khrushchev ECONOMY

Question 1

what was the Virgin Land scheme?

Answer 1

1953 - Khrushchev’s main policy were land that was not previously farmed would be - North Caucasus, Kazakhstan, West Siberia

Question 2

how much of the soviet budget did the Virgin Land Scheme take?

Answer 2

(1954-59) grew by 3% a year until 12.8%

Question 3

how did Khrushchev incentivise rural production?

Answer 3

paid farmers higher for their produce - boosted farm income by 250% (1952-56)

Question 4

what were reasons for Khrushchev’s economic failure?

Answer 4

• Khrushchev’s failed reforms (Virgin Land Scheme 1953)
• all the USSR’s money being put into the space race and the defence budget
• changing targets to much more ambitious goals

Question 5

how did Brezhnev promise better standards of living following Khrushchev?

Answer 5

• subsidising prices (government kept prices of consumer goods low)
• a second economy (Brezhnev tolerated the growth of the Black Market)

Question 6

how did Khrushchev promote light industry?

Answer 6

• the 7 year plans (Jan 1959): increased production of consumer goods and increased production of chemical fertilisers to support the agricultural schemes

Question 7

did the 7 year plan succeed?

Answer 7

the plan boosted production of consumer goods and chemical fertilisers (but lower growth than Khrushchev expected)
- consumer goods production was 5% below target
- chemical production was 20% below target

Question 8

what were some Industrial problems?

Answer 8

• Military spending (limited funding to industry)
• Command economy (Stalin’s structure was not made for creating complex goods like radios)
• Inefficiency (the command economy wasted reasources)

Question 9

what were some ongoing problems?

Answer 9

• central planning (farmers not using fertilisers efficiently)
• confusion (due to Khrushchev reforming the in charge of agriculture)
• inadequate storage on farms (wasted produce)
• inadequate pay for agricultural workers

Question 10

when did agricultural growth slow?

Answer 10

1959-64 - farms production increased by 15% but was still under Khrushchev’s target

Question 11

what is an example of the Soviets agricultural inefficiency?

Answer 11

(1950s-60s) 50% of soviet population worked in agriculture. 5% of US population worked in agriculture - US doubled production of the USSR

Question 12

why were the Virgin Land schemes so expensive?

Answer 12

needed complex irrigation systems

Question 13

we’re Khrushchev policies successful?

Answer 13

initially as production increased by 35.5% (1954-58)

Question 14

how did Khrushchev try to make farming more efficient?

Answer 14

by 1955
- artificial fertilisers (boosted production by 40%)
- tractors (boosted production by 30%)

Question 15

what did Khrushchev construct in order to boost agricultural production?

Answer 15

1954 - Khrushchev announced new fertiliser factories and new tractor factories