R4.4 Economic and Social Condition by 1941 Flashcards
What was a Soviet Joke from the 1930s?
Q. What would happen if you built communism in the Sahara Desert?
A. Everything would be fine for the first three years, but then there would be a serious shortage of sand
By 1941, what had Stalin’s Five Year Plans transformed Russia into?
A highly industrialised and urbanised nation, all Russian farms had been collectivised and the free market was over
What percentage of the population lived in the town 1926 and 1939?
1926 - 17%
1939 - 33%
By 1940 what had the USSR overtaken Britain in?
In iron and steel + they were not far behind Germany, which made Stalin very proud
Between 1938 and 1941 how much did spending on rearmament change?
Rose from 27.5 bil roubles to 70.9 roubles
On the eve of war how much armaments were the Soviet industry producing per month?
230 tanks, 700 military aircraft and more than 100k rifles per month
What were the proportions of budget devoted to defence in 1933,37 and 1940
1933 - 3.4%
1937 - 16.5%
1940 - 32.6%
Successes aside, what failures did the 1941 economy present?
-Economic development uneven, heavy industry massively grown but consumer production cut back
-Consumer goods scarcer than under NEP, with quality of goods very poor
-Bureaucracy hindered implementation of economic schemes
-Organisation at local levels was often chaotic
-When war broke out, many problems with quality of goods/equipment
How was state ownership explained as a socialist form of ownership?
Explained as the State was protecting the individual against the exploitation of citizen by profit-seeking capitalism
Had Stalin made his ideal classless society?
Stalin had helped create a hierarchical society dominated by a privileged party elite
Did the USSR achieve complete communism?
No, they never claimed to have achieved this because complete communism under Stalin would mean the State withering away its governing bodies, but instead the Soviets described reaching socialism as a result of closing private factories and collectivising agriculture
What was Issued in July 1940?
A decree making poor quality production a criminal offence, so that in theory enterprises had to worry about quality, whilst considering quantitative quotas
What was Economic policy like for the start of the war in 1941?
Central authority and command economy were vital in the organisation of war effort, and the harshness of labour laws and severity of working conditions helped build resilience among the soviet labour force
By 1941 how much grain was the USSR producing?
Less grain than under the NEP, when Stalin’s enemy - the Kulaks were active
