Economic and Social Changes (1924-41) Flashcards
1
Q
What is the policy of collectivisation?
A
- policy of collectivisation introduced by Stalin in 1928
- peasants had to give up their own small plots of land to pool their land with those of other families, making a farm large enough to use for modern machinery
- peasants would have to provide the state with a s fixed amount of produce and earn a wage for doing so
2
Q
What were Stalin’s reasons for changes in agriculture?
A
- fear of invasion (armed forced should be supplied) - multiple war scares in the late 20s
- disappointing industrial output, partly due to NEP (Stalin wanted to direct the economy and ensure rapid expansion of heavy industry to outstrip the developed nations)
- communist principles (which would also prove him to be a better leader)
- control of the people (especially the peasants as he didn’t trust them)
- Industrialisation (if 5yr plans were to successful = agriculture had to produce surpluses to be sold abroad and finance the plans)
- getting rid of kulaks (accused of being capitalists and hoarding food for their own consumption)
3
Q
Kolkhoz
A
A kolkhoz is a collective farm. Here, peasant families had to provide a fixed amount of food for the state at very low prices. The peasants could keep any surplus. The peasants had their own small private plots of land.
- Machine Tractor Stations set up (one for every 40 collective farms)
4
Q
Sovkhoz
A
- a state farm whereby all land was owned by the state
- had its own tractors
- peasants worked as paid labourers
5
Q
Opposition to collectivisation
A
- many peasants set fire to their farms & slaughtered their animals
- Stalin retaliated by sending out anti-kulakisation squads (party members from the towns and the OGPU) to round up opponents to the policy, and deport them
- extent of opposition forced Stalin to slow down the process of collectivisation in 1930
- allowed members of the collectives to have some animals, and a small garden plot for own use
- collectivisation started again in the late 1930s
6
Q
What were the successes of collectivisation?
A
- enough food to feed the towns and the Red Army
- life on collective farms wasn’t all bad (there were some hospitals and school)
- MTS were quite successful
- mechanisation of farming sped up after 1935
- Stalin secured control of the countryside (peasants never openly rebelled against communist rule again)
7
Q
What were the failures of collectivisation?
A
- fall in production
- famine
- inefficient farming
8
Q
The First 5yr Plan
A
- 1928-32
- focused on heavy industry (coal, steel and iron)
- ‘new’ industries (i.e electricity, motor vehicles, chemicals and rubber) also targeted
- consumer industries neglected
9
Q
The Second 5yr Plan
A
- avoided setting targets too high (as in 1st plan)
- rationing ended
- strikes were not permitted
- growth in coal and chemical industries
- successes in output of electricity, transport development and mineral mining
- oil production remained disappointing
- fear of invasion from West (esp Nazi Germany) = heavy industry became priority againt
- production of armaments trebled
10
Q
The Third 5yr Plan
A
- launched in 1938
- abandoned when Germany invaded the USSR in June 1941
- concentrated on production of household good and luxury items (eg. bicycles, radios) but heavy industry again became the main priority as war became more evident
- armaments produced (success)
- steel and oil industries = unsuccessful
- experienced further problems due to purges (many senior workers and officials were removed, which resulted in a lack of continuity with the earlier plans)
11
Q
The Stakhanovite Movement
A
Spurred on by the actions of a worker in Magnitogorsk who produced 102 tons of coals in less than 6 hours. New form of socialist competition.
12
Q
What were the successes of industrialisation?
A
- plans targets were not always met BUT all Soviet industries made significant progresses
- by 1940, USSR = world’s 2nd largest industrial power, with a highly skilled workforce
- cities became more developed (hydroelectric power station, Canal, metro underground)
13
Q
What were the failures of industrialisation?
A
- officials often gave false or exaggerated production figures to satisfy the demands of the Gosplan (because targets were frequently too ambitious)
- quantity over quality (tractors often broke down)
- consumer goods industry was virtually ignored
- harsh working conditions
14
Q
How were town workers better off under Stalin’s rule?
A
- Family: free health service; holidays with pay; easy for women to find work
- No unemployment
- Leisure - sports exercise encouraged
- Education
- Public transport
15
Q
How were town workers worse off under Stalin’s rule?
A
- ‘Corpses left on the worksite’ and ‘two were frozen’
- Strict disciplinary rules, including punctuality
- Fines + sacked + lack of trust
- Poor wages
- Shortage of everyday goods
- Strikes not permitted
- Unable to cope with population growth (not enough supplies + overcrowded home)
- Terror
- inflation
