Krushchev - Economy

Question 1

Issues with the stalinist system

Answer 1

-ministers in moscow set different targets for enterprises
-too few administrators for the system to work
-enterprises judged off success in meeting targets, if they exceeded them then they were raised
-goods judged off weight, heavy but useless stuff made

Question 2

Krushchev’s decentralisation

Answer 2

-sixth 5 year plan launched in 1956, targets over-optimistic, abandoned after 2 years
-1957, sixty moscow ministries abolished,
-ussr divided into 105 economic regions with their own economic councils to supervise and plan (sovnarkhoz)

Question 3

Seventh 5 year plan aims

Answer 3

-improving living standards for ordinary people
-vast expansion of chemicals industry
-housing factories to produce prefabs for new flats
-increased consumer goods production
-greater exploitation of ussrs natural resources

Question 4

Seventh 5 year plan details

Answer 4

-railway lines electrified or had diesel engines fitted
-air transport expanded, cheap passenger travel
-1957, sputnik launched, 1959, sputnik 2 with laika
-1959, icebreaker lenin, first nuclear powered ship
-1961 yuri gagarin first man in space

Question 5

Coal output tons

Answer 5

-391m (1955)
-496m (1958)
-578m, (1965)

Question 6

Economic limitations

Answer 6

-not near overtaking the usa, growth slowed from 1958
-10% per year for previous decade, 7.5% in 1964
-consumer industries only 2% growth by 1964

Question 7

Changes to incentivise peasant production

Answer 7

-grain prices rose 25% between 1953 and 1956
-quotas on private plots and state procurement reduced
-collectives set production targets and chose how land was used

Question 8

Other changes to increase agricultural production

Answer 8

-increase in number of farms connected to electricity
-1962 campaign for increased fertiliser use
-increases in farm machinery use
-encouragement to merge collectives, create larger farms

Question 9

The virgin lands scheme

Answer 9

-cultivation of lands in western siberia and kazakhstan
-huge campaign to attract farmers to settle in these parts
-members of the komsomol were encouraged to help out
-1956, 35.9m hectares of virgin land had been ploughed

Question 10

Kruschev’s other agricultural campaigns

Answer 10

-campaign for use of maize, answer to food shortage
-encouraged cornflake production post 1959 us visit
-creation of agrocities, huge collective farms/towns
-never got beyond the visionary stage

Question 11

Cereals Production

Answer 11

82m (1952)
99m (53-56)
120m (57-60)
132m (61-64)

Question 12

Problems for peasants

Answer 12

-not encouraged to put more effort into work
-private farming produced 50% income and 30% of ussr produce sold despite being 3% of area
-low prices paid for products by the state

Question 13

Failure of krushchevs schemes

Answer 13

-virgin lands scheme less successful in long term
-land erosion took place, soil became infertile
-bad harvest 1963, grain had to be imported
-maize grew poorly, in unsuitable soil, replaced wheat

Question 14

Tractors thousands

Answer 14

-1955, 314
-1958, 415
-1965, 804

Question 15

Electricity billion kWh

Answer 15

-1955, 170
-1958, 235
-1965, 507

Question 16

Woollen fabric million sqm

Answer 16

-1955, 316
-1958, 385
-1965, 466

Question 17

Meat production tons

Answer 17

5m(1952)
6m(53-56)
8m(57-60)
9m(61-64)

Question 18

Milk production tons

Answer 18

36m (1952)
42m (53-56)
59m (57-60)
63m (61-64)