Economy Flashcards
What was the motivation for economic development?
Para 1- War:
Highlighted Russia’s backwardness.
-Crimean War: marked 1st step in Russia’s industrialisation- showed infrastructure was outdated-Reutern increased foreign investment-communication problems=stimulated railway expansion.
-Russo-Japanese: communication errors- more investment in transport infrastructure.
-WW2- To win, Stalin saw need for rapid industrial development- 5.Y.Ps.
Para 2- Catch up with west: BIGGEST REASON
-Britain, France, Germany based economic progress on industrial dev- Russia sought to emulate their revolutions.
-Railway in GB=Reutern sevenfold increase.
-Witte’s G.S- Rouble placed on ‘gold standard’ to compete with foreign investors.
-Comm= Stalin: ‘either do it or we shall be crushed’.
Para 3- Ideology:
More of motivation under comm than Tsars:
War comm: state capitalism filled with comm ideology.
NEP: only introduced to preserve Lenin’s position.
5.Y.Ps: allowed him to centralise power etc.
Para 4- Opposition:
Important to prevent unrest.
-1921 NEP: brought about due to opposition to grain requisitioning.
-Witte’s G.S: Terrorist group People’s Will killed NII’s grandfather- Formation of SRs (1901).
How far did the impact of industrialisation differ only in terms of extent?
Para 1- Extent:
-Industrialisation far greater extent under comm.
Tsars: Can’t be compared to comm.
-AII’s Reutern’s railway annual growth rate of 6%.
-1914-Russia had 11x less km of track per unit of land than Germany.
-NII’s Witte’s G.S- coal + iron production increased x2.
Extent limited-neglected parts of industry (textile etc.).
Comm: Much greater extent: 5.Y.Ps- productivity increased, 4th 5.Y.P completed 3 yrs early.
Russia’s industrialisation finally matched western counterparts.
Para 2- Type:
Didn’t differ greatly-both focused on industry to detriment of consumer goods.
Tsars: heavy industry throughout: Reutern (railway, expand staples)- some focus on textiles (Ludwig Loop).
-Witte’s G.S-industry, expense of cons goods.
Comm: Stalin-heavy ind most- 5.Y.Ps + targets.
-Engineering ind expanded especially machine tools.
-New industrial centres- Magnitogorsk in Urals.
(Khrushchev=only exception).
Para 3- Reason:
Differed-comm motivated by ideology more than Tsars BUT both wanted to catch up with west/opposition.
Tsars: Catch up-tried to emulate Britain, France, Germany industrialisation- GB railway>reutern railway.
Opposition: Witte’s G.S=due to assassination of NIIs grandfather-made people more optimistic, less opp.
Comm: Ideology focused- Stalin-WW2 win would strengthen comm BUT also catch up with west-‘either we do it or we shall be crushed’.
Para 4- Methods:
Differed-comm didn’t rely on foreign investment like Tsars: Reutern focused on attraction of foreign investment (Ludwig Loop)-secured through taxation.
-NII raised revenue for industry-Mendeleev tariff. Witte placed rouble on Gold standard.
Comm: Lenin-industrialisation carried out by nationalism of industry + state monopoly of markets.
Which leader did most to transform Russian economy?
Para 1- Heavy Industry:
-What ‘X’ did.
-Stalin did most-motivated by need to win WW2/prove comm.
-5.Y.Ps comparable to Witte G.S- but more effective in long run-machinery output increased x4-GNP from 1928-1940=5-6% per year.
-Witte G.S-contextually v. transformative-ind production increased 7.5% p/a.
Para 2- Light Industry (consumer):
No leader particularly efficient in transformation of consumer goods.
-What ‘X’ did.
Tsars: some focus on textiles-Ludwig Loop.
-No demand for it as pop so impoverished.
Until 1950s soviet union made no advances in cons goods.
-Khrushchev did.
Para 3- Agriculture:
-What ‘X’ did.
-No leader achieved notable success.
-NII- stolypin contextually progressive-1906-11 wager on the strong removed obstacles to consolidation=emergence of more prosperous kulaks.
-Stalin did but not for better=collectivisation.
-Only improvements=Lenin’s NEP (ended grain req) & Khrushchev’s Virgin Lands (short term) BUT not successful.
Para 4- Technology:
-Comm did more- Oct 1957-USSR launched 1st satellite, sputnik -Tested 1st atomic bomb.
-Tsar did nothing apart from railways.
