Russia: collectivisation and industrialisation Flashcards
What was collectivisation?
The enforced grouping of individual farmers’ land and livestock into larger,collective farms.
What was a kolkhoz?
A collective farm.
What percentage of the kolkhoz’s produce would be sold to the government?
90
What were the MTS?
The Motor Tractor Stations, whose tractor drivers toured the kolkhoz to do the ploughing.
What is the significance of the numbers 30 million and 16 million?
They were the number of cows and horses respectively that peasants killed rather than give them to the kolkhoz.
By how much did grain production fall between 1928 (the beginning of collectivisation) and 1934?
10%
How many people died in the 1932 famine?
13 million
What happened to state grain procurement (i.e. the amount of grain taken by the state from the peasants) 1929-32?
It doubled.
What was Gosplan?
The Russian state planning organisation which drew up the 5 Year Plans.
It might sound obvious that a five year plan should take five years. But how many did Stalin insist it should take?
4
On what did the first, second and third Five Year Plans focus, or plan to focus?
Major industry; mining; as before, but with added consumer goods.
What was the name of the huge city built as part of the regeneration drive?
Magnitogorsk.
Who was Stakhanov?
A legendary miner who other workers were encouraged to emulate.
Give the coal and steel stats which suggest the 5YPs succeeded.
Coal production rose from 35m tonnes in 1927 to 150m in 1940.
Steel production rose from 3m tonnes in 1927 to 19m in 1940.
What were gulags and what was built as a result of their existence?
Prisons where the punishment was forced labour. Prisoners built the Moscow Metro and Belomor Canal.
What is one reason why it could be argued that collectivistaion was a sucess
Stalin managed to increase control over Russia:
* Countryside peasants never again openly rebelled
* Put into practise communist ideas
* 80% of farmland collectivised
* Made it easier to colect grain and taxes
* Control over grain supply
What is another reason why it could be argued that collectivistaion was a sucess?
Production and its efficiency did increase in some areas:
* Enough food to feed towns and red army
* Enough labour for factories
* More grain produced - roughly doubled between 1929 and 1932
* Tractors (MTS) used - mechanisation of farming sped up
* Some kolkhoz’s prospered and had schools and hospitals
What is one reason why it could be argued that collectivistaion was not a sucess?
Huge amounts of opposition, weaking its effectiveness:
* Half of russias cows and horses killed by peasants unwilling to join kolkhoz
* Peasants would also burn crops and even thier own houses
* Deportations to gulgas
* Had to slow down due to sabotage by peasants
What is another reason why it could be argued that collectivistaion was not a sucess?
In some areas production decreased:
* Soviet farmers produced less per head than in USA
* Until 1930’s food had to be brought from abroad
* Grain production fell (see earlier flashcards)
* Combined w poor harvest led to huge famine in 1932 (which gov refused to acknowledge which made it much worse)
What is one reason why it could be argued that industrialisation was a sucess?
Production in industry increased massively in some areas:
* Coal, steel and oil production increased
* Sucessfully developed new industries
* Dams and hydroelectric power
* New cities built (Magnitogorsk)
* Moscow metro
What is another reason why it could be argued that industrialisation was a sucess?
Increased quality of life for some peasants and workers:
* Stakhanovites got free holidays and order of lenin
* By 1930’s many workers got well-paid jobs
* Unemployment practically non-existent
* More doctors per head than Britain
What is one reason why it could be argued that industrialisation was not a sucess?
In other ways, worker conditions were terrible and discipline was strict:
* Terrible labour and housing conditions
* Factory discipline strict e.g. lateness meant a fine and absence meant sacking
* Belomor canal building - 100,000 worker peasants died
* Workers poorly paid and value of wages fell by 10% from 1928-33
What is another reason why it could be argued that industrialisation was not a sucess?
Although production increased, there were many manufacturing problems:
* 5yp’s often missed targets
* Factories overproduced or faced shortages
* Low quality products
* Huge shortage of skilled workers
