the transformstion of the economy 1917-1941 Flashcards
what happened in 1928?
the scissors crisis, it damaged the economy
what things were neglected when the industry developed?
consumer goods like food
what did agriculture/ the economy struggle to recover from?
collectivisation
how had WW1 impacted the economy?
it had devastated it and caused shortages of many resources, rationing was required
when was war communism?
1918-1921
what were the main 3 things war communism introduced?
•centralisation and nationalisation of most industries
•grain requisitioning from peasants
•attempting to abolish private enterprise
what impact did nationalisation of industries have on the economy?
•factories were taken over by the state and the lack of experienced managers/ workers meant that industrial output plummeted
•many factories were repurposed for military production meaning the production of consumer goods sharply declined
•transportation systems were ineffective
what impact did grain requisitioning have on the peasants?
•the government demanded large amounts of grain, often exceeding the peasants’ ability to produce it
•this led to widespread resentment amongst the peasants and they began hoarding/ burning grain and slaughtering livestock
•food shortages became widespread (Ukraine famine 32-33, 3 million died)
what did war communism/ civil war also lead to in terms of the economy?
inflation as they financed the war effort through printing money
•the value of the rouble collapsed
after the civil war what had industrial production declined by?
two thirds
when was the NEP introduced and what was it?
•introduced in 1921 by Lenin
•it was a response to the economic collapse caused by War communism and the civil war
what were the 4 key features of the NEP?
- agricultural reforms (abolished grain requisitioning)
- reintroduction of private enterprise
- state controlled industry
- foreign trade
limitations of the NEP
•slow industrial recovery and was not enough to fully restore the economy
•growth of NEP men was a symbol of capitalism
•led to more economic inequality
•did not help the proletariat
how did collectivisation hinder the economy?
it caused a sharp decline in agricultural output, slowing economic recovery
what did the purges result in?
the loss of many trained experts
what did the population in Gulags rise to and what did it mean for production?
during the Great terror it rose from 1,200,000 to 1,800,000 and it meant production was ineffective as there was no trained workers
what did money put towards rearmament mean?
there was less money invested in agriculture and consumer goods
what did production rise to in the first 5 year plan?
rose by 236%
what were some of the positives of the NEP?
the NEP in 1921 brought temporary stabilisation to some agricultural sectors as peasants were allowed to sell surplus grain on the market
what were the industrial successes of the first 5 year plan?
electricity output trebled, coal and iron doubled and steel increased by a third
what improvements came from collectivisation?
it introduced modernised farming techniques like mechanised agriculture (machinery for farming)
what was an industrial success in infrastructure?
the Dneiper Dam was built which increased electricity production by 5x
what did Stalins industrial policies lead to the creation of?
new cities and industrial centres like the Donbass coal basin and siberia
•Magnitogorsk and Stalingrad
what did the USSR become less dependent on?
imports and resources from other countries
they prioritised rearmament, meaning by 1941 per month they were producing..
•230 tanks
•700 aircraft
•100,000 rifles
how did collectivisation make Russia less modern?
the internal passports issued in the kolkhoz meant the peasants were bound to the land, a throwback to the serfdom of the pre 1861 era
by what year had they recovered pre-war levels of grain?
1939
