The Five Year Plans

Question 1

When was Gosplan established?

Answer 1

February 1921

Question 2

How many people did Gosplan employ?

Answer 2

Almost half a million bureaucrats

Question 3

Which historian coined the term ‘gigantomania’?

Answer 3

Sheila Fitzpatrick

Question 4

Give 2 examples of Stalin’s ‘gigantomania’.

Answer 4

The White Sea Canal (1933) Magnitogorsk (1932)

Question 5

What does Stalin’s adopted name mean?

Answer 5

‘Man of steel’

Question 6

What were the 1936 production figures for Magnitogorsk?

Answer 6

*15,000 tonnes of iron ore *4,000 tonnes of pig iron *2,500 of rolled steel EVERY SINGLE DAY

Question 7

Give the dates of the First 5 Year Plan.

Answer 7

October 1928- December 1932

Question 8

Identify 4 negative aspects to the ‘gigantomania’ projects like Magnitogorsk.

Answer 8

1. The focus was on fulfilling targets as fast as possible so working conditions were unsafe. 2. Slave labour was used, for instance there were 35,000 Kulaks in Magnitogorsk. 3. People were unable to buy consumer goods that they vitally needed, like shoes and clothing. 4. Workers lived in fear as simple mistakes could be a death sentence as workers were classed as ‘saboteurs and wreckers’.

Question 9

Identify 4 ideological causes behind the implementation of the 5 Year Plans.

Answer 9

1. Full, Marxist socialism was only possible in a highly advanced and industrialized nation. 2. Russia needed to ‘catch up’ with the West in order to demonstrate the superiority of socialism. 3. More urban factories would lead to a higher population of urban industrial workers who would demographically be more likely to support the communists. 4. Stalin felt that the NEP had only benefited the Kulaks and nepmen

Question 10

Identify 4 political causes behind the implementation of the 5 year plans.

Answer 10

1. The apparent ‘success’ of collectivisation, lead some to believe that forced industrialization was possible. 2. Stalin wanted to distance himself from Lenin and build up his own, strong reputation, rather than be seen as just ‘Lenin’s pupil’ which lead him to publicly attack ‘Lenin’s Russia’ in 1929 (on his 50th birthday). 3. Stalin needed to industrialize to be able to re-arm, through the development of iron, steel, coal and oil to create a powerful red army. 4. Once Trotsky was exiled, Stalin could steal his ideas.

Question 11

Recall Stalin’s famous quote about industrialization.

Answer 11

“We are fifty or a hundred years behind the advanced countries. We need to make up that gap in ten years. Either we do this or they will crush us!”

Question 12

What was significant about economic growth during the First 5 Year Plan?

Answer 12

The Russian economy had undergone 14% growth each year, even in the context of a worldwide recession.