economic transformation under Stalin and its impact on Soviet society, including collectivisation and the five-year plans Flashcards
Scissor crisis?
An economic problem largely caused by the NEP. The NEP stimulated agricultural recovery and production BUT industrial production and output failed to match this.
Effects - Manufactured goods were scarce but demand for them was high leading to a rise in prices. The large agricultural output also led to a fall in agricultural prices leading to a drop in agricultural production.
Problem - Shortages of industrial and manufactured goods meant the Soviet Union was not modernising and industrialising effectively
Peasants would be disincentivised to work hard when their crops were worth less (agricultural prices falling). Peasants would also be unable to afford manufactured goods to boost their productivity: food shortages!
The Scissors Crisis also reveals some important insights into the state of the Soviet economy in the 1920s, and why Stalin felt such a pressing need to
industrialise rapidly:
The NEP had privileged agricultural recovery. Industrial output had stagnated in the 1920s.
Factories required large amounts of labour but most of the workforce were still in agriculture.
There were inadequate supplies of vital raw materials (coal, oil, steel) which hampered production.
Gosplan and the stakhanovite movement
GOSPLAN: the central planning agency. Gosplan was responsible for ensuring centralised economic control
SECOND REVOLUTION: Stalin’s enforced modernisation of the Soviet economy
STAKHANOVITE MOVEMENT: young workers who worked the hardest to beat production targets. They were rewarded with higher pay and housing.
● In 1935 a coal miner, Aleksei Stakhanov dug 14 times his quota of coal - 102 tonnes
● His name now inspired or shamed millions of Soviets to work harder for the motherland
● In the 1980s Gorbachev revealed it was a lie
Modernisation of the Russian economy
- propaganda revolution from above
- foreign exchange
- right wing rapid power consolidation
- protection/defense
- ‘catch up’
- cult of personality
- collectivisation - internal competition
- economic recovery - industry (capital)
- underlying tension around communist theory - prove superior society
First 5 year plan from 1928-1932
Aims:
The first 5 year plan which began in 1928, focused on developing heavy industries (machinery,steel,coal,electricity and iron production) in order to ensure that the groundwork was laid for future industrial growth
It was extremely ambitious, calling for doubling the output of coal, steel, iron, and oil
It also focused on dramatically increasing the generation of electricity as a priority to modernise industries
The production of consumer goods was given a low priority
Although most goals were not reached (only the oil industry actually achieved it’s target), the first five year plan achieved some excellence results, as can be seen in the following:
Production levels 1928 vs predicted level in 1932
oil - 11.7 in 1928 - in 21.4 1932 (predicted only 19.0 - success)
coal - 35.4 1928 - 64.3 in 1932 (predicted 68.0)
Electricity - 5.05 1928 - 13.04 in 1932 (predicted 17.0)
Millions of peasants moved to cities to work in the new industries and factories. Many were not properly trained to use heavy machinery or in production methods, resulting inefficiency and industrial accidents
working hours were long, pay low, and working conditions poor and often dangerous.
the problems of collectivisation Led to shortages in the food supply, leading to rationing
there were housing shortages
labour camp inmates were used as a cheap source of Labor for large projects, such as a Moscow MetroIn upgrading the trans-siberian railway.
show trials of people accuse of sabotage credit a climate of intimidation and fear.
The second 5 year plan 1932-1937
Aims:
The plan initially focused on producing consumer goods and improving efficiency
infrastructure such as railways roads and bridges was developed
as the international situation changed through the 1930s, heavy industry and Defense Industries were given more importance
Results:
As with the first five year plan, although not all Targets were reached, results were impressive, as can be seen in the following table
pig iron - 6.2 in 1932 - 14.5 in 1937 ( expected 16.0)
Steel - 5.9 in 1932 - 17.7 in 1937 (expected in 17.0)
An intensified propaganda campaign was used to encourage workers to work harder this period saw the stakhanovite movement develop
The third five year plan 1937-1941
The plan aimed at producing more consumer luxuries, such as radios, and developing greater quality control.
the plan ended with the nazi invasion of the Soviet Union.
Results:
Harsher penalties were introduced against workers
working hours were lengthened from seven to eight hours per day and a Six-Day working week was enforced
after the Nazi invasion of France in 1940 the right to leave a job without government permission was abolished being more than 20 minutes late for work was made a criminal offence
by the end of the 1940 about 30,000 people had been sent to labour camps for breaking the new labor laws
the fourth five-year plan was introduced in 1946 to help the union rebuild after the great patriotic war
Benefits of industrialisation
1930s mass literacy campaigns and education rose sharply
1940 majority Russians could read and write
Employment of Women grew 8%
1942 grown by 26% over half soviet women paid with employment
Russians were employed while other nations were struggling with the great depression
Be prepared to defend USSR in war
Coal and iron ore resources doubled
1500 new factories
Millions moved into the city
Cost of industrialisation
Factory managers were pressured to fulfil targets. The targets were set extremely high and often unreachable, forcing managers to falsify statistics and as a result creating a atmosphere of fear. Led to corruption and bribery with state officials
Terrible impact on environment with toxic land and dead seas
Lack coordination between sectors of economy
Gulags were rampant and the image of a perfect Russia was false
Loss of freedom, restricted, work, long hours
Horrendous living conditions in town
1930s rat infested slum
Industrialisation can’t be separated from collectivisation led to man made famine
Inaccurate ideas of soviet life
Hours longer
Fines for absenteeism
Job passports were introduced, and workers could not change jobs without permission
NKVD operated in factories for discipline
Sickness, fatigue and injuries were considered sabotage
Industrialisation caused the man-made famine in the Ukraine
Famous foreigners were shown areas where people were fed and happy
Lack of coordination throughout sectors - steel targets weren’t met because iron target weren’t met
Millions died in the Gulags
What is collectivisation?
● The fundamental aims of collectivisation were economic, ideological and political
● Stalin needed to squeeze the countryside and increase grain production for export, he would then get foreign exchange and then used to buy Western mechanical goods and employ technicians
● Ideologically, collectivisation would completely end the NEP
● Stalin’s ‘liquidation of the kulaks’ would ensure his long-term control of the country, the peasants strongly resisted this
● There was virtually a civil war in the countryside as more and more people were being named ‘kulaks’
● A local village committee was formed and would take away everything from the kulaks
○ Land and livestock (even their glasses) were taken
○ In response to this the kulaks did everything to avoid surrendering their land
■ Killed livestock
■ Burnt crops
■ Gorged food
■ Burnt houses
● In the Ukraine the famine was tragic with Stalin’s man-made famine
● Collectivisation was seen by many in the party as a necessary step for industrialisation
● Stalin’s speeches proved that collectivisation was not just an economic necessity for industrialisation, he had an obsession with class-warfare zeal
background of collectivisation
1927 – facing a potential economic crisis.
Inefficiency of exports.
Lack of industrialisation and lack of capital to increase industrialisation.
Price of industrial goods were high and agricultural goods prices were low – led to the ‘scissor crisis’.
The NEP was not producing the capital that was needed for industry to expand.
Two possible solutions:
Increase taxes and lower grain prices leads to kulaks producing less grain and serious food shortages.
Lower taxes and increase grain prices leads to prevention of food shortages and less capital available for industrialisation.
Industrialisation was imperative, but Russia needed increased capital to achieve this.
Stalin initiates the plan of collectivisation.
process of collectivisation
Peasant farmers would be forced in to large collective or state farms.
This would make possible the use of modern technology which would greatly increase the output of grain which would then be sold internationally.
Stalin knew there would also be political gains:
He would be able to remove right-wing opponents.
He would gain full political control of the countryside.
He would destroy the class of the “kulaks”
The process unfolded as follows:
Committee took everything from the kulaks.
The kulaks responded with passive resistance to extreme violence.
Stalin implemented a man-made famine to wipe out the kulaks in the Ukraine.
results of collectivisation
Collectivisation was simultaneously an absolute disaster, a massive human tragedy, a political masterstroke, socially transforming and a brilliant long-term economic success.
Collectivisation as a disaster:
Livestock population plummeted.
Size of grain harvest fell.
Collectivisation as a human tragedy:
Between the violence, deportations and famines, it is approximated that between five and ten million lives were lost.
Man-made famine in Ukraine is referred to as Holodomor.
Millions ended up living a desperate existence in Arctic and Siberian labour camps.
Collectivisation as a political success:
Communist party had full control of the countryside.
Private ownership was destroyed.
Peasants were now dependent on the state as its employees.
Ukrainian nationalism was destroyed.
Collectivisation transforming the countryside:
Dekulakization destroyed the previous rural social structure.
Weakened the influence of religion.
Peasants lost their brief period of independence.
Collectivisation as an economic success:
Grain procurements as a percentage of the harvest increased from 15% in 1928 to 32% in 1934.
Grain exports rose from 0.029million tonnes in 1929 to 4.76million tonnes in 1930, and 5.05million tonnes in 1931.
Who were the kulaks
● Stalin defined 3 types of kulaks
- Counter-revolutionaries shot or sent to prison camps with no trial
- Wealthy kulaks: banished to work in labour camps in Siberia and the Arctic
- Other kulaks: they stayed out of camps, but they lived out of the collective
● The conflict between the party and the kulaks was akin of a civil war
● Millions were exiled
○ Transported in terrible conditions, in winter they were transported in cattle trucks
● The party took everything they could
● The dekulakization policies caused the death of millions - Robert Conquest suggests around 10 million people lost their lives
○ Historians believe 1 million of these were executions
● Kazakhstan suffered the most - 1.5 million which was 38% of the population died
● An inmate of a Stalinist Gulag in the 1930s estimates 5 million were forced into Arctic labour camps
what is holodomr
● ‘Holodomor’ is ‘extermination by hunger’
● Robert Conquest in Harvest of Sorrow, argued Stalin’s policies in the Ukraine were deliberately a policy of mass murder and genocide
○ It is argued Stalin engineered the Ukraine famine to destroy Ukrainian nationalism (not just for economic gain)
○ Conquest estimates 7 million died in Ukraine of hunger
What policies were successful of collectivisation
Industrial growth
Defend themselves
Success were economic/political
Don’t deny social impact but achieved prose
