USSR topic 2- industry and agriculture Flashcards
Why was the economy devasted when Lenin came to power?
Due to the First World War and the chaos unleashed by the Revolution
Who did Lenin plan to work with initally for production and why? (practical method)
The bourgeoisie, they had expertise in management and technical skills that were desperately needed
Ideologically, who did Lenin want the means of production to be in the hands of?
The prolertariat
What was ‘state capitalism’?
To work with the bourgeoisie until Bolshevik experts could take their place
What policy was introduced in 1917 to abolish private ownership of land, which was to be in the hands of ‘the people’?
The Land Decree of October 1917
What did the Decree on Workers Control of November 1917 do?
Placed control of the factories into the hands of the industrial workers
What happened on 27 December 1917 regarding the banks?
All private banks were nationalised, along with the State Bank
What were the banks combined to be?
People’s Bank of the Russian Republic
How did the Bolsheviks’ early policies worsen the problem in the economy?
Workers’ council voted to give themselves huge pay rises, which did little to improve production and resulted in inflation
How did the Bolsheviks exert greater control of the economy?
The Supreme Council of the National Economy (Vesenkha) was set up in December 1917
How did the measures of War Communism support the ideology of the Bolsheviks?
the Bolsheviks had a long-term aim to abolish private enterprise
Why did the Bolsheviks see a liberation from capitalism?
The collapse of Russian currency and its replacement by bartering
What was bartering?
Paying for goods with other goods rather than money
What did the Bolsheviks do in June 1918 to extend government control?
They nationalised all industries with ten or more workers
What were some practical reasons for introducing War Communism? What was facing the Soviet economy?
The economy was near collapse
Why did the Bolsheviks have to improve the economy?
They had to improve it if they were to fight and win the civil war
How did the Bolsheviks’ earlier decrees contribute to the reasons for implementing War Communsim?
War Communisms, in some ways, was a response to the problems that resulted from the rush of the early Bolshevik decrees
What were some key feature of War Communism?
Nationalisation, using harsh military-style discipline, banning private trade, use of bartering, rationing and forcible requisitioning of food
How were harsh military-style discipline introduced into the factories?
Death penalty was introduced for all workers who went on to strike, all workers were expected to volunteer for unpaid work on ‘Communist Sundays’
Private trading was banned and trade was controlled by the state, what was a negative consequence of it?
It could not satisfy demand, so a large black market in goods developed
Why was bartering used instead of money?
Due to massive inflation
Who did the Party requisition food from?
The peasants, about 150,000 Bolshevik volunteers were used to seize grain
Why did the Party have to requisition food?
To feed the army and the towns
The government attempted to use Committees of the Villages to spy on peasants who might be hoardig food, what did it lead to?
A rise in tension in the countryside and serious outbreaks of violence, usually directed at requisitioning teams; malnutrition and starvation were common
Why was rationing necessary?
To feed the workers in the cities despite food shortages
Evidence that War Communism worsen industrial production?
By 1921, industrial production was only one-fifth of the figure for 1913
What did the Bolsheviks replace War Communism with after its failure?
New Economic Policy (NEP)
By the end of the war, how had production for heavy industry fall?
It had fallen to 20% of its 1913 level
How had food production fell after the Civil War?
It was only at 48% of the 1913 figure
What had the lack of food lead to in the 1920s?
There was widespread diseases like typhus and smallpox, and over 20 million died from famine and disease in the 1920s
Why was the system of rationing disliked?
The size of rations depended on the social classification a person was given
Who received the most food as a result of rationing?
Members of the Red Army and industrial proletariat received the most, while bourgeoisie received very little or none at all
What did the use of hierarchal systems in factories lead to?
Resentment among industrial workers, which led to violence on some occasions
In what area was the resentment towards requisitioning of food the greatest and what did they want to do?
in the countryside, they wanted to get rid of the mir
What did peasant resentment lead to?
A series of uprising in 1920-21
Which one was the most serious uprising? What happened there?
Tambov Rising in central Russia, where peasants reacted violently to requisitioning teams arriving in the area to seize grain
How did these risings impact government decisions?
It put pressure on the government to change its policy
What was the Kronstadt Mutiny?
A revolt by sailors at the naval base outside Petrograd
Why did this revolt increase pressure on the government?
They were a group that were previously a mainstay of the Revolution and they could not be easily dismissed as ‘counter-revolutionaries’
What was the Kronstadt Mutiny over?
The increase in the power of the Party and its officials at the expense of the workers
Why was this mutiny important? (Lenin’s decisions)
It was a key factory in Lenin’s decision to change his economic policy
What kind of policy did the NEP impose on agriculture? 1
The end to requisitioning, which was to be replaced by taxation, allowing the peasants to sell any remaining food at market fot a profit
What kind of policy did the NEP impose on agriculture? 2
Announced the end of collectivisation, and that the mir (village commune) would stay as the means of peasants self-regulating their farming activities
In what ways were the policies a shift towards capitalism?
It returned small-scale industry to private hands, the reintroduction of a currency for paying wages in 1921, legalisation of private trading to stop the growing black market
What policies were in place to try to raise production in state-owned factories? (NEP)
Piecework and bonuses
What was the result of the growth of small-scale business and private traders?
The development of ‘Nepmen’, the people who gained under the NEP
What did NEP result in (in terms of economy)?
A mixed economy where private ownership coexisted alongside state control
Many saw the NEP as a retreat back to capitalism, how did Lenin and his supporters see NEP?
A short-term remedy and a temporary meaasure
How did NEP impact industrial output adn why?
It led to rapid increase in output, much of it was due to repairing of roads and bridges damaged during the civil war and putting existing factories back into production
How did Nepmen help with the successes of NEP?
They set up small businesses and made some money, especially restaurants and market stalls
What were some drawback of the NEP?
Corruption through black market flourished, prostituion was widespread, and gangs of children roamed the cities trying their luck stealing and selling goods
What was one major problem as a result of the NEP?
scissors crisis’, imbalance between agriculture and industrial goods, as food prices fell, the price of industrial goods rose
Why was this problematic, espeically for the farmers?
The rise of industrial prices meant that farmers could not afford to buy industrial goods, so there were no incentive for farmers to keep producing large quantities of grain
What did the government do to help ease the problem?
They intervened and subsidised the prices of industrial products, making them affordable to peasants
How was state intervention problematic to the economy?
There was less money available to improve the economy
How had grain production fell in the years 1913-1926?
It went from 82 (million tons) to 77
How had steel production fell in the years 1913-26?
Went from 4 (million tons) to 3
How had cotton production fell in the years 1913-26?
Went from 2600 to 2300 (around)
Much of the pre-war economy had been restored by 1926, what was the key to further growth?
To increase food production in order to support more industrial workers and gain foreign exchange for new technology and machinery
Which two members of the party called for the continuation of NEP?
Bukharin and Stalin
Who in the Party called for greater control over the economy to increase the pace of growth?
Trotsky
What happened in the 1927 that led to the peasants hoarding food?
A raid by the British government on the offices of the Soviet trade mission in London and attacks on the Chinese communists led to fear of invasion of the USSR
Who did Stalin view as the key force in holding back further growth?
the peasants
How would state control benefit the economy? (under the proposed Five-Year Plan)
It would enable the government to direct the economy and ensure the adequate production and distribution of essential materials, like food to support industrial growth
Why did the Soviet Union need rapid industrialisation?
Soviet production figures were still far below modern industrial economies of Western Europe, and world trade had been severly reduced since 1917, so the Soviet had to rely of their own resources
How would extending state control benefit the Party?
It would remove the Nepmen and kulaks, who became richer through NEP
How did moving away from NEP allow Stalin to consolidate his power over the Party?
He removed the Left in 1926, and he could remove the Right as a result (who supported NEP)
What were Stalin’s main arguments for removing the NEP?
That the compromise with the peasantry over their desire to farm was holding back industrialisation in the USSR
What is a command economy?
An economy that is directly controlled and directed by the state
By 1928, what decision had been made to extend state control?
To implement a command economy to bring about rapid industrialisation and consolidate the Communist Party’s power
What was the central aims of the Communist regime and why?
To industrialise the country because the USSR was still economically behind the rest of Europe
What would large-scale industrialisation and state control help get rid of?
The Nepmen who had flourished under the NEP, they were seen as capitalists
When was the decision to abandon the NEP and the push for rapid industrialisation made?
Fifteenth Party Congress in 1927
The Plans aimed to use the most advanced technology with emphasis on heavy industry, who did the Party plan to rely on for the push to make USSR self-sufficient?
Mass mobilisation of its people and resources
What state branch controlled industrialisation?
Gosplan, the State Planning Authority
What was set up to o-ordinate the differing branches of industry?
People’s Commissariats
Who were used at factory level to ensure orders from the centre were carried out?
Party officials
How did the FYP drive against the Nepmen?
small businesses and shopkeepers were forced to join state-owned co-operatives
Within factories, there was a compaign against who?
against ‘bourgeoisie experts’, those technicals taff who had retained their positions becase the state needed their expertise to keep industry running smoothly
There were show trials in 1928 against the bourgeoisie experts, but how was the removal of this group of experts problematic?
It hintered the progress made under the FYPs
When were the First FYPs?
1928-32
What was the First FYP about and why did they choose to focus on this area?
It focused on the rapid growth in heavy industry, like coal, steel and iron, since they needed to build up an industrial infrastructure of factories, communication networks and plant before other sectors could flourish
When was the Second FYP?
1933-37
What did the Second FYP intend to focus on, and what did it gradually shift to focus on after the rise of Hitler?
They intended to focus on production of consumer goods, but the focus later turned onto the needs of defene, so heavy industry was prioritised
When was the Third FYP?
1938
What did the Third FYP mainly focus on?
Arms production
What were some problems with the targets set for the First FYP?
The targets were too ambitious, and they were constantly being raised to even more unrealistic targets, the goal was to over-fulfill the plan to show commitment to the Revolution
What centres were built from scratch and turned into large cities?
Large industrial centres, like Magnitogorsk and Gorki
How had the population for Magnitogorsk increase under the FYP?
Went from 25 people to 250,000
What were the downsides of these centres?
The facilities were primitive, material rewards were limited and work was hard
What did the government make us of to motivate the workers?
shock brigades’ to set an example, like the Stakhanovite movement, where they produced a large amount of coal in a short period of times
What were some other methods to motivate woerks?
Providing rewards for model workers like new flat and bigger rations
What could the government use as a last resort to complete large building projects?
Use slave labour
Many precious economic resources were located in Siberia, where no one was willing to go to work to, who did the governemnt use as a result to work in Siberia?
People in the Gulag
How many prisoners were employed in the White Sea Canal Project?
180,000 prisoners by 1932
How many people died as a result of the project during the winter of 1931-32?
10,000 prisoners
Why was the canal useless at the end?
There was a propaganda triumph by the government, and the depth was reduced greatly, making it useless
What did the pressure of meeting targets lead the factory managers to do?
They would ambush resources destined for other factories, or would use bribery
What was the result of having the rush to fulfil targets?
The quality was sacrificed, like the tractor factory only produced 8 tractors since all of them broke down
What were the successes of the Second FYP in terms of production?
Coal production rose substantially, and the chemical industry had also made progress
Under the Second and Third FYPs, much of the new industry was lcated in where?
in remoter areas like Kazakhstan
What was the growth rate like during 1928-41
17% growth rate
What were the successes of the First FYP and what were some drawbacks?
There was an enourmous growth in industrial production, especially in heavy industry despite only having a few indsutries meet the overambitious targets
What was one of the most successful projects under the Plans?
the Dnieper Dam project
How had consumer industries suffered? (1st FYP)
The production of textiles declined under 1st FYP and the housing industry was ignored
What was the shortage of consumer goods made worse by?
Collectivisation of agriculture which destroyed a lot of cottage industry in rural areas
How had coal production increased under the plans?
Went from 35.4 (million tons) in 1927 to 128 in 1937 (goal is around 150)
How had steel production increased under the plans?
Went from 4 (million tons) in 1927 to 17.7 in 1937 (goal is around 17). Textbook says it’s a four fold increase in steel production.
How had wool production increased under the plans?
went from 97 (million metres) in 1927 to around 119 in 1937 (goal was around 230)
In what way were there advances in consumer goods under the 2nd FYPs?
footwear production and food processing made significant increases, new bakeries, ice-cream and meat-packing factories were established in many towns as a result
Were in the FYPs successful generally?
No, chaotic implementation and planning limited the achievements, the use of command economy was troublesome since planners had little understanding of local conditions in the rural areas, and the resources were wasted as a result since they were inappropriate
Why did Stalin have to improve agriculture?
So that food surpluses could be produced to help industrialisation
What did the the NEP lead to? (agriculturally)
by 1928, agriculture was run largely on an individual basis by peasant households under the supervision of the mir
How was there a need to increase agriculture productivity to quicken industrial developments?
Industrialisation would lead to an increase in population of towns and cities, and they need to be fed by an increase in food surpluses
How would food surpluses help industrialisation except for feeding the growing population?
So that the USSR can export food to obtain foreign exchange to fund industrialisation
How did the formation of collective farms benefit the economy?
Since peasants were grouped together in larger farm units, the use of machinery would be more viable and cost-effective
How would the use of machinery help improve productivity?
It would enable food production to be increased and reduce the labour requirements, which can allow more workers for the growing industrial plants
How does collectivisation help ensure the survival of the Revolution?
It would help extend socialisim to the countryside
Who were the kulaks?
The richer peasants that benefited from the NEP
Why did the Party have to get rid of the kulaks?
the Communists saw them as hoarding food for their own consumption, which was holding progress towards socialism
What kind of peasant attitude had been holding back industrial progress?
state procurements had been falling since 1926, and the peasants had been wary of growing too much food, knowing that it would be seized by the state at a low price
What was the ‘Ural-Siberian’ method
To carry out forced requisitioning of grain as temporary measure
What did local Party officials do after the announcement of collectivisation?
They went into villages and lectured the peasants on the advantages of forming a collective until enough embers had signed up as members
What was established to increase mechanisation?
Machine and Tractor Stations, they are government-run to supply farm machinery, like tractors, to the collectives, they would also provide advice on farming
Once enough peasants sign up, what can the government do with the collectives?
seize animals, grain supplies and buildings in the villlages as the propoerty of the collective
What happened as a result of the implementation of collectivisation? (revolt)
kulaks would se fire to their farms and slaughter their animals instead of handing over their property
How did the Party deal with this opposition?
dekulakisation squads’ were sent in
How did the secret police and Red Army get involved in collecitivsation?
They helped solve the unrest caused in rural areas, by sending them to labour camps, or executing them
What did the series of unrest lead to Stalin to do?
He started slowing down collectivisation, by giving concessions and allowing people to have some animals and small garden for their own use
How many household were collectivised by 1937?
93%
Was collectivisation successful economically?
No, the supply of machinery to the collectives were slow, and many were without tractors until mid1930s
What were the failures of collectivisation?
liquidation of kulaks led to decreased producitivty, slaughtering of animals had serious effect on numbers of livestock
How had the number of animals decreased by 1933?
By 1933, the number of cattles, sheep and goats halved
How was grain production affected as a result of collectivisation?
It declined from 73 million tonnes to 68 in 1934
Even though the towns and Red Armys were well fed, how did the rural population suffer as a result?
Snce government seized food to export to gain froeign exchange as well, the rural population starved
What did the rural population do as a result of starvation, and how did government action exacerbate the problem?
They started to move to towns, but the gov inroduced a passport system so the peasants couldnt leave their collectives
What did the passport system and starvation ultimately lead to?
Some peasants resortred to cannibalism
Did agriculture recover at any point in the 1930s?
Yes, there were good harvests in 1933 and 1937, but it was always hampered by governemntal interference
How many deaths were there as a result of collectivisation?
About to 10 million
Was collectivisation successful for Stalin politically?
Yes, he was able to assert power over the rural areas by replacting the mir with the kolkhoz administration (collective farm)
When was German invasion in the USSR?
22 June 1941
How had German invasion impact the industry?
Since the economy have to produce large amounts of military hardware, they could not focus on the production of consumer goods
How ad steel production fallen as a result of German invasion?
Went from 18 million tonnes in 1940 to 12 in 1945
How had German invasion impact the agriculture?
Since the most able-bodied man were conscripted into the armed forces, and farm machinery and draft animals were requisitioned by the Red Army, grain output fell to just 30 million tonnes (from 90 million) and the number of cattles halved
What was the main priority of the government after German invasion?
To bring economic reconversion and reconstruction as quickly as possible, and to rebuild large industrial plants
Had German invasion benefitted the USSR?
Since the Red Army defeated Nazi, they could take machinery form East Germany (alr rusted when arrived), the trade agreements made were so one sided to the advantages of the USSR that they weren’t really effective
What did the Fourth FYP aim to do?
Restore economy to pre-war levels through a programme of reconstruction
Was the Fourth FYP successful?
Yes, industrial production recovered quickly due to strong central planning, and the metal industry and heavy engineering were espeically successful due to the focus on heavy industry, there were also training programmes to ensure that workers had to skills needed
What were some persisting problems of the FYP?
The neglectance of consumer industries and had still failed to adopt new technology like developments in plastics and chemicals
What did the 5th FYP aim to achieve?
continued growth, but at a slower and more realistic rate
Under the FYPs, where did Stalin invest the most in?
Large construction projects that had little economic value, like the Volga-Don Canaal, it had used up many resources that could have gone to dealing with house shortages
During the war, what had been allowed to peasnats to sustain food production?
Concessions to peasants, a ‘link’ system where as long as targets for food deliveries to the state were met, the peasants could sell the remainder for profit
After the war, what did the Party do immediately to reimpose control?
abolishing the ‘link’ system and raising taxes on private plots, supervision of agricultural resources were concentrated into the hands of Party leaders through MTS
In what way did the imbalance of the sexes affect agriculture?
The more able-bodied men would go to town for work, adding to the deaths of men due to war, so women had to plough themselves
Had the productivity recovered after the war and the 5th FYP?
No, recovery remained slow and the 1952 grain production was below the figure for 1940
What did Khrushchev suggest to stalin to help improve productivity?
To make larger collectives to use large-scale machinery
