Economy and Society Flashcards
What crop was being expanded under the Virgin Lands campaign and why?
Corn
In the hopes to feed livestock
How did the Virgin Lands Campaign differ from Stalins agricultural reforms?
• Raised prices of grain
• Reduced taxes on farming profits
• Decentralised decision making and localised leadership
• Encouraged peasants to expand farms
• Cultivated “virgin” lands (Kazakhstan)
How many volunteers enlisted in the VLC?
Over 1/4 million
How many acres of land were ploughed in the first year of the VLC?
6 million acres
Where was a corn research institute set up?
Ukraine
How much had corn production rose within the first year of the VLC?
4.3 mill to 18 mill hectares
In which years had farm workers income doubled?
1952 -> 1958
What was “maize mania” ?
Farms had abandoned previously successful crops to grow maize which was not very profitable in the long run
How did the VLC fail?
• Fertilisers needed were scarce
• Land not cultivated properly due to the poor quality work force
• Only 1 tractor per every 200 hectares
Why were workers less inclined to work on the VLC? Who was sent instead?
Lack of adequate housing and poor living conditions
Instead sent orphans and prisoners to farm (poor quality workforce)
How much did grain production fall in the poor harvest of 1963?
140 million tonnes to 107 million tonnes
Where did riots break out due to poor harvests?
Novocherkassk
23 killed by KGB
What were the successes of Khrushchev’s 5 Year Plans?
• Rise in agricultural equipment
• More consumer goods (plastic)
• Created parts for the space race
What was the USSR’s first satellite called and when was it released?
SPUTNIK
1957
What was the name of the dog that was sent to space?
Laika
1957
Who was the first man sent to space and when?
Yuri Gagarin
1961
What the average working day under Khrushchev?
7 hours
Why did housing stock double?
The introduction of communist blocs
Poor quality housing made on a large scale
Doubled from 1955-1964
How had wages improved under Khrushchev?
Reached early 1920 level
What was newspaper readership following Khrushchev relaxing censorship?
60 million
How many people attended the US exhibition in Moscow?
3 million
How did the US exhibition in Moscow prove that the Russians approved of the capitalist lifestyle?
Created a suburban household
Showed colour TV, dishwashers and Pepsi cola
Russians had stolen books and monopoly sets from the exhibition
When was the kitchen debates and who led the US at the time?
1959
Nixon
How many volunteers abandoned the virgin land campaign due to poor housing and living conditions?
600,000
