The fall of the USSR (1985-91)

Question 1

tWhat evidence was there for economic decline?

Answer 1

• The Novosibirsk report of 1983 highlighted long term economic weakness highlighted inflexibility and inefficiency causing damage to agriculture
• Politburo read this report and ignored it apart from Gorbachev who started a period of trial and error

Question 2

How did Gorbachev strengthen his position before launching economic reforms?

Answer 2

• Gorbachev fired his biggest rival grigory romanov 1985 and promoted allies such as Yegor Ligachev and Boris Yeltsin to the central committee in 1986

Question 3

What evidence was there for alcoholism in the soviet union?

Answer 3

• Mid-1980’s 15% of soviet household spending was on alcohol and most workers turned up to work drunk

Question 4

What was done to curb alcoholism in the soviet union?

Answer 4

• Legal drinking raised to 21
• Alcohol retail outlets reduced
• Vineyards and distilleries closed and destroyed
• Vodka costs tripled

Question 5

Was the campaign against alcoholism successful in raising production?

Answer 5

• Taxes from alcohol reduced meant less state budget
• Drinking levels began to rise again due to illegal moonshine

This showed relying on the workers to raise production was naive

Question 6

What was the aim of the 12th year plan?

Answer 6

(1986-80)
To increase economic growth in the soviet union the party feel back on traditionalism through central planning and increased investment in science, research and engineering.

Question 7

What were the key weaknesses of the 12th five year plan?

Answer 7

• Focus on spending towards construction meant overspending on factories to equip workers
• Factories used outdated equipment causing low production
• Slow to use new technology and importing it meant less imports of food.
• Investment into agriculture wasted showing no growth
• Focus on quantity not quality

Question 8

Why did the 12th 5 year plan fail?

Answer 8

• Resistance from the military, other sectors had to fail in order for the growth of weapons
• The government attempted to go into a deficit hoping the economy to improve soon but it didn’t and from 1985-86 the deficit increased by 3.8%
• The war in Afghanistan and funds to defend against America’s star wars campaign

Question 9

What was economic Perestroika?

Answer 9

1987, Soviet economy needed restructuring by introducing market mechanisms showing a slight return to capitalism which would retreat from central planning encouraging flexibility and incentives

• Proposed at the 1987 plenum of the central committee

Question 10

What were the key factors of Perestroika?

Answer 10

• Joint ventures, 1987, this allowed foreign businesses to open in the USSR such as the first Mcdonalds in 1990 which Gorbachev hoped would open the state to more modern tech.
• Law on state Enterprise, 1987, less state control on wages and prices, Once targets had been met factories could produce what they wanted and managers were elected weakening authority of Gosplan
• Co-operatives legalised in 1988, allowed small private enterprises and they could set their own prices producing a growing tertiary sector.

Question 11

What were the impacts of perestroika?

Answer 11

• Food production increased 1% in 1986-87 but 20% of food still imported
• Enterprises subject to resource allocation by state meaning centralisation still remained
• Co-operatives held most of the food with high prices causing inflation and resource inequality among poorer people
• Co-operatives sold to the highest bidders meaning poor areas were deprived of goods
• Productive Co-operatives attracted corrupt party members asking for bribes and criminal gangs who used them fro racketeering
• Food rationing in response to hoarding, 1988 meat rationed in 26/55 regions of Russia
• Electing managers caused a 13% wage rise in 1989
• FDI put off by state involvement deterring companies completely with only 3000 joint ventures in the USSR in 1990 having little impact on the economy
• Some cities ignored, sabotaged or watered down reforms such as Leningrad burying all the sausages
• Made worse by drop in oil prices as in 1984 oil counted for 54% of soviet exports

Question 12

What conflict was there between national governments and central planning after Perestroika?

Answer 12

1989, state commission for economic reform issued a report calling for a market led economy splitting the politburo

• Shatalin offered a 500 day programme moving to a market led economy which was accepted by Russian parliament but rejected by Soviet government causing arguments and then the downfall of the soviet economy

Question 13

What was Glasnost?

Answer 13

A response to the inflexibility, corruption and nepotism of the party

• Complete reform of the system allowing the public to criticise and put forward new policies and remove those who were against reform

Question 14

What was the impact of Glasnost?

Answer 14

• Poor housing
• Revealed details of Stalin’s mass terror such as the famine of the 1930’s and the Katyn massacre
• Heroism of the 2nd WW undermined by amount of lives lost
• Environmental problems brought up such as the aral sea irrigation scheme.

Question 15

How did the Chernobyl incident