Theme 4 - Social Stability and Housing

Question 1

What was the labour exchange?

Answer 1

Labour conscription was needed due to the lack of workers because of the civil war.
Labour exchanges supervised hiring of workers.

Question 2

Why were people against labour exchanges?

Answer 2

Many were against it as they did not want to be allocated a job they did not want to do

Question 2

How was housing redistributed under Lenin?

Answer 2

Housing was redistributed away from rich property owners to allow poor people to have better housing. This was replaced by distribution into the ranks of communist party.

Question 3

How was housing effected under the 5YP?

Answer 3

Housing was strained as industrial cities needed housing for workers.
City population increased drastically in a rush to industrialise. This made resources for housing harder to find. Many workers slept in factories in earlier years.

Question 4

How was Moscow effected between 1926-39?

Answer 4

Population increased from 2.2 million to 4.1 million

Question 5

How was Magnitogorsk effected between 1929-32?

Answer 5

25 people to 250,000 people

Question 6

How was housing for workers improved by the late 1930s?

Answer 6

Barracks were introduced with communal kitchens.
Housing usually had measures to enforce communist incentives.

Question 7

What was the effect of NEP on social security and employment?

Answer 7

Demobilisation after the civil war left many people flooding into the cities for jobs. Arteli groups formed under the NEP that provided manual labour in groups and distributed profits. This was seen as a “backwards feature” and were later replaced with shock brigades.
Large disparity in wages for skilled and unskilled workers

Question 8

How was social stability and employment effected under the 5YP?

Answer 8

FUll employment was achieved in the process of pushing for more industry power. Employments were common as excessive standards needed more labour.
However, labour was strained by lack of modern technology and unskilled workers.

Question 9

What government incentives were there under Stalin?

Answer 9

-There was a large difference between unskilled and skilled workers as government rewarded the skilled workers to discourage them from moving job.
-Stakhanovism
-Komsomol shock brigades deployed to spread communist values.

Question 10

How did Stakhanovism effect social stability?

Answer 10

Medals and honours were given to hard workers through Stakhanovism. This pushed the difference between skilled and unskilled work ethic and wages.

Question 11

What were Narkomfin buildings?

Answer 11

Buildings under Stalin that were produced to provide easy housing.
However, these houses were expensive to build so were wholly inefficient.
Symbolised a new start of Soviet Architecture.

Question 12

What social benefits were available under Stalin?

Answer 12

• Standards of living improves due to food rationing, better access to public transportation and vaccines were more easily available
• Factory canteens provided meals, though they were low quality.

Question 13

When was the moscow metro built?

Answer 13

1935
Improved the transportation system around Moscow.

Question 14

What were the problems with welfare under Stalin?

Answer 14

• Peasants benefitted much less than workers
• Large problems over food. Work canteens often gave rotten food which spread illness
• Sanitation in factories was terrible. This lead to infestations of lice and vomiting.

Question 15

How was housing changed under Stalin?

Answer 15

Modern apartments were given to those who were committed to the 5YPs. These often had running water, electricity and heating.

Question 16

What was housing quality like in 1936?

Answer 16

Most rented housing were only 1 room, often shared by large families. This heavily impacted the dynamic of families.
Improvements to rural housing were even slower.

Question 17

How was housing quality during WW2?

Answer 17

There was a lack of housing due to severe damages. Stalingrad and Leningrad lost significant housing and housing was not a main priority under the 4th and 5th recovery plans.

Question 18

How much of housing in Stalingrad was lost during WW2?

Answer 18

90%

Question 19

What was the impact on employability and social stability during WW2?

Answer 19

Pressure on labour during the war. Women were often given jobs to be able to fulfil quotas. When men were demobilised after the war, many returned to work but were unneeded. This meant there was little opportunity for social benefits to actually be used.

Question 20

What were Khrushchev’s housing reforms?

Answer 20

K’s new housing programme increased the housing available per year to 394 million square metres.
New housing blocks were built outside cities that quickly spread basic housing for quite cheap.

Question 21

When were Khrushchev’s housing reforms?

Answer 21

1961

Question 22

What was the downside to Khrushchev’s housing reforms?

Answer 22

The housing was nicknamed “Khrushcovy” (Khrushchev Slums) as they were often very poor quality. They were built with pre-fabricated panels and many were left unfinished for tenants to finish plastering etc.
Lists for these housing were VERY long

Question 23

What were Khrushchev’s social reforms?

Answer 23

Focused on improving the lives of people. He doubled gov. spending on healthcare between 1950 - 1959. and quadrupled pensions budget between 1950 to 1965.

Question 24

What new social benefits were introduced under Khrushchev?

Answer 24

Introduced free lunches for schools, work and factories, Transportation was easier and better health was available for farmers in 1961.
Greater investment in welfare decreased death rate and birth mortality and raised social stability.

Question 25

How was full employment achieved?

Answer 25

Full employment was the key idea behind the 1977 Constitution by Brezhnev. Although there remained some seasonal jobs, wages rose and prices in shops were fixed at a lower price. Appeasing the soviet people.

Question 26

What were the negative impact of the 1977 constitution?

Answer 26

To fill employment, jobs were created with very meaningless and useless activities. This led to unmotivation in workers.

Question 27

What is Absenteeism?

Answer 27

Harsh punishments were issued for absent workers. It was criminalised in 1939 and often resulted in imprisonment.

Question 28

What was the passport system?

Answer 28

A system to prevent workers from easily switching jobs. Passports were required to move to different jobs and were often hard to acquire without higher class/power. Food was distributed through these too.

Question 29

When were labour shortages and why?

Answer 29

Labour shortages in 1932 created problems for managers to fulfill their targets. Moving jobs became increasingly more annoying, hence the passport system.

Question 30

When were unemployment benefits removed?

Answer 30

Oct 1930

Question 31

When did the government announce full employment was achieved?

Answer 31

1930

Question 32

When was the Uprising in Hungary?

Answer 32

1956

Question 33

When was Khrushchev’s programme for improving social benefits and housing?

Answer 33

1961

Question 34

When were protests over food prices?

Answer 34

1962

Question 35

How was job security effected under Khrushchev and Brezhnev?

Answer 35

It became increasingly difficult to dismiss someone from their position, regardless of work ethic. Managers often did not punish and discipline low standards of work. Moonlighting was ignored and labour was concentrated at the end of the month to achieve targets.

Question 36

What is moonlighting?

Answer 36

Workers stole tools e.t.c from the factory to use in their side jobs to gain extra.

Question 37

How did Brezhnev use Nomenklatura in the 1970s/80s?

Answer 37

Worker employment resided on gaining the internal passports to be able to relocate jobs and housing. Famers were included in 194 which allowed for easier job switching for farmers.

Question 38

What was the effect of Nomenklatura?

Answer 38

To maintain control in their chosen successors, nepotism was common in this era.

Question 39

Examples of nepotism under Khrushchev and Brezhnev?

Answer 39

Khrushchev’s son in law became editor of Izvestiya
Brezhnev’s son-in-law became head of State committee for science and technology.

Question 40

What benefits were avaialble under Khrushchev and Breznhev?

Answer 40

Society was more content with the focus on consumer goods.

Question 41

What was special about the 9th 5YP under Brezhnev?

Answer 41

This plan had higher targets for consumer produce than heavy industry.

Question 42

Were the consumer goods targets met?

Answer 42

Targets were often not met under neither leader.

Question 43

What welfare benefits were made under Brezhnev and Khrushchev?

Answer 43

Social security improved as welfare spending increased. Pensions, maternity and housing gained more attention. Pension funds rose even more under Brezhnev by expanding it to peasants.

Question 44

How was health impacted under Khrushchev and Brezhnev?

Answer 44

The provision of health was better 1950-80. Availability was no longer a problem, but the quality remained poor. Polyclinics provided all-purpose health and many workers took advantage to get time off work.

Question 45

How did the provision of health improve (stats)?

Answer 45

By 1978, there were 2,000 sanatoria (medical rest homes) and 1,000 rest homes provided medical care.
Cities still had better health care than the countryside, some rural ones barely had heating and water.

Question 46

How was health under Stalin?

Answer 46

• Introduced new access to vaccinations against common illnesses
• Stalin had removed many doctors through purges so there was a lack of quality, this continued throughout later periods.

Question 47

How were provisions in the countryside changed under Brezhnev?

Answer 47

Passport system extended to farmers to give them more mobility and freedom with work.
There still remained a large difference between urban and rural.
Khrushchev had invested a lot into agriculture and it was continued under Brezhnev. Farmers were given regular wages, Schools, houses and health provisions were built in the countryside.

Question 48

What as the soviet constitution in 1977?

Answer 48

Brezhnev abandoned Khrushchev’s goal for achieving communism by 1980, but continued his welfare investments. The constitution guaranteed full employments and raised living standards for soviet citizens. Focused on job security, low prices, second economy (black market), free healthcare and social molibility.

Question 49

What problems arrose from the soviet constitution?

Answer 49

Brezhnev’s tradtional policies blamed women for crime and refused them jobs.
Life expectancy declined due to alcoholism.

Question 50

Why did alcoholism and hooliganism emerge?

Answer 50

alcohol consumption increased by 600% from 1940 to 1980.
Gangs formed, called Stilyagi, that were non-conformists and spread hooliganism that concerned older people.

Question 51

What evidence of protest were there?

Answer 51

• Protest over soviet rule (Hungary 1956, Czech. 1968)
• Protest over workers discontent (Kazakhstan 1959)
• Protest over food prices (1962 “Cut up Khrushchev for sausages”)
• Unrest over housing (Kiev 1969)
• Terrorism (Assasination attempt on Brezhnev 1969)

Question 52

How was social stability under Lenin?

Answer 52

Varying levels of employability. There were not many benefits for working. Housing was redistributed from the rich to the poor. Large disparities in rural and urban. Launched health campaigns to eradicate disease during war, but little provisions.

Question 53

How was social stability under Stalin?

Answer 53

Achieved full employment in 1930 due to 5YPs, however, there were still problems through wage disparities, absenteeism and rations. Housing was slowly improved for the growing industrial workers. Social benefits introduced to good workers by providing food for workers and barrack-style housing. Increased provision of health.

Question 54

How was social stability under Khrushchev?

Answer 54

Became more stable after Stalin’s death. Focused on improving living standards, pushed for light industry and invested in welfare. Focused on large reform to housing. This system was continued throughout the 80s, now had water and heating. Better provisions of medical facilities, still better in cities

Question 55

How was social stability under Brezhnev?

Answer 55

Guaranteed full employment through1977 Constitution Gave fairer benefits for both rural and urban areas for social benefits by expanding passport system. Reduced life expectancy due to alcohol. Andropov tried to fix. High amounts of nepotism and economic stagnation created less motivated workers. Sacking people was increasingly difficult.

Question 56

Why was there more protest under K and B?

Answer 56

The loosening of the discipline under Stalin and Lenin meant that people could more easily voice their concerns. This must have led to more people speaking out against unfairness, e.g. food prices, housing.