Russia: Industrial and agricultural change Flashcards
1
Q
What problems did Lenin face establishing a communist government, in terms of the economy?
A
- Marx was clear about the weaknesses of capitalism, but not clear about what future communism would entail, he was clear that a communist economy would be incredibly advanced, therefore many beleived communism would reach Britain or the US first as they had the most advanced economies
- Industrialisation in Russia had only started in 1890, it was far behind other countries
- WW1 had shattered the Russian economy mainly because so many peasants had died leaving no one to tend to the farms
- Many communists beleived the revolutions would end in capitalism before communism
2
Q
What were Lenin’s early ideas in regards to the economy?
A
- He believed unlike most communists that Russia could skip the stage of capitalism, he argued that as the revolution spread other countries would send them aid
- Until then Lenin needed to rebuild the economy to provide the people with food and ensure supplies could be produced to defend the revolution
- Lenin argued that the October revolution had ended capitalism, but the economy was not ready to be socialist yet. Lenin called the stage the government was entering “state capitalism”
3
Q
What was lenin’s early vision of a socialist economy?
A
- Very efficient, it required, modern technology, expert management and well disciplined and educated workers
- Workers would be free in the sense that they didn’t work for capitalists, therefore they’d be treated better
- Lenin strongly beleived there’d be very little leisure time as people would enjoy their work
- Lenin saw leisure as laziness
4
Q
State capitalism
A
- Based on the nationalisation of industry
- Nationalised industry was owned by the soviets or Vesenkha
- The vesenkha had 2 uses:
1. Ensured expert management of industry by hiring well paid supervisors
2. Co-ordinated production with the needs of the new society - Smaller industry was either owned by the workers or handed back to capitalists
- State capitalism was very unpopular as it was so similar to life before, however it stayed the policy from March 1918- June 1918
5
Q
Land reform
A
- Following lenin’s decree on land, land owned by the church and aristocracy was broken up and given to the peasants, this was very popular among the peasants
6
Q
War communism: food dictatorship
A
- Grain requisitioning; Cheka were authorised to forcibly take grain from the peasants without payment, to feed the army
- Rationing; supply commisariat organised rationing of seized crops, most was given to soldiers and workers, least were given to the bourgeoise
7
Q
War communism: labour discipline
A
- 1918: work day extended to 11 hours
- 1919: mandatory for all able bodied between 16-50 to work
- Being late or slacking received harsh punishment
8
Q
War communism: abolition of market
A
- Abolition of money; printed so much that it became worthless, most public services were offered free, workers paid through their ration cards,
- Abolition of trade; private trade was banned, introduced a bartering economy
- Nationalisation: All large industries nationalised
- Conscription: as workers or to fight in the red army
9
Q
consequences of war communism: economic collapse
A
- Agricultural production declined, no incentive to work, their grain was getting requisitioned, they were banned from making any money off what they had left
- Industrial production declined, little incentive to work
- Many workers fled the cities out of hunger to work on farms, 3 million city workers in 1917 to 1.2 million in 1922
10
Q
Consequences of war communism: growth of the black market
A
- 60% of food came from the black market
- Workers stole raw materials from government resources, to produce goods they could barter for food, for example steel workers stole steel to produce cigarrette lighters in exchange for food
11
Q
Consequences of war communism: mass poverty
A
- Lack of commodities such as fuel, caused workshops in major cities to close down
- Unemployment rose
- 1921 harvest was only 46% of what it was in 1913
- Famine began in rural leading to the death of 6 million
12
Q
Consequences of war communism: political crisis
A
- 1920-21 Peasant uprising in Tambov
- 1921 sailors mutiny in Krondstadt
- Both suppressed by military action
13
Q
War communism overall
A
- Succeeded in supplying the red army but at the expense of economic collapse, it also failed to abolish the market
14
Q
The NEP overall
A
Three reasons
- retain political power
- Revive the economy
- Build socialism
- Building socialism with capitalist hands
- Consolidated Bolshevik power by replacing an unpopular policy and stabilising the economy
- However led to slow industrial growth, inequality and increase in crime
- Left side of the party did not support the NEP
15
Q
The NEP measures
A
- Agricultural production was left to the free market, peasants could buy, sell and produce grain freely
- Grain requisitioning replaced with a tax
- Small factories were denationalised and allowed to trade freely, most were returned to their previous owners
- Money was reintroduced
- Large factories stayed nationalised
16
Q
The NEP consequences: political and economic stability
A
- End of grain requisitioning and free trade gave peasants incentives to work and stopped a widespread revolution
- Managers of factories also had more incentives to work
17
Q
The NEP consequences: industrial growth
A
- Tax money was used to rebuild industry that had been destroyed during the civil war
- Electrification campaign- major step in industrialisation
- By 1926 industrial output had returned to its 1913 levels
18
Q
The NEP consequences: scissor crisis
A
- The gap between farmers wages and industrial equipment was so high that the government had to offer subsidies to farmers to buy the equipment
19
Q
The NEP consequences: inequality and corruption
A
- NEPmen grew rich by trading luxury goods, the Cheka would arrest them for profiteering
- Gambling, prostitution and drug dealing grew
20
Q
Opinions on Lenin’s economic policies - the left
A
- Trotsky and his followers wanted to follow a more radical socialist policy, such as nationalisation of all industry
- Trotsky argued, allowed the state to take all money generated from agriculture and use that towards improving the economy
- He believed this would end inequality, by ending the capitalist economy and private ownership. He recognised that his view would be very unpopular among the peasants
- He saw war communism as a heroic period of true socialism
21
Q
Opinions on Lenin’s economic policies - the right
A
- Bukharin and his followers wanted to continue with the NEP to maintain social peace
- He beleived that the NEP would lead to industrialisation if the people were patient, and wouldn’t cause widespread anger among the peasants, therefore ensuring peace across the Soviet Union
- Bukharin saw war communism as evidence that complete government control caused chaos and rebellion
22
Q
Opinions on Lenin’s economic policies - the centre
A
- Stalin and his supporters were prepared to back whichever policy worked, they were pragmatic
- Until 1927 Stalin supported the NEP as it was clearly working, however he shifted to the Left when it started to decline
23
Q
The “Great Industrial Debate”
A
- Central part to the leadership struggle
- Contenders presented their rival economic policies
- During the 1920s the right won the debates therefore held onto the most power
- Most party members were centrists and supported the NEP for pragmatic reasons
24
Q
The five year plans: overview
A
- They were more a series of targets set by Gosplan backed by a propaganda campaign than actual plans
- There was no attempt to ensure that factories had the equipment and material that they needed to produce their goods or what the goods would be used for once they were produced
- Command economy
25
Q
When was the first five year plan and what was its priorities
A
1928-32
- industrialisation
- urbanisation
- heavy industry
26
Q
What were the successes of the first five year plan
A
- Economic production increased by 14%
- Stalin consolidated his power and reputation
- Unskilled workers could easily migrate to cities to work in factories
- 5 million tonnes of steel was produced in one factory in Magnitogorsk
- Ideologically socialist values succeed
27
Q
What were the failures of the first five year plan?
A
- Housing and rationing deteriorate- living standards
- Working conditions deteriorate- discipline- lateness and absents criminalised, dangerous long hours
- Black market remains- evidence of capitalist values embedded in society
- Unrealistic targets
28
Q
When was the second five year plan and what was its priorities?
A
1933-1938
- Communications
- Transport
- Heavy industry
- Living conditions
- Consumer goods
29
Q
What were the successes of the second five year plan?
A
- Output of steel trebled
- Travel improved- Moscow metro established 1935
- Bread rationing ends in 1934 along with meat and butter soon after
- Stakhavonite propaganda starts
- More realistic targets set
30
Q
What were the failures of the second five year plan?
A
- Consumer goods shortage- shoes, low quality
- Housing conditions decline, unsanitary, overcrowding
- Inequality between workers and party members become more prominent
- Stalin feared criticism and therefore continued the plan
31
Q
When was the third five year plan and what was its priorities?
A
1938-41
- Re-arment
- Creation of a war economy - Heavy industry
32
Q
What were the successes of the third five year plan?
A
- nin aircraft factories built between 39-41
- Coal production increased from 128 million in 1927 to 166 million by 1940
- 1/3 of production focused on military production
- marginal increases in production of crude oil
- Internal passports made the Soviet economy more stable
- Oil production increased from 11 million tons in 1929 to 30 million by 1940
33
Q
What were the failures of the third five year plan?
A
- poor quality of raw materials led to problems with production
- purges of those unable to meet their targets ridded Russia of skilled workers
- Shortages of steel
34
Q
Stakhavonites
A
- ALexei Stakhanov was the symbol of a new movement
- According to Russian media he mined 102 tonnes of coal in 6 hours, this was 14 times the average, as a result he was awarded a month free wages, a telephone, a new apartment and holiday tickets
- Stakhanov was a symbol of the superhuman effort that all workers should aspire to acheive
- Natably his efforts were assisted by the newest technology and assistants
35
Q
Magnitogorsk
A
- Model city of the soviet union
- Houses were built along the factory so workers did not have to commute to work
- A small village was built to house the foreign specialists supervising the construction of the factories
- Once the specialists had returned, Magnitogorsk managers moved into these houses
- Majority of workers in Magnitogorsk lived in wooden shacks, tents and mud huts
- Magnitogorsk closed in 1937 it was contaminating Soviet veiw of communism, working and housing conditions were increasingly bad
36
Q
Causes of collectivisation: Communist ideology
A
- Private property was a sign of capitalism
- They beleived that by combining resources and expertise agricultural production would be more efficient
37
Q
Causes of collectivisation: failure of the NEP
A
- The NEO had improved the economy up until 1927 when there was too much supply with too little demand
- this led to farmers to stop producing too much leading to food shortages in the cities
- The communists described this as the Kulak grain strike, and painted Kulaks as capitalists trying to slow the rate of socialism
38
Q
Causes of collectivisation: leadership struggle
A
- Bukharin and Stalin had managed to defeat Zinoviev and Kamenev, however some their supporters were still in the government
- By moving to the Left stalin was able to gain new supporters while maintaining his giving him a majority over Bukharin in the central committee
39
Q
processes of collectivisation: emergency measures
A
- July 1928- Stalin offcially ended the NEP
- He reintroduced grain requisitioning, to feed the workers in the cities and sell overseas to aid industrialisation
- Introduced rationing in the cities
40
Q
processes of collectivisation: dekulakisation
A
- Peasants reacted with violence to grain requisitioning, they hoarded their grain and even destroyed it
- Led to Stalin initiating the liquidation of the Kulak class
- 1.5 million Kulaks who had resisted grain requisitioning in anyway were sent to labour camps
- The 25 thousanders were Soviet citizens who aided in the liquidation of the kulak class
41
Q
processes of collectivisation: collectivisation
A
- Introduced in 1929
- Forcibly merged peasants farms, peasants were only given a minimum of their produce to live on the rest was requisitioned
- By 1930 Stalin claimed collectivisation was 100% successful
42
Q
Consequences of collectivisation: destruction of soviet farming
A
- In protest to requisitioning Kulaks had destroyed their produce, cattle and equipment:
17 million horses
26 million cattle
60 million goats and sheep - In 1930 the grain harvest was over 80 million tons by 1934 it was under 70
- skilled Kulaks were being purged and therefore weren’t working on farms
- Peasants had no incentives to work
43
Q
Consequences of collectivisation: famine
A
- Ukraine had resisted collectivisation
- As a a Stalin initiated the holodamor which starved 10 million Ukranians, its main aim was to destroy Ukranian nationalism
- During the famine Stalin refused foreign aid claiming there wasn’t a famine
- He also continued selling overseas
- The ukranians had internal passports, they were unable to leave
44
Q
Consequences of collectivisation: mechanisation
A
- The government allowed peasant to hire 75,000 tractors from Machine Tractor Stations, this had little impact as peasants were unskilled in using them
45
Q
Consequences of collectivisation: grain procurement
A
- Grain exports rose from less than 1 million in 1929 to 5 million in 1930
46
Q
Consequences of collectivisation: Agriculture during WW2
A
- The USSR relied on the USA to import a fifth of the calories intaken by the red army
- Bread ration fell by 40%
- Potato rations fell by 80%
- Agricultural production fell from 95.5 million tons to less than 50 million by 1945
47
Q
Consequences of collectivisation: agriculture 1934-41
A
- A small number of private farms continued until 1941, they were much more productive
- They produced 410 kilos of grain per hecatre, compared with collective farms who produced 320
- They produced double the amount of meat and milk than collective farms
