Stalin's Domestic Policies

Question 1

Timeline

Answer 1

1929 - Kolkhoz (collectives) established - First 5 yr plan
1932 - Second 5 yr plan
1932-34 - Famine
1936 - Abortion illegal
1937 - Third 5 yr plan
1941 - Germany invades USSR

Question 2

Economic Policies

Answer 2

• To increase military strength to resist foreign intervention
• Achieve self-sufficiency, no western goods
• Increase grain supply, end dependence on backward agricultural system

Question 3

Social Policies

Answer 3

• Wanted improved standards of living
• Industrialization for a wealthy society
• Communism would appeal to the world
• Wants to restore traditional values

Question 4

Political Policies

Answer 4

• Wants to crush internal class enemies, Kulaks
• Brutal de-kulakisation to break peasantry
• Wanted production under control of the state

Question 5

Achievement of aims
1. Collectivization

Answer 5

• 1929 kolkhoz farms
• Those who disagreed were named kulaks and were tortured
• 25m farms into 20 000 kolkhoz farms
• “25 000ers” encouraged following orders
• Grain requisitioning, exported and used to buy machinery

Question 6

Achievement of aims
2. Industrialization

Answer 6

• 5 yr plans for “revolution from above”
• The first plan called for an increase in output
• Built iron and steel plants, railways, and power stations
• 2nd and 3rd shifted production to heavy machinery (trucks, trains, tractors)
  -Stalin focussed on re-arming due to Hitler’s arming

Question 7

Achievement of aims
3. Labour control

Answer 7

• Industrialization was achieved through labour discipline, slave labour, and propaganda
• Labour discipline: Harsh laws, workers punished for being late or absent, crime to break machinery, failure to meet quota could mean death
• Slave labour: Gulags and work camps built

Question 8

Achievement of aims
4. Propaganda

Answer 8

• Speeches about the successes of 5 yr plans
• Showed industrialization of Russia
• Gulags were overflowing

Question 9

Achievement of aims
5. Women

Answer 9

• “Great Retreat”, return to traditional roles and values
• Abortion is illegal, divorce expensive and discouraged
• Medals for over 10 kids
• Women expected to work
  -Trained as pilots and saw combat duties

Question 10

Achievement of aims
6. Religion

Answer 10

• Frowned upon during Lenin, demonized during Stalin
• Killed priests, destroyed churches
• Peasants practice in private

Question 11

Successes and Failures of Collectivization

Answer 11

Failures:
- R Conquest estimates 7 m died in 1932-34 famine
- 17m moved to cities for jobs
- 5-10m kulaks sent to camps
- Bad harvest. the country would go hungry not the city
- Decline of harvest and yield, 50% of livestock slaughtered

Successes:
- Allowed Stalin to pursue class warfare
- Secured grain supply to export to fund industrialization

Question 12

Successes and Failures of Industrialization

Answer 12

Failures:
- Focus on heavy machinery deprived workers of basic goods (clothes, shoes, ect;)
- neglected safety, low wages ( - 50% 5yrs after 1928)
- Tough discipline

Successes:
- Increased education and training
- 1928-41, steel increased 400%, coal 600%
- Able to defend for 4 yrs in “total war”

Question 13

Successes and Failure of Women

Answer 13

Failures (it’s all failures):
- Very little increase in the birth rate
- A decline of divorce, marriage declined
- Divorce per marriage didn’t decline
- Illegal abortions increased drastically

Question 14

Successes and Failures of Religion

Answer 14

• Became “underground”, people met secretly
• Stalin changed sides to get support for the war effort