Five Year Plans Evaluation Flashcards
Name some key examples of gigantomania.
Magnitogorsk, Dnieper Dam, Moscow Underground and the Belomorkanal (White Sea Baltic Canal)
What was the impact of the Dnieprostroi Dam on electricity production?
It increased it fivefold
How many enterprises were opened during the first plan? The second?
1500 during the first. 4500 during the second.
How much did total Coal and iron production increase under the first plan? Steel production?
Coal and iron production increased 2x. Steel production increased 1/3x. (under first five year plan)
The mining of which metals occurred for the first time under the second plan?
Zinc, tin and copper
By 1937, what was the USSR self-sufficient at?
Machine making and metal working
Which industries grew under the third five year plan? What proportion of the budget was armaments in 1940 compared to 1931?
Heavy industries and armament industries. 3.4% of budget on armaments in 1931 by 32.5% on it by 1940.
Which industry declined under the first five year plan? Which sector saw its targets not met?
Consumer goods industry declined. Chemical industry targets were not met.
Which types of workshops were squeezed by policies against the Nepmen and by the shortage of materials?
Small workshops
Which industry continued to not meet demands in the second and third plans? What economic system caused this uneven growth?
Consumer goods industry.
Planned economy was the root of many issues.
Why was there a shortage of qualified personnel? Shortage of raw materials?
Many of the qualified personnel were purged as they were considered bourgeois specialists. Raw materials were short since firms would often hoard materials and request more than they needed. Likewise, lots of loads with the raw materials were hijacked by others.
In 1931, what proportion of the workforce was skilled? What was this in 1933?
7% of workforce skilled in 1931. In 1933, this was 17%.
The production of what plateaued and when?
Pig iron in 1936
How good was the quality of products made?
Quality of the products made was often poor as there was a lack of expertise and the high quotas meant many goods were produced at a low quality.
Between 1930-33, how many workers arrived and left Magnitogorsk? What does this show?
Arrived = 293,000
Left = 265,000
This is indicative of a high turnover rate which is synonomous with instability. It also shows how workers were trying to find better work, illustrating how they were not buying into the socialist principle.
When were state subsidies cut? The crisis of what good exacerbated this?
- Fuel crisis exacerbated this as the oil industry failed to meet its targets.
What were the years 1934-36 referred to as? Why?
The “good years” since rationing was ended, more consumer goods were available, targets were more realistic than beforehand and families had more disposable income.
Which workers saw their living standards improve and why?
Workers with highly valued skills or training (these were in dire need after the major purges against the bourgeois specialists). These were promoted to jobs with better pay and prospects.
How many women entered the workforce under the plans?
10 million
When were wage differentials introduced?
1931
What benefits did Stakhanov receive for his outstanding work? What about Ogorodnikov?
Stakhanov received an apartment, passes to the cinema and places as a holiday resort for his outstanding work. Ogorodnikov received lots of state support to buy a house and he was given a motorcycle.
