The social and economic condition of the SU by 1941

Question 1

By 1941 what had Stalin’s five year plans done and what were often exaggerated?

Answer 1

Transformed Russia into a highly industrialised and urbanised nation, while all Russian farms had been collectivised and the free market brought to an end
While soviet claims and statistics were often exaggerated there is no doubt in the transformation that had taken place

Question 2

What was the difference in where people were living and what happened by 1940 as a result?

Answer 2

In 1926 17% of the population were living in towns and by 1939 33% did so by 1940 the USSR had overtaken Britain in iron and steel production and wasn’t far behind Germany

Question 3

By emphasising heavy industry and rearmament what did Stalin help lay the foundation for?

Answer 3

Victory in the second world war - coal and oil production were vastly stepped up in the third five year plan, nine air craft factories were constructed in 1939.

Question 4

What did spending on rearmament rise to 1938 -1941

Answer 4

1938 = 27.5 billion roubles to 70.9 billion roubles by 1941

Question 5

On the eve of war what was the soviet industry producing?

Answer 5

230 tanks, 700 military aircraft and more than 100,000 rifles per month

Question 6

How did the proportion of budget devoted to defence change?

Answer 6

1933 - 3.4%
1937 - 16.5%
1940 - 32.6%

Question 7

What were the crucial weaknesses in the economy?

Answer 7

Economic developments were uneven
Heavy industry had grown massively by 1941 but after a brief rise during the second plan, consumer production had been cut back meaning consumer goods were scarcer than under the NEP

Question 8

Why was the quality of goods poor?

Answer 8

Even though labour productivity had increased quality was poor as bureaucrats were set on figures and targets at the expense of all else

Question 9

What else did bureaucracy hinder the progress of?

Answer 9

Economic schemes - while massive investment permitted growth under the plans, organisation at local level was at time chaotic

Question 10

What was the economy not geared for?

Answer 10

Imminent war in 1941 - when war broke out deficiencies in both the quality and quantity of the equipment and problems of supply were soon apparent

Question 11

In 1940 where was the USSR comparatively with other powers in terms of coal?

Answer 11

USSR = 164.6 million tonnes
USA = 359
Britain = 227
France = 186
France = 45.5 (only out producing France who were still recovering from destruction of ww1)

Question 12

In 1940 where was the USSR comparatively with other powers in terms of pig iron?

Answer 12

USSR = 14.9
USA = 31.9
GB = 6.7
Germany = 18.3
France = 6
USSR much bigger nation than B and F recovering

Question 13

What was the difference in production of grain between 1928 and 1940?

Answer 13

1928 = 73 million tonnes
1940 = 95 million tonnes (improvement but not for amount invested?)

Question 14

What was the difference in the production of electrical power?

Answer 14

1928 = 5 billion KWH
1940 = 48 billion KWH

Question 15

What is the difference in the production of coal and steel?

Answer 15

Coal 1928 = 35.4 million tonnes Coal 1940 = 165

Steel 1928 = 4 million tonnes Steel 1940 = 18

Question 16

What was the difference in production of some consumer goods?

Answer 16

Clearly neglected area 
Washing machines = 0 1928 and 0 1940
Cameras = 0 1928 and 35 million 1940 (export?) 
Radios = 0 1928 and 16 million 1940
Cars = 0 1928 and 0.5 million 1940

Question 17

What is a positive for Stalin of the social change brought about by the economic drive?

Answer 17

He could now claim to have made further progress towards true socialism as socialism meant social ownership of the means of production e.g. people collectively owned factories and fields (the state did on peoples behalf) so there was no profit being made by some at others expense

Question 18

What did the Soviets claim about state ownership?

Answer 18

That it was just a form of social ownership since the state was protecting the individual against the exploitation of the citizens by profit-seeking capitalists - in this sense economic programme = successful - furthered communist ideology

Question 19

How had Stalin acquired greater control over the people in rural areas through his policy?

Answer 19

Communist control was considerably strengthened in the countryside as from 1929 peasants were supervised by party officials attached to each Kolkhoz and secret police units were stationed at each Motor Tractor Station to check up on the rural population

Question 20

How had Stalin acquired greater control over people in cities?

Answer 20

Factory managers were subject to control of the party
(on pain of demotion or even execution) while the workers were kept in order through labour books and internal passports with the threat of the denial of ration cards, eviction from lodgings and even legal sentencing for minor wrongdoings

Question 21

How did the outcomes of the industrial drive of the 30’s differ from the original socialist ideals?

Answer 21

Rather than a classless society Stalin had created a hierarchical society dominated by a privileged party elite. The peasants were at the mercy of the collective and the urban+ rural working class while being no longer exploited by capitalist employers, were ruthlessly driven by their socialist masters instead
The state had become more formidable and brutal

Question 22

The soviets never claimed to reach communism under Stalin as h=this would have meant the loss of the governing bodies but how did they claim to have reached socialism?

Answer 22

Based on the fact that the few remaining private factories were closed in 1930 and the collectivisation of agriculture was completed in the 1930’s

Question 23

Why do critics suggest that the USSR was not a socialist state?

Answer 23

‘Social’ ownership under Stalin didn’t exist for the good of the people - it was a from of dictatorial and totalitarian power in which all activity, including economic was determined by the unelected leaders determined to be good for the party and the state without taking the needs of individual citizens into account

Question 24

As well as destruction of the Kulaks and dislocation of the peasants, many of whom moved to industrial cities, who was little regard given to?

Answer 24

Urban workers - even those at managerial level were expendable - the treatment of this important social group reflects the concern of the state to force change at any cost

Question 25

What is an example of the huge pressure put on management?

Answer 25

In 1940 a decree was issued making poor quality production a criminal offence so therefore enterprises had to worry about quality as well as meeting quantitative targets

Question 26

What did the 1940 decree breech?

Answer 26

The 1929 Central Committee directive that stated enterprises such as factories should be managed by one person free from interference by the party organisation

Question 27

How did the quality of life for all non-Party personnel suffer under the economic drive and what did it show?

Answer 27

Low rations, poor housing, constant pressure - showed Stalin’s willingness to sacrifice the people for his economic vision - for Stalin the ideological motive for industrialisation was as great as building national strength

Question 28

What did Stalin promote the industrial campaign as one of?

Answer 28

Class warfare far from trying to unite the nation (he deliberately split it)
 e.g. using committed groups like the Communist youth group, Komsomol to preach against 'class enemies' who were trying to hold up progress

Question 29

What principles were to prove vital in the organisation of the Soviet war effort in 1941?

Answer 29

Central authority and the development of the command economy

Question 30

What did harshness of the labour laws and severity of the working conditions in towns and country in the 1930’s do?

Answer 30

Helped build resilience among the Soviet labour force and made them more ready to suffer for the greater good - enabling them to cope with hardships of war

Question 31

Despite economic and social developments by 1941 giving the USSR a much stronger basis from which to mount defence and fight back than would have been the case in 1928 - what was the problem when war came?

Answer 31

The third five year plan was left incomplete and by 1941 the nation was still producing less grain than under the NEP