European states (Russia): With reference to one European country, (other than Italy, Germany, or Spain) examine the success of economic policies in the 1930s. Flashcards
Intro/thesis
Set out Stalin’s objectives:
-To transform the Soviet Union into an advanced, industrialized socialist state in ten years
-To be less dependent on the West for industrial goods and achieve an autarky (self-sufficiency)
Paragraphs
-The success of collectivization came at a cost, ultimately costing the Soviet Union economically
-Overall, collectivization was successful
-The 5-year plans caused some economic and societal problems
-The 5-year plans were undoubtedly a success in transforming the USSR industrially
Downsides of collectivization- examples
-Grain harvests dropped dramatically in the early 1930s and did not recover to their 1928 level until the second half of the 1930s.
-It is estimated that around 10 million peasants were dispossessed between 1929 and 1932.
-Cost of the famine: around seven million died
Downsides of collectivization- explanation and historiography
-This demonstrates the harmful effects of collectivization. Not only were human lives negatively impacted, but this had an overall detrimental impact for the Soviet economy, as there were fewer people to work jobs.
-Many historians challenge the view that collectivization had fulfilled its primary purpose: to provide the resources for industrialization, and instead believe that valuable resources had to be diverted to agriculture.
Downsides of collectivization- mini judgment
Collectivization was a success- examples
-Although the overall grain harvest declined in the early 1930s, state procurements did not. The state collected the grain it needed to feed the rapidly growing workforce and to sell abroad to pay for industrial equipment.
-The state’s grain collections rose from 11 million tons in 1928-29 to 23 million tons in 1931-32.
-Dispossessed peasants from the overpopulated countryside fled to the towns, providing labor for the new factories.
Collectivization was a success- explanation and historiography
-Collectivization had succeeded in its main purpose: to provide resources for industrialization.
-Collectivization also achieved Stalin’s political aims as it enabled him to establish firm control over the countryside.
-The dispossessed peasants moving to the towns meant that the state was able to collect the grain that it needed to export to buy industrial machinery and could feed urban workers.
-Robert Conquest has argued that Stalin was determined to break the resistance of the peasantry and so continued to take grain even though he knew it would lead to starvation.
-However, Robert Service disagrees and points out that requisitioning quotas were cut three times during 1932 in response to the famine.
Collectivization was a success- mini judgment
Downsides of 5-year plans- examples
-As a result of the 5-year plans, conditions in towns worsened, as overcrowding was intense in poorly-built accommodations with limited sanitation.
-Factory managers who failed to meet quotas could be arrested and sent to the Gulag or shot.
-This led to managers using a variety of methods to falsify their statistics or taking other drastic actions such as stealing resources that were meant for other factories or bribing officials.
-The emphasis of the Five-Year Plans on heavy industry meant that consumer goods were in short supply. There were perpetual shortages in the state shops for food and consumer goods, and people spent hours in queues.
Downsides of 5-year plans- explanation
-The command economy had major weaknesses, including unrealistic targets, the use of bribery and corruption, and major shortages.
-The Russians still spent an enormous amount of time queuing and went short on essential commodities. Living conditions were abysmal.
Downsides of 5-year plans- mini judgment
Nevertheless, the success of the Five-Year Plans must be assessed by their aims. Stalin wanted to improve Russia’s industrial productivity and reduce its dependence on the West to transform it into an autarky. Even with the issues in living standards and consumer goods that arose as a result of these plans, the overall aim of these plans was achieved.
5- year plans were a success- examples
-As a result of the Five-Year Plans, Russia’s GNP grew by almost 12% a year.
-By 1940, the Soviet Union had overtaken Britain in the production of iron and steel.
-The Five-Year Plans led to a rapid increase in the state’s power over society, as all aspects of life, including housing, food, and education, were controlled by the planned economy.
5-year plans were a success- explanation and historiography
-Despite the problems with the statistics, there was substantial growth in heavy industry during this period, there were impressive achievements, and the Soviet Union was transformed on the industrial front.
-There were significant issues that arose in the living standards of Russians and the quality of industrial goods during this time. However, this has to be set against the state of Russia in 1928 and the massive steps forward that industry took in the 1930s.
-Given the results, some historians have concluded that the type of command economy that emerged, with clearly set priorities, seemed reasonably well-suited to the circumstances of the USSR in the 1930s.
-Alan Bullock: The First Five Year Plan revived the party after the NEP. Even though Stalin did not achieve his targets, outputs were raised. He also emphasizes the unemployment and lack of resources in the West due to the Depression and how this made Russia look inspiring.
5-year plans were a success- mini judgment
The Five-Year Plans did ultimately achieve their goal of transforming the Soviet Union into an advanced, industrialized socialist state, and it is clear that some human suffering was, for Stalin, overridden by the achievement of these goals.
Conclusion/thesis
They were successful overall in achieving Stalin’s goals, although the costs this came at had severe effects on the economy. Nevertheless, industrial development overshadows this.
