UNIT 4: HOW SUCCESSFUL WAS THE GOVERNMENT IN PROVIDING SOCIAL SECURITY FOR THE SOVIET PEOPLE BETWEEN 1917 AND 1985?

Question 1

What was the aim of the Soviet government in relation to social development?

Answer 1

Society would operate on a collective basis where the achievements of full employment, housing and pension would provide social security.

To bring about equality for women

To improve education and equip Soviet citizens for a modern industrial economy.

Providing the population with basic needs meant they were more likely to support the new regime

Question 2

What was the Soviet Consitution 1977?

Answer 2

Stated that all Soviet itizens had the right to work, housing eductation etc.

Question 3

Describe the labour market under Lenin.

Answer 3

The collapse of industrial production during the civil war resulted in factory workers moving to the countryside where food supplies were more reliable - this left factories without sufficient workers so under war communism, labour conscription was used to ensure that the Red army was adequately supplied to win the civil war.

After the civil war, the demobilisation of the Red army meant millions of soldiers returned to the cities which worsened the food shortages and unemployment figures of unskilled workers.

Use of Arteli in labour recruitment during the NEP - a group of workers in the same trade who offered services, distributed payment amongst the group was based on age or beard length. - objection from government until their use of shock brigades in 1929.

Question 4

What was full employment?

Answer 4

In 1930, the government announced that they achieved full urban employment - the number of hired workers rose from 11.6 mill 1928 to 27 mill in 1937.

Full employment was achieved due to the emphasis on industrialisation - excessive targets set by the government and the lack of technology meant factories used every available labour source.

Large numbers of peasants drifted to the towns due to the subsequent hardship inflicted on rural areas as a result of collectivisation.

Question 5

What was the impact of full employment on the workers?

Answer 5

Restrictions placed on trade unions - they could not negotiate with managers on the working conditions (poor health and safety) and had to act as social insurance provider e.g. dealing with compensation for injury because the unemployment benefit was cancelled.

Low productivity despite the use of machinery in the 5-year plans e.g the average soviet worker produced half of what the average british worker would produce - to resolve this, managers used uninterupted work through day and night shifts to keep the machines running all day - poor experience for industrial workers.

Unhappy workers constantly changed jobs in search of better employment.

Question 6

Full employment led to unhappy workers constantly changed jobs in search of better employment.

What was introduced to prevent workers from changing their jobs?

Answer 6

Introduced the requirement of an internal passport in 1932 to change jobs because unhappy workers would constantly change jobs for better employment - partly successful as 30% of urban workers changed their job in each quarter of the year.

Absenteeism increased which in 1939 became a criminal offence but not always applied because of the short labour supply.

Insentives such as better rations, bonuses, medals and honours were used to reward skilled workers and discourage them from changing job. E.g. from 1934, the piecework rates were expanded to please the skilled workers.

Question 7

The Soviet government was slow in the provision of housing.
Describe housing during 1917-1930.

Answer 7

1917, the Bolsheviks began a programme of confiscating large houses of the rich to partition and rent to families of workers (often according to their ranking in the Communist party).

Although there was a huge growth of towns - Moscow population 2.2 mill in 1929 to 4.1 mill in 1936 - and industrial centres under the five year plans (industrialisation focus), housing was given low priority therefore couldn’t accommodate the rising demand of workers housing - they had to sleep in tents and factories

Question 8

Describe housing after 1930.

Answer 8

Housing conditions improved.

Blocks of apartments were built, some modern ones with running water and electricity for impressive workers.

However, housing still crowded - 5% people renting lived in a kitchen or corridor.

The lack of housing exacerbated by WW2 e.g. stalingrad lost 90% of its housing.

Question 9

What social benefits did the soviet worker have access to?

Answer 9

Trade unions - stripped of any economic or political power - provided benefit.

Trade unions organised sports facilities, film shows,

Workers got two weeks paid holiday and sick pay.

Question 10

What were the features of health care from 1917-1953?

Answer 10

The health care provision was weakened by the fleaing of doctors after the revolution therefore the government increased its training places so the number of doctors increased from 70,000 in 1928 to 155,000 in 1940.

Sanitation taken seriously with the status of a sanitory inspector being the same as a doctor.

A compulsory vaccination programme implemented to deal with the cholera epidemic in 192.

Further campaign launched for lice-spread typhus whcih killed 6 mill in 1918-20.

Quality of healthcare was no guarantee of quality.

Question 11

Soviet society became more stable after 1953
Describe full employment and job security under developed socialism 1953-85.

Answer 11

The SovietConstitution 1977 guaranteed its citizens full employment - although some seasonal unemployment occured e.g. farming in rural areas, graduates after finishing university.

No guarantee of job satisfaction because most jobs were repetitive and undemanding.

Wages rose 50% between 1956 and 1977 which gave workers more spending power, some accumulated savings.

Wage gap was low and minimun wage introduced in 1956 to ensure no worker was below the poverty line - some still found it difficult to support their families..

It was difficult to dismiss workers from their job even for absenteeism or alcoholism.

Managers ignored low standards of work discipline and moonighting (using factories or factory tools outside of work to earn extra money)

Question 12

Soviet society became more stable after 1953
Describe material benefits under developed socialism 1953-85.

Answer 12

Khrushchev invested more in consumer goods which was followed by Brezhnev.

The 9th five year plan 1971-75 set higher targets for consumer goods than heavy industry - targets not met but sufficient progress made.

Question 13

Soviet society became more stable after 1953
Describe the nomenklatura system under developed socialism 1953-85.

Answer 13

The system of appointing employees from an approved list to encourage loyalty to the party leaders as many had joined the Party to improve their career prospects in the new regime, but they were not necessarily committed communists.

A worker’s employment depended on securing an internal passport which was easier to obtain if you were educated or a party activist - taking part in propaganda campaigns.

Advancement also depended on whether you had a party sponsor.

This ensured the development of a more committed communist bureaucracy.

This led to increased nepotism e.g Khrushchev’s son-in-law became Izvestiya editor.

Question 14

Soviet society became more stable after 1953
Describe education under developed socialism 1953-85.

Answer 14

The education system instilled socialist values.

Completing education would catalyse social mobility as the qualifications would lead to secure jobs.

Both boys and girls had equality of access to education and by the 1980s the number of female students continuing to higher education matched that of males.

Schools in large urban areas tended to attract better teachers, especially in residential areas occupied by the elite.

Question 15

Soviet society became more stable after 1953
Describe the provision and range of social security benefits under developed socialism 1953-85.

Answer 15

Between 1950 and 1980, state welfare spending increased.

Pensions, maternity benefits and housing all received more attention and did more to relieve poverty.

In 1956 the pension scheme for the old, sick and disabled was expanded and the retirement age was reduced.

Pensions rose at a higher rate than wages during the Brezhnev period but remained insufficient, for example 40 roubles a month in 1980. This encouraged many to continue to work part-time after reaching retirement age.

The armies of street sweepers who cleared the pavements of winter snow were recruited from the elderly.

Peasants did not receive a pension until the Brezhnev era.

Question 16

Soviet society became more stable after 1953
Describe housing under developed socialism 1953-85.

Answer 16

Many Soviet lives were improved by Khrushchev’s extensive housing programme. Housing blocks were nicknamed khrushchoby (Khrushchev’s slums).

The housing was based on prefabricated panels built to a standard design to help the speed and cost of building but resulted in uniform housing that was often poorly finished in the rush to meet targets.

Occupants often complained that concrete blocks were left inside their apartments and that finishing touches, such as plastering, were left for them to do.

Despite these problems, waiting lists for apartments were still long as many had been living in far worse conditions beforehand.

Question 17

Soviet society became more stable after 1953
Describe healthcare under developed socialism 1953-85.

Answer 17

There was considerable growth in the provision of health care between 1950-80.

Availability of health care was not a problem for the Soviet population - Polyclinics provided all-purpose health care and granted workers time off work, there was over 2000 Sanatoria (a rest home with medical facilities) that cared for things like high blood pressure, heart problems.

There was an imbalance in the quality of medical services - The best medical services were available in Moscow and other major cities whereas provincial cities had fewer services and those in rural areas were primitive.

Furthermore, the Central Asian republics of the USSR were particularly badly served; some hospitals did not have heating or running water. Equipment in most hospitals was poorly made, outdated and often in need of repair.

Question 18

Soviet society became more stable after 1953
Describe living conditions under developed socialism 1953-85.

Answer 18

The increased investment in agriculture, which had occurred under Khrushchev, was continued by Brezhnev.

Some of this investment was used to build schools, housing and health services in rural areas.

Incomes of collective farmers were increased in 1966 when the government introduced regular wages rather than payment based on a share of the farm’s income.

By the mid-1970s, the wages of rural workers were only 10% less than their urban counterparts. Collective farmers could also supplement their wage with the produce from their private plot.

By the 1970s, the majority of the Soviet population were experiencing benefits from the great Soviet experiment.

Question 19

How stable was society under developed socalism?

Answer 19

With the increase in living standards there had been a rise in the expectations of the Soviet population which provided occasional problems for the government that may undermine the stability of Soviet society.

The Soviet government feared social instability especially from the developments in its satellite states in Eastern Europe: Soviet tanks invaded Hungary in 1956 as a response to the uprising against Soviet rule.

To prevent Soviet intervention the Polish government declared martial law to prop up the communist regime in 1980. The Polish protests were over food prices and echoed many of the issues causing discontent in the Soviet Union itself.

Question 20

Evidence of protest

Answer 20

Unrest 1959 in the industrial centre Temirtau in Kazakhstan: The Party encouraged Komsomol members tomigrate to town to help build the new metal works. Unrest occurred due to poor living conditions (lack of clean water, few supplies of food, discovered that East German and Polish workers at the site were being paid more.) In protest, the young workers burnt down the canteen and hanged the local police chief. KGB troops were used to restore order and several dozen protestors were killed.

The government increased meat and dairy prices causing protests in 1962. E.g. at Novocherkassk, the protests worsened as the local factory manager also reduced wages. The workers blamed the government, especially Khrushchev as shown by their slogan ‘Cut up Khrushchev for sausages.’ At least 70 people were killed before order was restored. Members of the presidium (Politburo) were sent to the town to investigate. Extra food supplies were rushed to the area to quell further trouble.

The strikes and riots over food shortages in Sverdlovsk in 1969 and Gorki in 1980 and unrest over poor housing provision occurred in Kiev in 1969 led to the establishment of the Free
Trade Union Association in 1977 which sought to represent the Soviet worker’s grievances rather than them relying on the government-controlled and restricted trade unions that already existed. Yet, it gained little open support and came to nothing.

Rare terrorist actions E.g. 1977, a bomb on the Moscow Metro killed several passengers. In 1969, assassination attempt on Brezhnev. These incidents did not indicate a broader revolutionary movement aimed at overthrowing the government.

Question 21

Soviet society was predominantly stable, but there were some social problems that threatened social cohesion.

Give examples of these.

Answer 21

The Second World War had killed a disproportionate number of young men and that led to a generation growing up without a father figure in the home. The lack of good role models for young men was possibly one of the causes of the high rate of divorce in the Soviet Union. In 1979, the divorce rate was 340 for every 1,000 marriages.

Alcoholism, especially among men, was a serious problem. By 1980, alcohol consumption was at 600%.

Small scale Hooliganism in 1970s, commuters in Moscow complained about being robbed by young thugs on evening trains. In 1975, gov introduced a one-year course on ‘Principles of the Soviet State and Law’ to make young Soviet citizens aware of their obligations. The gangs of stilyagi (nonconformists) may have been harmless, but their liking for the music of protest and nonconformist fashions worried the older generation.

What also undermined the stability of society in the longer term was the fact that it was based on an increasingly inefficient economic basis. There may have been full employment and considerable provision of social welfare, but it was based on poor productivity and corrupt practices. In the end, this system could not be sustained.