Developments in towns and cities

Question 1

Why was Gosplan’s job difficult

Answer 1

Regional parties competed to put forward the most ambitious targets, failure to achieve a target was criminal offence so faulty reporting built into system from outset.

Question 2

Result of first FYP

Answer 2

Claimed that results had been met in 4 years rather than 5, reality none of major targets were met but there was growth, electricity trebled, coal and iron doubled, but consumer and light industries very neglected.

Question 3

Date and aims of the second FYP

Answer 3

1933-1937, aims to continue heavy industry development, promote light industry, develop communications and foster engineering.

Question 4

Success of second FYP

Answer 4

Some success during the ‘three good years’ 34-36, metro opened 35, Volga canal 1937, Dnieprostroi dam finished 32 but extended, good growth in most industries, by 37 virtually self-sufficient, however oil targets not met, no increase in consumer goods and emphasis on quantity not quality.

Question 5

Change in economic focus from 1936

Answer 5

On rearmament, rose from 4% GDP in 1933 to 17% in 1937, secret workshops devoted to weapons in each industrial complex provided almost half though, arming at the cost of consumer targets.

Question 6

Stats for coal production

Answer 6

First target 75m tonnes, actually got 64.4, second target 152.5, got 128.

Question 7

Third FYP dates and targets

Answer 7

1938-1942, focus on defence because threat of Nazi Germany, emphasis on heavy industry, rapid rearmament, complete the transition to communism.

Question 8

Success of the third FYP

Answer 8

Strong growth in machinery and heavy industry, however increasingly diverted resources to military spending doubled 1938-40, mean fuel crisis and lack of raw materials, purges mean no good managers etc., hard winter 1938, plan disrupted 1941 so basically a failure.

Question 9

Major industrial projects

Answer 9

Dnieprostroi dam built 1927-1932, one of largest power plants in the world.
Turksib, railway connecting central asia and siberia, political reasons, opened 1929.
Moscow metro opened 1935.
Moscow-Volga canal finished 1937 used c200 000 prisoners to build.
Magnitogorsk, town of 150 000 people.
Komsomolsk an industrial centre largely build from volunteer and penal labour.

Question 10

Use of foreigners in industry

Answer 10

Needed advice e.g. Henry Ford give car advice, dam built using Canadian inspiration and American engineers who were awarded ‘order of the red banner of labour’, British help with metro, however easy scapegoats, numerous Britons arrested because had knowledge of the city.

Question 11

Stakhanovite

Answer 11

1935 cut 102 tonnes of coal in under 6 hours, you know.

Question 12

Difficulties of managers

Answer 12

You know common sense, from 1936 factories had to pay for own fuel, materials, labour etc. from profits.

Question 13

Workers

Answer 13

You know, everything illegal, 1938 labour books like passports recorded employment, skills and issues, opportunities for learning meant some good, 1931 wage differentials, and purges reduced numbers at top so social mobility, being 20 mins late became a criminal offence.

Question 14

Wages in second FYP

Answer 14

Real wages did increase but still lower than in 1928, rationing phased out from 1935.

Question 15

Example of forced labour project

Answer 15

Belomor Canal built almost entirely by manual labour, reached c300 000 at peak, death rate 700 per day, average survival rate 2 years.

Question 16

Women in workforce before war

Answer 16

Needed women because all available labour, you know, by 1935 42% of workforce, but paid on average 40% less, encouraged women into technical training and even allowed into management positions.

Question 17

Growth between 1929 and 1940

Answer 17

Grew around 5 to 6% each year, impressive.