Krushchev, 1954-1964

Question 1

When did the soviet economy start to slow?

Answer 1

1959

Question 2

What were Krushchev’s 3 main agricultural reforms?

Answer 2

1. Incentives
2. Virgin Lands Scheme
3. Investment

Question 3

What were Krushchev’s views on collectivisation?

Answer 3

• inefficient

Question 4

Agricultural Reform - Incentives

What were incentives?

Answer 4

• paid farmers higher prices for their produce

Question 5

Agricultural Reform - Incentives

Give evidence of incentives boosting rural income?

Answer 5

farm incomes increased by 250% between 1952 and 1956

Question 6

Agricultural Reform - VLS

What were the virgin lands schemes?

Answer 6

• Khrushchev wanted to increase the amount of land farmed

- therefore he launched the VLS, creating new farms in the northern Caucasus, Kazakhstan and Western Siberia.

Question 7

Agricultural Reform - Investment

How did Khrushchev try to make farming more efficient through investment?

Answer 7

1. artificial fertilisers - boosted production by 40%

2. tractors - boosting production by 30%

Question 8

Agricultural Reform - Investment

Evidence of Khrushchev increasing investment in agriculture

Answer 8

Agriculture = 3% of budget in 1954 –> 12.8% of budget in 1959

Question 9

How successful were Khrushchev’s agricultural reforms?

Answer 9

• initially successful

- still fundamental problems with soviet agriculture that he struggled to solve

Question 10

Give evidence of Khrushchev’s agricultural policy being initially successful.

Answer 10

Overall, agricultural production increased by around 35.3% from 1954-1958

Question 11

What were Khrushchev’s aims for agriculture?

Answer 11

1. increase production

2. in 1956, he set the target of taking over US farm production by 1960

Question 12

Name three agricultural problems that emerged from 1954-64.

Answer 12

1. Inefficiency
2. Slow growth
3. Bureaucratic failings

Question 13

How was Khrushchev’s agricultural policy inefficient?

Answer 13

1. Location of Virgin Lands made them infertile. This meant they needed complex irrigation systems that made the cost of production high.
2. Agriculture = labour intensive

Question 14

Give evidence of Khrushchev’s farms being labour intensive.

Answer 14

In the 50s and 60s, 50% of the Soviet population worked in agriculture, compared to 5% in the US.

Question 15

Describe agricultural growth between 1959 and 1964.

Answer 15

• growth slowed

- still grew by around 15%

Question 16

How did bureaucratic failings reduce the success of Khrushchev’s agricultural policy?

Answer 16

1. Fertilisers - Central planning meant that farmers did not always get the right fertiliser at the right time, so it often went to waste.
2. Contradictory reforms led to administrative confusion.
3. Inadequate storage facilities = waste

Question 17

What were Khrushchev’s overall aims?

Answer 17

1. modernise industry

2. increased production of consumer goods through light industry

Question 18

Summarise Khrushchev’s impact the economy.

Answer 18

• some modernisation

- long-term, the soviet economy went into decline

Question 19

Which 3 factors strongly restricted economic growth?

Answer 19

1. military spending (arms race)
2. the command economy
3. inefficiency

Question 20

When did Khrushchev launch his 7 year plan?

Answer 20

1959

Question 21

What were the aims of Khrushchev’s 7 year plan?

Answer 21

1. increase production of consumer goods

2. increased production of fertilisers to aid agricultural production

Question 22

How successful was Khrushchev’s 7 year plan?

Answer 22

• plan delivered growth
• plan was under target
• soviet union still lagged behind other nations

Question 23

Give an example of the 7 year plans producing below target.

Answer 23

Production of consumer goods was 5% below target.

Question 24

Give 2 reasons why the 7 year plan underperformed.

Answer 24

1. Contradictory reform.

2. Overambitious goals

Question 25

Give an example of Khrushchev’s contradictory economic reform.

Answer 25

In 1957, he decentralised economic planning.

BUT from 1958-64 his reforms re-asserted central control.

Question 26

Describe Khrushchev’s military spending

Answer 26

initially decreased and then rose again