Chapter 6: Economic And Social Policies And Problems Under Brezhnev

Question 1

How did Brezhnev go about reversing some of Khrushchev reforms in his early days in office?

Answer 1

-returned all privileges to burrecrats
-increased repression
-rid of schemes and centralisation into Moscow
- foreign writers could still write but not against the Soviet Union

Question 2

What was the nomenklatura system ?

Answer 2

A system of elite class from burrecrats where they enjoyed from privileges such as holiday home

Question 3

What evidence is there that there was stagnation in Brezhnev early reforms ?

Answer 3

• no reforms in agriculture
  -nomenklatura system as a symbol of status
• economic stagnation

Question 4

What was the state of the soviet economy by 1964?

Answer 4

-failed to make light industry dominating
-flowed back into Stalinism command economy
-poor quality due to economy being measure by output rather than quality
-failed to become self-sufficient
-military spending absorbed most of soviet economy

Question 5

The state of agriculture by 1964?

Answer 5

-virgin land scheme failed to cultivate any land
-wasted investment and instead failed to grow any crop in new land cultivated
-only 30% of productivity came from the cultivation of virgin land scheme
-farmers only focused on their own plots
-in wider collective farm there was unproductively due to self -interest

Question 6

The state of the industry by 1964?

Answer 6

-wanted to decentralised the economy
-7 year plan in the long term failed
-failed to move from heavy industry to light industry
- heavy industry kept to dominate therefore standards of living decreasing

Question 7

How did the Brezhnev faction (nomenklatura) differ from the Kosygin faction ?

Answer 7

-Brezhnev represented the interest of the bureaucracy and party ideology meaning they didn’t want the party to lose control over enterprise and their workers. They feared capitalism

Question 8

How did the Kosygin faction (reformist) differ from Brezhnev faction?

Answer 8

-on the other hand Kosygin argued that giving more independence to factories and other enterprise would free the economy from problems caused by central planning.

Question 9

What reforms did Kosygin input ?

Answer 9

-the number of targets that enterprise had to meet were reduced and some targets were set for the number of products sold rather than the number produced
-individual manager could have more autonomy with decision making and and earn some of the profit
-workers would be paid due to their contribution and share in success of their company

Question 10

Success of the Kosygin reforms ?

Answer 10

-by 1967 labour productivity increased and 15% of enterprise in 17 branches of industry worked in new conditions
-unemployment was almost unknown
- there was maximisation of investment and meeting targets

Question 11

Failures of Kosygin reforms ?

Answer 11

• even though it successfully increased productivity it didn’t hit the reforms targets
  -there was concerns/pressure coming from the burrecrats of losing power due to autonomy of managers
  -there was blacklash against the reforms in the USSR which damaged Kosygin

Question 12

Why was Brezhnev criticised at the start of his economic reforms ?

Answer 12

He was criticised for bringing back over a regime of complacency and mis-management that allowed for the economy to slowdown and stagnate making the collapse inevitable

Question 13

How did the soviet economy act as a barrier for reform?

Answer 13

-The centrally planned economy restricted progress, causing conflicts between managers who were prepared to innovate and conservative bureaucrats who had their own responsibility doe ensuring quantitative plan targets
- central planning not taking account of regional and local needs
-lack of incentives towards workers
- didn’t take account ant fluctuations of demand
- prices were set to low with the result that these important industries operated at a loss

Question 14

What were some successes of Brezhnev agricultural reforms ?

Answer 14

• the tenth five year plan announced an increase in investment from almost nothing to 16% and Brezhnev increased it to 27%
  -prices for agriculture products were increased which meant higher wages for farm workers
  -peasant were giving internal passport allowing them to move home and become eligible for social security benefits

Question 15

What were the failures of Brezhnev agriculture reform ?

Answer 15

• the need to keep food price lows to avoid rebellion led to making agriculture a burden to the economy
  -worker productive in low collective farms was low
• farmer put more effort into their own private plots
  -consumer goods were less likely to be available in the countryside

Question 16

Success of defence spending ?

Answer 16

• military increased five fold between 1965 and 1969 (around £42 million)
• military increased eight fold by 1982 and 15% of the GDP was spent on it
  -powerful reputation as they were able to compete with the USA

Question 17

Failures of defence spending ?

Answer 17

• Brezhnev announced that without many military spending there would of been more development on the economy
• there was strain on the economy

Question 18

What evidence is there that there was stagnation in Brezhnev early reforms?

Answer 18

Brezhnev sided with the burrecrats and put his trust in the cadres

Question 19

What reason explain the economic slowdown in the 1970s ?

Answer 19

• genotocracy
• nomenklatura system favoured class over merit
• stagnation
• military spending increasing

Question 20

What is the GDP?

Answer 20

Gross domestic product (the income of a country)

Question 21

To what extent does social changes under Brezhnev support the ideas of stagnation in the USSR?

Answer 21

-To a certain extent this is because there was better supply of high quality goods and living conditions improved
- soviet people enjoyed virtually full employment and job security, high quality education and healthcare
- described this era as the Golden Age
-however the people didn’t challenge the government politically and security exchange therefore being lots of stagnation and inequality.

Question 22

How much did the urban population increase from 1964 to 1982?

Answer 22

It increased form 53% to 64%

Question 23

What was the problem with many of the qualified adults in education ?

Answer 23

-It became difficult for many people to advance to a level which matched their qualification
- blue collar often earned more than white collar professionals

Question 24

What were the negative trends that started to appear?

Answer 24

• life expectancy began to fall due to rise of alcohol consumption and pollution
  -birth rate in Europe started to fall to sustain a long run population
  -always shortage of agriculture labour
• lots of regional desperation

Question 25

What changes was there in employment ?

Answer 25

• soviet people enjoyed virtually full employment and job security
• higher wages and lower prices

Question 26

What changes was there in life expectancy and population ?

Answer 26

• healthcare levels for the working class were very low
  -a rise in infant mortality and a drop in life expectancy
  -men passing out due to alcohol consumption and stress related issues

Question 27

What were the living conditions for the elite ?

Answer 27

• enjoyed exclusive lifestyle in the most important cities, chauffeured cars and big flats and dachas
• there children normally attended to school and universities that had strong connection with successful carrers
  -Moscow main road had an exclusive road just for the nomenklatura

Question 28

What were the living conditions for worker ?

Answer 28

• enjoyed high quality education and health care were free radios, refrigerators and telephones were common
  -better housing
• farmer workers endures low wages
  -village school only provided a limited basic education
• many young people left to find a better live

Question 29

What changed were there in working conditions ?

Answer 29

• in 1967 the five day working became a norm
• holiday increased from 12 to 15 day
  -minimum and real wage increased
• job security was provided

Question 30

Social changes with divorce family ?

Answer 30

• high divorce rate due cramped houses and dissatisfaction of women in their domestic role
• divorce occurs due to alcohol consumption which compromised a staggering of 40-50%
• one marriage in two ended
  -high number of single raised family led to youth issues such as hooliganism and delinquency

Question 31

What were the social change with women ?

Answer 31

• in 1970s women’s formed 45% of industrial workforce
• employed in manual tasks like school teachers
• normally had lower wages
  -gained less recognition for their work

Question 32

What continuity was there with Brezhnev social era ?

Answer 32

• fall in life expectancy associated with alcohol consumption
  -problems with environmental pollution
  -decline in proportion of state budget, spent on health care hospital poorly equipped and badly run
  -infant mortality
  -disparity between towns/countryside not fully healed
• unrealisable quality of consumer goods
  -high divorce rates
  -high illegitimacy rate and youth issues
• women remained 45% of workforce but still earned less and had less pay