Five Year Plans Evaluation

Question 1

How many enterprises were opened during the first plan? The second?

Answer 1

1500 during the first. 4500 during the second.

Question 2

How much did total Coal and iron production increase under the first plan? Steel production?

Answer 2

Coal and iron production increased 2x. Steel production increased 1/3x. (under first five year plan)

Question 3

The mining of which metals occurred for the first time under the second plan?

Answer 3

Zinc, tin and copper

Question 4

By 1937, what was the USSR self-sufficient at?

Answer 4

Machine making and metal working

Question 5

Which industries grew under the third five year plan? What proportion of the budget was armaments in 1940 compared to 1931?

Answer 5

Heavy industries and armament industries. 3.4% of budget on armaments in 1931 by 32.5% on it by 1940.

Question 6

Which industry declined under the first five year plan? Which sector saw its targets not met?

Answer 6

Consumer goods industry declined. Chemical industry targets were not met.

Question 7

Why was there a shortage of qualified personnel? Shortage of raw materials?

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

In 1931, what proportion of the workforce was skilled? What was this in 1933?

Answer 8

7% of workforce skilled in 1931. In 1933, this was 17%.

Question 9

The production of what plateaued and when?

Answer 9

Pig iron in 1936

Question 10

How good was the quality of products made?

Answer 10

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.

Question 11

Between 1930-33, how many workers arrived and left Magnitogorsk? What does this show?

Answer 11

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.

Question 12

What were the years 1934-36 referred to as? Why?

Answer 12

The “good years” since rationing was ended, more consumer goods were available, targets were more realistic than beforehand and families had more disposable income.

Question 13

Which workers saw their living standards improve and why?

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

How many women entered the workforce under the plans?

Answer 14

10 million

Question 15

When were wage differentials introduced?

Answer 15

1931

Question 16

What proportion of Magnitogorsk’s population were forced to live in mud huts?

Answer 16

25%

Question 17

Of 328 factory directors in Leningrad 1935, how many were women? How many women were head doctors in hospitals despite over half of all doctors being women?

Answer 17

20/328 factory directors were women. Only 4 female head doctors in hospitals.

Question 18

What was the relationship between wages and food prices over the course of the plans?

Answer 18

Wages did not keep pace with the rising price of food

Question 19

How much was the urban population growing by each month at its peak?

Answer 19

200,000

Question 20

What were the three key industrial trials and when? How did this impact Stalin’s political control?

Answer 20

1928 = Shakty trial
1930 = Industrial Party trial
1933 = Metro Vickers trial
This improved Stalin’s political control since these trials were known about widely and thus incited fear into the managers to work hard and obey the state even though they were in a position of power themselves.

Question 21

How many children were in primary school education in 1929? 1933? Why was this positive for Stalin’s political control?

Answer 21

1929 = 8 million 1933 = 14 million

This meant more children could be raised in a socialist manner and indoctrinated to follow the state.

Question 22

What was a possible reason behind the over-ambitious production targets?

Answer 22

Over ambitious targets meant they could rarely be met unless production was constantly ramped up. This made sure no one was comfortable or over-confident. The state was in control.

Question 23

What was issued in 1938 to help combat absenteeism? What did absenteeism become in 1940?

Answer 23

In 1938, internal passports and labour books were issued which people needed to survive as proof of location, occupation and work record. In 1940, absenteeism was made a crime and two offences led to a prison sentence.

Question 24

How did shortages reflect negatively on political control?

Answer 24

Showed poor central planning by the state and how they were unable to get their own targets met by the industries they controlled.

Question 25

How can the arrival of western workers and companies to Soviet Russia be seen as a success for socialism?

Answer 25

It showed that even Western companies like Ford and workers saw the perks and benefits in communism. This weakened the status of capitalism.

Question 26

How many times a year would the average worker move in the coal industry in 1930? What does that show?

Answer 26

3 times a year. This shows that workers were dissatisfied for jobs and were trying to find better conditions and positions wherever they could. This shows a lack of the spirit of communism.

Question 27

What was GNP in 1928? 1940? (indexed)

Answer 27

1928 = 100
1940 = 203