Stalin's Five Year Plans.

Question 1

What were the aims of the Five Year Plans?

Answer 1

• Stalin wanted to rapidly industrialise Russia.
• Economically, he wanted to modernise the economy.
• potentially to spread Communism further.

Question 2

What did Marx say about the revolution?

Answer 2

Marx said that every country would go through the industrial revolution and the workers would become the majority. Workers, of course, were the natural supporters of the Bolsheviks.

Question 3

Ideologically, what would be the pros of modernisation?

Answer 3

More peasants would become workers! Workers would then provide more support for the Bolsheviks.

Question 4

What problems were there with the NEP?

Answer 4

Industry and agriculture did not develop simultaneously, which led to the Scissors Crisis!

Question 5

Who were the Komsomol and how did they feel about Stalin’s policy?

Answer 5

They were the Young Communist League and they were really excited, because they believed they were building a better future for better generations.

Question 6

What were the objectives of the First Five Year Plan?

Answer 6

It aimed to develop heavy industry such as iron, steel, machine tools and power sources, like electricity and transport.
The aim was to increase production stats by 300%

Question 7

When was the First Five Year Plan?

Answer 7

1st October 1928 - 31st December 1932.

Question 8

When was the Second Five Year Plan?

Answer 8

1933 - 1937.

Question 9

What was the aim of The Second Five Year Plan?

Answer 9

More realistic targets in heavy industry made a little progress towards consumer goods.
The main focus, however, was Heavy Industry!

Question 10

When was the Third Five Year Plan?

Answer 10

January 1938 - June 1941. The latter date is significant: this is when Hitler invading Russia and Russia got involved in World War Two.

Question 11

What was the objective of the Third Five Year Plan?

Answer 11

Stalin predicted that Hitler would betray him, and the focus of the Third Year Plan was getting Russia ready for war - Defence and armaments industries.

Question 12

Describe the use of Foreigners in the Five Year Plans:

Answer 12

This started in the First Five Year plans.
Experts and Engineers from the West (like Ford).

Question 13

What was Henry Ford’s role in the Five Year Plans?

Answer 13

Henry Ford set up the Ford Motor company. He helped the Russians develop a card industry andd he trained Russian engineers in the USA.

Question 14

What was the name of an American Colonel who helped out?

Answer 14

Colonel Hugh Cooper.

Question 15

What was a reason that many skilled workers came to Russia from the West?

Answer 15

The high unemployment rate in the West (the Great Depression).

Question 16

Who was Alexei Stakhanov and what did he do?

Answer 16

He was a newmatic pick operator/coal cutter. On the 30th August 1935, he began his shift. Five hours later, he had cut 102 tonnes, which was almost sixteen times the normal 6.5 tons per shift.

Question 17

Why did Stakhanov cut so much tonnes? Was something set up…?

Answer 17

Yes! The idea came from Konstantin Petrov, the party organiser at Central Ormino in the Don Bashin. Central Ormino lagged behind its plan quota and Petrov wanted to do something about it.

Question 18

What ideal conditions did Petrov set up for Stakhanov?

Answer 18

There was an uninterrupted suppley of compressed air, a good pick, two carefully selected proppers (to prop up the roof as Alexei cut the coal) and ample supplies of timber. Remember, this were NOT ideal working conditions!! Lots of people were assigned to help him clear away the rest of his coal.

Question 19

What happened after Stakhanov finished?

Answer 19

Two hours after he finished work, he was hailed for his productivity and received rewards for his skill.