Theme 2c Flashcards
what Khrushchev did with agriculture (4)
argued it was inefficient and needed reform:
VLS
Corn Campaign
Incentives
Increased resources
What was the VLS
scheme to turn unfarmed land into farms (e.g. in Kazakhstan)
launched 1953
was a significant investment (from 1954-59 agricultural investment went from 3% to13%)
how did Khrushchev increase incentives for farmers
1954 - he reduced collective farm quotas and increased the price that the govt. would buy produce for (250% increase in farmer income form 1952-56)
how did Khrushchev increase the resources that farmers had access to
1954 - new fertiliser factories and increase in tractor production announced
how much of an increase was there in amount of fertiliser and access to tractors was there by 1955
30% increase in tractors available
40% increase in amount of fertiliser
what was the corn campaign
1958
encouraged Ukrainian farmers to grow corn, and shifted wheat production to the Virgin Lands
corn was to be used to feed animals and increase meat availability
what was the outcome of the corn campaign
failed
based on US farms that produced 2x produce of Soviet farms
less wheat from Virgin Lands meant less hay and so a 30% decrease in animal feed from 1958-64
Khrushchev’s agricultural successes
VLS initially - increased production by 40% from 1953-58
more food in shops
increased investment and price govt. bought produce at meant a 400% income increase for farmers
Khrushchev’s agricultural failures
policies were inefficient
VLS was expensive, as virgin land was dry and so expensive irrigation systems were needed
soviet farming is labour intensive as it isn’t mechanised (50s and 60s around 50% soviet pop. worked on farms, 5% Americans did yet America produced 2x amount of food)
VLS then failed and from 1958-64 there were slow growth rates. - 1959 and 60 harvests were lower than that in 1958 and only a 15% increase from 1958-64
failed to meet targets
why Khrushchev’s agricultural policy failed
Tractor stations were abolished - so farmers less able to get machines
centrally directed campaigns were inefficient (didn’t relate to local needs or take local expert knowledge)
incorrect or no fertiliser delivered to farms often
inadequate storage (waste)
agricultural investment cut in 1960
stat of workers and production of US and Soviet farms
50s and 60s around 50% soviet pop. worked on farms, 5% Americans did yet America produced 2x amount of food
how much did soviet farming grow by from 1958-64 and how did this compare to targets
15% - well below 300% increase needed to reach target of producing more than US by 1960
how much was agricultural investment cut in 1960
1954-59 - 13% of GDP
1960 - 2%
What was Khrushchev’s military spending like and compare to Stalin
Stalin had low living standards to increase military spending
Khrushchev wanted higher living standards and so decreased military spending initially but nuclear standoffs caused him to increase it again
Khrushchev’s military spending - Stats
1955 - military spending 12%
1958 - military spending 9%
1946 - military spending 11% after nuclear standoffs causing a fall in economic growth
what was Khrushchev’s 7 year plan
1959
focus on light industry and agriculture
he wanted to overtake the US by 1970 and build communism by 1980
what were Khrushchev’s optimistic targets for his 7 year plan based on
initial success with VLS until 1958
high economic growth in 50s
USSR’s success in space race - 1957 - first satellite, 1959 - fist satellite to moon
successes of Khrushchev’s 7 year plan
increase in consumer goods by 60% between 1959-65
fertiliser production increased by 19 million tons between 1959-65
failures of Khrushchev’s 7 year plan
didn’t meet ambitious targets
continual reforming ( economic reorganisation that was counterproductive or short lived )
soviet economy wasn’t designed for consumer goods
Khrushchev’s continual economic reforms under the 7 year plan
1957 - power decentralised from Gosplan to 105 sovnarkhoz (regional planning authorities) so no central co-ordination
1958-64 - increased centralisation to solve problems caused by sovnarkhoz (confusion as no bodies knew what their jobs were amidst constant changes)
1962 - Party divided in two (agriculture and industry), changed plans targets (more ambitious)
how was the Soviet economy not designed for consumer goods
designed for targets (factories produced thick steel sheets for weight targets not thinner sheets needed for light industry) - e.g. light fittings too heavy for walls.
consumer industries had targets in value of items made - so factories made a few expensive items that no one could afford rather than lots of cheap items
Brezhnev’s goals and policies with the economy
don’t talk of reform after Khrushchev’s fails with reform
reunited the party
7 year plan abandoned - 1966 5 year plans picked up again
Kosygin reforms
what were Kosygin reforms, when were they used and why did they end
proposal to divert money from inefficient collective farms to light industry, and give factory managers more control and judge their success on profit made
Jan - Aug 1968
abandoned because similar reforms in Czechoslovakia led to the Prague spring/rebellion
Brezhnev’s military spending
increased military investment to achieve nuclear parity with the US
1964 - 11% GDP military spending
1970 - 13% GDP military spending (and nuclear parity achieved)