of popular consent rather than relaying on blind obedience
- achieved by partly improving living standards and allowing more freedom to citizens
What was the term the thaw inspired by ?
Inspired by a book published by Ilays Ehrenburh in 1954 after Stalin deaths the thaw which reflected a loosening of control after Stalin deaths
What was the wider social and cultural impact of the thaw ?
- citizens could get access to wider range of foreign literature and films
-listen to foreign radio stations and famous artist
-sixth world festivals, new fashion movement
What was the long lasting consequence of the thaw on the communist party ?
-A break down in the communist party as having less restriction would lead to the spread of anti communist ideas
Why do you think Khrushchev wanted to oversee a period of liberalisation ?
-due to the lack of freedom rights many people didn’t have the desire to travel to the USSR
-people demanding change specially during rehabilitation period
-it made him look good as a leader, a leader for the people
Supports the idea of the thaw ?
-writers were allowed to publish books that were critical of Stalinism e.g Alexander Solzhenitsyn
-more freedom of expression in art,comedy and music
-had access to foreign books, radio and films
-Moscow hosted the sixth world festival 1957
-foreigners were allowed to visit the USSR
Challenges the idea of the thaw ?
-writes classified as dissidents because they were too outspoken against the regime were harassed and imprisoned
-the party spoke out strong against what it saw as the import into the USSR of degenerate western behaviour
-Pasternak and Zhivago was banned and condemned as a weed on soviet soil and prevented from travelling abroad
-Russian Jews were barred from emigrating to Israel
- conservative Stalinist elite after the secret speech started to attempt to take him out of the leadership role
What was intention sixth world festival ?
A festival intended of impressing young people from capitalist countries by what the USSR was trying to achieve for its youth in contrast to the inequalities and individualism of their own countries
Who was Ilya Ehrenburg ?
- published the thaws in 1954 which became linked with Khrushchev period of social reform as a reflection of desalinisation
Who was Solzhenitsyn?
- published a graphic account about prisoners in concentration camps during Stalin era
What were the political consequences of the Thaw
-part spoke out strongly against western behaviour particularly in youth culture
-communist party was enrage by Khrushchev speech in 1956 and rejected Khrushchev de stalinsation and liberation of Soviet society
-uprising in satellite state e.g 1953 East Germany, 1956 Poland and Hungary revolts
How were soviet people affected by the thaw ?
-less restitution and improve living standards
-culture increased and also did foreign literature, music and western dress in 1960s
-high amounts of housing however they were low quality and unsafe
-censorship and restrictions in immigration and publications
Who wrote Dr Zhivago and what was the significance of it ?
- wrote a critical book about Stalin
-significant because it was first of a kind and later banned
-Boris Pasernack was the author
Who wrote one day in the life of Ivan denisovitch and what was this book about ?
-Alexander Solzhenitsyn
-a prisoner in the concentration camps and what he went through
-great influence in the western
Hoe many people moved into new housing between 1955 and 1956 ?
108 million
When and where was the sixth form world festival of youth ?
Moscow 1957
