Social and Economic Condition USSR 1941 Flashcards
What did Stalin’s Five Year Plans transform the USSR into?
A highly industrialised and urbanised nation with no free markets left.
Which year did the USSR overtake Britain in iron and steel production?
1940
How much money was being spent on Rearmament in 1941?
71 Million Roubles
How many tanks was the USSR producing on the eve of war?
230 tanks a month
How many aircraft was the USSR producing on the eve of war?
700 aircraft a month
How many rifles was the USSR producing on the eve of war?
100,000 a month
In 1941, what was the industry which was weakest in production?
Consumer Goods. Worse in 1941 than it was under the NEP.
What was a problem with the USSR Bureaucracy on the eve of war?
It was inefficient at implementing economic schemes to boost production.
What was obvious about the USSR’s supplies when war broke out?
Both quantity and quality were insufficient for the Germans’ attack in June 1941.
How did Stalin’s Five Year Plan strengthen communist ideology?
State Ownership was a feature of Socialism. Working for the collective was a feature of Socialism and no market trade was a feature of socialism.
How did Stalin ensure he had control over the countryside?
Party Officials appointed at Kolkhozes and secret police at Machine Tractor Stations to ensure obedience.
Instead of a class society, what existed in the USSR under Stalin during the Five Year Plans?
A hierarchal society dominated by Party elites. Peasants were at the mercy of the collectives and industrial workers were dictated by their managers who were dictated by the centralised control of the Party.
What did a decree in July 1940 say in regard to production quality? Why was this terrifying for managers?
Poor quality production was now a criminal offence, giving managers another issue other than quantity to worry about.
How did the terrible conditions the USSR’s citizens lived in aid them in wartime?
They were accustomed to being treated as expendable and so were more ready to suffer for the greater good. They also knew how to survive on horrific rations and could stand brutal treatment.
By 1941, was more grain being produced than had been produced under the NEP?
Big fat nope.
