Stakhanovites & Working & Living condition Flashcards
Who was the man behind the Stakhanovite movement?
Aleksei Stakhanov
Who was Alezsei Stakhanov?
a coal miner in the Don Basin
What did Stakhanov do?
he picked 102 tonnes of coal in under 6 hours in 1935
Why was it significant that Stakhanov picked 102 tonnes of coal in under 6 hours in 1935?
as this was the expected amount from a miner in 14 times that length of time
What was Stakhanov hailed as an example of?
of how human determination and endeavour might increase productivity
As well as declared a Soviet hero and given a large work bonus and honour awards, what was held in his name?
competitions to emulate his achievement
Why was the Stakhanovite movement ideal propaganda for the Party?
as this helped to create a new proletarian culture based on team work and selfless sacrifice
What did the Stakhanovite movement force managers to do?
to support their workers and increase production
What was a negative side effect of the Stakhanovite movement?
jealousy from the material benefits awarded
What are there records of which reflect a negative impact of the Stakhanovite movement?
records of Stakhanovites being victimised and even attacked by colleagues who resented campaigns to make them work even harder than they were
What was the job of directors and managers of industrial enterprises?
to ensure that output targets set by regional administrators were met
Why was the job of managers hard?
as they had no control over resources, prices, wages and other costs
What % of his income would the manager of an industrial enterprise get as a bonus if his output was better than expected?
40%
What did the pressure managers faced cause them to do?
to falsify statistics
Why could a manager be be put on trial, imprisoned or executed?
for failing to meet targets
What was ‘wrecking’ which managers could be charged with if they didn’t balance their books?
‘wrecking’ were acts perceived as sabotage such as failing to meet targets or lowering morale in the work place
From what year did factories have to pay for their own fuel, raw materials and labour out of their profits?
1936
Why is it little wonder that bribery and corruption became embedded within the system?
due to the pressure on managers to ensure targets were met
What were national ‘work norms’?
these governed how much work a labourer should be expected to do and rules on absenteeism
Why did national ‘work norms’ make it difficult for managers?
as it was now more difficult to earn the good will of his labour force
Why couldn’t managers bypass regulations when work norms were raised in 1936 from 10-50% and caused workers to protest?
as this could result in accusations of sabotage
Why did Stakhanovites pose particular problems to managers?
as too much effort could lead to factory targets being revised upwards, creating problems for output the following year
What would some Stakhanovites who were keen to show their prowess accuse managers of ?
of wrecking their Stakhanovite attempts by failing to supply good tools or resources
Why would some Stakhanovites accuse managers of wrecking their attempts by failing to supply good tools and resources?
as they were keen to show their prowess to earn medals and other benefits
When was there a slump in trade as a result from the worldwide Depression
late 1930’s
Why did managers face labour shortages in the late 1930’s? (2)
as conditions on collective farms improved which reduced immigration to the cities and many young men were conscripted to the military
Despite the communist talk of ‘_____________’ and the creation of the ‘______ ____’, the living and working conditions experienced by most industrial workers were far from a ‘socialist paradise’.
proletarianisation
socialist man
How many days a week did the drive for industrialisation bring?
7 working days
