Economy and Society, 1929-1941

Question 1

collectivisation stage 1, 1929-30

Answer 1

forced collectivisation
deliberate propaganda campaign waged against kulaks- ‘liquidated as a class’ and were not permitted to join collectives, represent 4% of peasants
15% of peasant households were destroyed and 150,000 forced to migrate further north to poorer farm land
peasants driven by local party members, with support of OGPU and red army
january 1930, Stalin announced 25% of grain farming had been collectivised. the brutal treatment scared peasants into joining collectives 58% collectivised by march 1930
led to stalin saying local officials were being too rigorous in ‘dizzy with success’ - entered a period of voluntary collectivisation - october 1930, only 20% collectivised

Question 2

collectivisation stage 2, 1930-41

Answer 2

stalins climb down was only a temporary tactic - perhaps to show that he was on side with the peasants - tactical
process sped up again in 1931 and by 1941, 100% of households were collectivised

Question 3

Kolkhoz

Answer 3

typical state farm by combining small individual farms
average consisted of 75 families and their livestock. in some, schools and clinics were also established.
had to deliver a set quota of produce to the state
shared any profit or goods left after procurement between members
introduce of internal passports in 1932

Question 4

Sovkhoz

Answer 4

state farms - ideal form of farming
larger than kolhoz but just as restricted
suited to the grain growing areas in southern russia and the ukraine
official expectation is that all kolkhoz would be sovkhoz in the long term

Question 5

mechanisation

Answer 5

use of tractors and agricultural machinery reduced the number of peasants on the land = more in cities
machine tractor stations set up from 1931, 2500 by 1940 - but only 1 for every 40 collective
state farms generally received better machinery and fertilisers
by 1938, 72% of ploughing and 48% harvesting was carried out mechanically

Question 6

impact of collectivisation on Kulaks

Answer 6

heavily taxed, hard labour, children deprived of schooling
sold their grain off cheaply, slaughtered their animals, destroyed tools and burned their own houses
most executed, some sent off to labour camps = loss of skilled workers in country side
kulaks had no choice but to resist = 13,574 disturbances

Question 7

impact on other peasants

Answer 7

1.5 million exported to Siberia and central Asia - most died of exposure
1928 = 70 million cattle, 1933 = 38 million - fear of being labelled as a Kulak
17.7million went into towns
introduced Five Stalks Law in Ukraine - convinced hiding grain, offenders given forced labour or death penalty
blamed Ukraine nationalists for low procurement - new campaign of requisitioning in the region
internal passports
little incentive to work hard due to lack of profit
famine, 5-7 million deaths

Question 8

the famine of 1932-34 - The Holodomor

Answer 8

series of bad harvests from 1931-33
Ukraine had to produce 42% of grain whilst only producing 27% of harvest
Stalin convinced they were hiding grain - received 2.1 million tonnes instead of 6.6 million, Ukraine nationalists blamed
estimated 24 deaths a minute
imposed control on ukraine
argued to be man made - Stalin gave no aid, local officials seized grain and other belongings, political motives
BUT - severe drought in 1931, destruction of livestock, loss of kulaks

Question 9

success of collectivisation

Answer 9

achieved collectivisation - 100% by 1941
industrial workforce expanded and fed
but at the expense of the peasants
economic - agricultural production fluctuated and recovery did not occur until late 1930s - grain output did not exceed pre collectivisation levels until 1935
party activists often knew little about farming and so collectives not well established in the early years
political - soviet regime had extended control over countryside, Bukharin lost power due to opposition, abolished small private plots and any sign of capitalism in the country side, dekulakisation as they went against soviet ideology
ideological - move away from NEP, destruction of kulaks
social - famine

Question 10

Gosplan

Answer 10

state planning agency given responsibility for drawing up plans and establishing output targets but government made overall decision
suffered from a lack of reliable information and faced difficulty planning
targets set were ambitious and intended to force managers to devote maximum effort
failure to achieve targets was a criminal offence - led to corruption due to falsified statistics

Question 11

first Five Year Plan 1928-1932

Answer 11

focused on development of heavy industry - increase production by 300%, development of coal, iron, steel and machinery, boost electricity 6 times, double output of light industry
provoked an enthusiastic response - Stalin claimed targets had been met in four years - due to falsified statistics
electricity output trebled, coal and iron doubled, new railways, HEP schemes, and industrial complexes were built but there was too few skilled workers and too little effective control coordination for efficient development

Question 12

second five year plan, 1933-37

Answer 12

more attention to consumer goods - continue development of heavy industries, develop communications to provide links, foster engineering
some success - three good year 34-36, Moscow metro, Moscow-Volga canal in 37, electricity production and chemical industries grew rapidly, steel output trebled and coal doubled, by 1937 virtually self sufficient in tool making
focus on plan shifted to rearmament - 17% of GDP
oil production did not meet targets, no appreciable increase in consumer goods, emphasis on quantity not quality

Question 13

third five year plan, 1938-42

Answer 13

focus on needs of defensive sector due to growing threat of Nazis, disrupted by war in 1941 - renewed emphasis on heavy industry, promote rapid rearmament, complete transition to communism
strong growth in machinery and engineering, resources were diverted to rearmament on which spending doubled between 38 and 40, oil failed to meet targets
dearth of managers and specialists after Stalins purges

Question 14

new industrial centres

Answer 14

Dnieprostroi dam - 1932, HEP dam generating 560 MW - four further generators installed in second FYP and electric power increased by a fivefold
Turksib railway 1929 - connected Central Asia with Siberia, designed to create a working class in central asian deserts, built by nearly 50,000 workers, facilitated transport of Cotton
moscow metro 1935 - 11km line with 13 stations, first underground railway in USSR, ambitious architectural project, drew resources and specialist workers from entire USSR - high ceilings, marble walls
Moscow-Volga Canal 1937 - connects Muskka and Volga river, worlds tallest statue of Lenin built at start, almost 200,000 prisoners employed and 22,000 died
Magnitogorsk - town of 150,00 people and gigantic steel plant

Question 15

use of foreigners

Answer 15

forced to turn for foreign companies and individuals with managerial and technical skills e.g. Henry Ford - advised on car industry
Dniesprostroi dam used experienced Canadian engineers and were awarded ‘Order of the Red Labour Banner’
Moscow metro used construction engineers from Britain to construct, and design plans ‘
at a time of great depression, communism presented an attraction to some foreigners
foreigners were looked upon with suspicion and easy to scapegoat when things went wrong - many British engineers arrested as they had gained an in depth knowledge of Moscows layout

Question 16

The Stakhanovite movement

Answer 16

emerged after Alexei Stakhanov produced 102 tonnes coal in 5 and three quaters hours - should have taken 14 times that, praised as a soviet hero and given large honorary awards
competitions were arranged for others - ideal propaganda
became a way of forcing managers to support their workers to increase production

Question 17

Managers

Answer 17

task of ensuring output targets were met - limited control over own resources, prices and wages
little choice but to focus on attaining targets - could receive a bonus of up to 40% if did better than expected
a manager could be put on trail or be executed for failing to meet targets but had to ensure boos were balanced as to not be charged with wrecking
from 1936, factories had to pay for their own fuel, raw materials and labour from profits
national ‘work norms’ governed how much a labourer should be expected to do - made it difficult for managers to earn good will of labour force
Stakhanovites posed a problem - could lead to factory targets being revised upwards, creating a new problem for output
1930s - slump in trade, lest immigration to cities and conscription decreased number of labourers

Question 18

Women

Answer 18

1929 - largely concentrated in low paid jobs
routinely discriminated against and paid less than men
Zhenotdel, department devoted to women’s affairs, closed in 1930
1935 - women 42% of industrial workers
as prices rose, more women flooded into industry and found jobs in education in order to sustain for their families
during second FYP party took note of value of female workers and sent orders for more women to be employed and many hired women for the low skilled jobs and were reluctant to offer promotions or train women
prone to sexual and physical harassment
1936 - more effort to enrol women in training programmes, increasing numbers in well paid positions but still earned 40% less than men
1940 - 43% of workforce

Question 19

workers

Answer 19

seven day working week and long hours, arriving late or missing work could result in dismissal, damaging machinery was a criminal offence
1938, labour books recorded employment
certain degree of enthusiasm in early years - extensive training programmes and opportunities for advancement
wage differentials introduced in 1931
purges in the 1930s focused at specialists left vacancies in well paid jobs
influx into cities led to cramped living conditions with inadequate sanitation
rationing was phased out in 1935 but market prices were high
some forced to labour in Gulags as prison camp inmates e.g. Belomor canal built by around 300,000 workers with an average of 700 dying a day

Question 20

success of the five year plans

Answer 20

helped to transform USSR into a modern industrial economy, economy grew around 5-6% a year from 28-40
first FYP saw gains in several areas of heavy industry like engineering and second FYP saw huge growths in construction and transport. between 28 and 32, industrial workforce doubled
workers enjoyed three good years (34-36) with an increase in consumer goods, productivity and wages rose while prices fell
gains did not last and third FYP interrupted by war - shortages recurred and resources were diverted BUT ability to gear itself for war was a success
social downsides - shortage of skilled labour
some relief gained by soviet occupation in East Poland and the Baltic states
some sense of pride in communism as not hit by depression in 1930s like Western capitalist states

Question 21

The cult of personality

Answer 21

began to grow from december 29th as he was the leader who inspired confidence during a period of rapid change
every initiative was sold as the work of Lenin
all arts were produced to glorify stalins role as the mighty leader and father of the nation
fully established in the years 1933-39
History of the All Union Communist Party published in 1938 which saw the rewriting of Russian history to give Stalin major roles in October rev and civil war whilst Trotsky became an enemy of the people
photographs were doctored to remove political enemies and place Stalin next to Lenin
Stalin was seen as father to the people and many had a red corner in their houses dedicated to him
celebrations for his 70th birthday lasted almost a year
Stalin did not encourage it but did little to stop it

Question 22

Society and culture

Answer 22

theatre, film and music etc. were only considered valuable if they supported socialist ideology ‘art for its own sake’ had no place
by 1932, all writers had to belong to the ‘Union of soviet writers’ and similar establishments existed for arts, musicians and actors - exerted control over what was created and who was allowed to create
were not to represent socialist life as what it was, but as what it will be in the future
had to be plain and easy to interpret so the ordinary people could understand
folk culture was promoted and praised as it was tied in well with national views
any intellectual or artist who did not conform was banned from working and could be executed or imprisoned

Question 23

socialist realism

Answer 23

lay with Lenin’s view that art and literature must educate the workers
good vehicle for propaganda and must be easily understood

Question 24

Art

Answer 24

by the 1930s, art was swarmed by tractors and combine harvesters to promote peasants on collective farms
at the height of the purges, the content was more tightly controlled and artists were given detailed guidelines - little pictures of domestic or family life - all of working

Question 25

Literature

Answer 25

degree of state control was strong and socialist realism was proclaimed to be the basic principle of literary creation
many organisations began to organise writers in brigades and send them to construction sites, kolkhozes and factories
many produced to show heroes in work place e.g. Cement (initially praised but hero seen as too individualistic), How the Steel was tempered

Question 26

Cinema

Answer 26

first five year plan, Stalin ordered increased production of documentaries supporting the industrial objectives
had to be presented in a form that could be understood by the masses
Stalin previewed films before they could be released to the public

Question 27

Propaganda

Answer 27

relied heavily on propaganda to harness support for policies - military illusions sometimes used, collectivisation was termed ‘full-scale soviet offensive’
class enemies were damned while pictures of happy, productive workers reinforced Stalins messages
hardships were romanticised to emphasise glories of socialist society
attempt to create a new type of humanity and transmitting social and political values - socialist man
Stakhanovites appeared on the front page of Pravda more than Stalin 1937-38, 25% of all female factory workers were described as norm-breaking
Vera Mukhina was glorified after producing a 24.5 metre sculpture of two figures with the hammer and sickle
for the illiterate, used ubiquitous wall posters and propaganda film and radios

Question 28

strengths of the economy by 1941

Answer 28

Stalin’s five year plans had transformed Russia into a highly industrialised and urbanised nation, while all Russian farms had been collectivised
although claims and statistics were often exaggerated, no doubt that a transformation had occurred
1926, 17% of population lived in towns but 33% by 1939
by 1940, overtaken Britain in iron and steel production
helped lay the foundation for victory in WW2 - nine aircraft factories constructed in 1939, spending on rearmament increased from 27.5 billion roubles in 1938 to 70.9bill in 1941

Question 29

weaknesses of the economy by 1941

Answer 29

although heavy industry had grown, consumer production had been cut back and consumer goods were scarce
quality of goods was poor, even though productivity had increased
organisation at a local level was often chaotic

Question 30

strengths and weaknesses of society by 1941

Answer 30

could claim to have made progress towards true socialism - ownership by the state protected the individual from the exploitation of profit-seeking capitalists
acquired a much greater control - party officials supervised the kolkhoz, factory managers were subject to controls of the party, workers were kept in strict order by labour books, internal passports and threats of denial to ration cards
different from socialist ideas as had created a hierarchical society - peasants at mercy of collectives
little regard given to welfare of workers
huge pressure on management, in 1940, decree issued making poor quality production a criminal offence
quality of life suffered due to economic drive - poor quality production, poor housing and constant pressure

Question 31

situation on the outbreak of war in 1941

Answer 31

principle of central authority and the development of a command economy were to prove vital in the organisation of the soviet war effort
harsh labour laws helped build resilience among workers and made them more ready to suffer for the greater good
economic and social strengths gave the USSR a much stringer basis to mount a defence
third five year plan was left incomplete and by 1941, the nation was producing less grain than under the NEP