Stalinist economy Flashcards
what was Stalin’s great turn?
-in dec 1927 at the 5th party congress Stalin announced the end of the NEP and the beginning of the 1st 5 year plan
-after a war scare in the 20s, there was a need to improve USSR’s military strength
-wanted russia to be self sufficient - necessary for a communist economy
-for true socialism it would be essential to develop and modernise industry
what were the general key aspects of the five year plans?
-the plans suited Stalin’s personal style of strong central control of industry
-set targets for chosen industries
-targets were intentionally ambitious to force maximum effort
-each launch of a plan was accompanied by propaganda
-failure to achieve a target was a criminal offence
-there was huge corruption as factory bosses would lie about meeting their targets, they would also focus on quantity rather than quality
describe the 1st 5 year plan:
-1928-1932
-aims were to increase production by 300%, develop heavy industry, boost electricity production by 600%, double the output from light industries e.g. chemicals
-Stalin claimed that the targets were met in 4 years rather than 5, but that was only due to false reports by local officials
-successes = electricity output trebled, coal and iron production doubled. steel production increased by a third, new railways, new industrial complexes e.g. Magnitogorsk
-failures = targets fro chemical industries weren’t met, consumer industries e.g. house building were neglected, not enough skilled workers, not enough effective central coordination for efficient development
describe the 2nd 5 year plan:
-1932-1937
-aims = continue development of heavy industry, put new emphasis on light industries, develop communications, boost engineering and tool making
-successes = especially in the ‘three good years’ (1934-36). Moscow metro opened in 1935, Dnieprostroi dam producing hydroelectric power became the largest in Europe, rapid growth in electricity production and the chemical industries
-by 1937 the USSR was virtually self-sufficient in metal goods and machine tools
-failures = failed to meet targets in oil production, no appreciable increase in consumer goods, still an emphasis on quantity over quality
describe the 3rd 5 year plan:
-aims = focus on the development of heavy industry, promote rapid rearmament and complete the transition to communism
-strong growth in machinery and engineering
-not evenly spread across the country
-resources were increasingly diverted to rearmament which led to steel production stagnating and oil failing to meet its targets, thus causing an oil crisis
-many industries were short of raw materials
-consumer goods neglected once more
-biggest issues were lack of good managers, specialists and technicians (following Stalin’s purges), and diversion of funds into defence/rearmament
describe the wartime economy:
-by the end of 1941 germany occupied a large % of soviet industry areas
-30th of june 1941 = establishment of the official wartime economy
-‘scorched earth policy’ where farmland was burnt so that it was useless for the german army
-over 1,500 factories moved from the west to east, factories were hidden behind the Ural mountains
-production geared towards the military
-industrial bases were linked to the frontline which solved the issue of the earlier 5YPs where things across the empire weren’t well connected
-wartime economy was easier for the USSR than their allies, because they were used to pre-war economic controls
-whole population was harnessed for labour and there was extreme worker control
-by 1942, 57% of budget was spent on military
-3,500 new industrial towns built in the Urals
-by mid 1943 the USSR was producing more than Germany
BUT
-major food problems e.g. grain harvest in 1942 was half that of 1940
-major contributions from allies were not made public knowledge - Stalin made the people believe that they had been abandoned by the west
describe the 4th 5 year plan:
-aims = catch up with the US, rebuild heavy industry + transport, and revive Ukraine
-use of extensive reparations from East Germany
-maintenance of wartime controls of labour force e.g. long hours
-‘grand projects’ used in propaganda e.g. canals, HEP plants
-USSR became 2nd largest industrial capacity
-most targets in heavy industry were met
-production doubled
-industrial workforce increased
-industrially stronger than pre-war
describe the 5th 5 year plan:
-aims = continuation of development of heavy industry and transport, stronger investment for consumer goods, housing and services
-continuation of 4th 5YP but diversion of resources during Korean war
-Malenkov (economic minister) reduced expenditure of the military and heavy industry
-most growth targets were met
-national income increased by 71%
-Malenkov became leader after Stalin but his changes met opposition which meant he lost his position in 1955
