Economy and Society, 1929-1941 essay questions

Question 1

How successful was the Communist regime in modernizing Russian agriculture in the years 1928 to 1941?

Answer 1

into;
- Following the announcement of the great turn, Stalin marked the end of the NEP and demanded faster industrialization and set a plan for agriculture called collectivization. The policy of transferring the ownership of private farmland to the state.

1st Para
- Due to the chaos caused by peasantry resistance (kulaks rather burning stock than giving to gov), famine started appearing in parts of Ukraine 1932 and spread to other areas
- In result killed millions of peasants

2nd para
- economically was a disaster.
- Grain harvests droppepd dramatically in the early 1930s when grain was most needed
- grain harvests only recovered in the latter half of the 1930s
- The USSR lost a huge proportionof the animal popualtion dropping by 50%

3rd para
- The goal of modernisation of agriculture was lowkey a success for the party, as they didnt want a sizable amount of the economy being owned by the kulaks
- this is becuase they didnt want kulaks
-kulaks greatly benefitted from the NEP
- they now had control of villages and dint even have to abrgain for it
- it establshed a system
-

Question 2

‘The most important result of the collectivisation of agriculture was that it imposed Communist control on the countryside.’ Assess the validity of this view

Answer 2

1st para
most important success was in providing resources needed for industrialisation: the state collected grain to feed workforce and export for industrial equipment; forced dispossessed peasants to move to towns to add to labour force.
- In practice this wasn’t actually that perfect, many peasants decided to destroy grain instead of giving it, leading to famines, meaning worker cant be fed

2nd para
-Removing Kulaks served an ideological purpose
Kulaks gained too much from the NEP, thus collectivisation created socialism in the countryside; it ensured fairer distribution of wealth.
- However, it can be argued without presence this wouldn’t occur.

3rd para
- The USSRe stablished a stong presence in the countryside.
- Party officials were appointed to oversee the collectivised farms and esure that production targets were met.
- This gave the communist party a powerful tool for controlling the rural areas.
- Most of population was in countryside
- however the result wasnt that great as it meant that many peasants fled to the cities.

Question 3

To what extent had the Five Year Plans fulfilled Stalin’s aims by 1941?

Question 4

How successful was Stalin in creating a ‘socialist economy’ in the years 1929-41?

Answer 4

The main aims of Stalin were to improve industry, agriculture and getting ready for war

1st para
- Stalin collectivized the state’s agriculture - 100% collectivized by 1941.
- Produce was taken from the peasants and the workers were fed. Grain production increased from 73 million tonnes in 1928 to 95 million tonnes in1940.
- Collectivisation ensured Stalin’s control of the countryside.

However, strong opposition from peasants. 150,000 peasants forced to migrate north/east. Dekulakization saw a loss of the peasantry’s most skilled workers. 25/30% of cattle, pigs and sheep were slaughtered between 1929-33.

Question 5

To what extent did the proletariat benefit from Stalinist rule in the 1930s?

Answer 5

1st para
- The great retreat reduced freedom of the proletariat (1936 family code, laws on religion, return of inequality and privilege - ranks given to the nobility in order to ensure social order and obedience)
BUT…
44% of the work force was women - support and representation in work force
Increase in healthcare
Great retreat didn’t really happen (still religious, still divorces)