The Economy under Stalin

Question 1

The great turn

Answer 1

this was the move from NEP to the Five-Year Plans and collectivization of Agriculture

central planning made gov responsible for Economic Coordination

aim to increase industrial growth to appoint of self-sufficiency to create a socialist state

Question 2

What was Stalin’s great turn was driven by?

Answer 2

Stalin’s great turn was driven by many economic factors

1927 = NEP failed to produce growth that communist sought
1920s = war scare lead to increase in USSRs military strength and self-sufficiency aims

True socialism = dev of industry so state wasn’t depent on peasants

Question 3

the first Five-Year plan = 1928-32

Answer 3

Aim to increase production by 300%

Publicity surrounding launch of this plan let you an enthusiastic response
Stalin claimed aims or met in 4 years

However,this was due to over-exaggerated reports by officials
no major targets met

but electricity output trebled + coal and iron output doubled

Question 4

the second Five-Year plan = 1933-37

Answer 4

had some success + three good years

electricity and chemical production increased rapidly
Soviet was self-sufficient in metal goods by 1937
Russia had the largest hydro dam in Europe

but still no increase in consumer goods

Question 5

the third Five-Year plan = 1938-42

Answer 5

resources diverted to rearmament leading to a 30% increase in heavy industry
however, this meant other industries were short on raw materials

consumer goods did not increase
dearth of good managers, specialists and technicians following Stalin’s purges was a big problem for this plan

disrupted by German invasion of 1941

Question 6

success?

Answer 6

By the end of the 1930s, Stalin was consolidated in power
He created an economic power base which was able to survive the invasion of the Germans + this was a great success.

Yet the long-term outcome was that the economy was modernised but lost initiative.
This meant that it never improved + remained second rate compared to the west.