What were Stalin’s 3 economic aims?
(to be achieved through rapid industrialisation)
he wanted:
- to create a modern economy, focusing on heavy industry + mechanical farming
- to compete with the west and eventually overtake them
- the USSR to be economically self-sufficient, in order to prepare for war
Failings of the NEP - 5 points
(another reason for rapid industrialisation)
- forced grain seizures stopped
- peasants sold excess grain for profit
- small businesses + factories could be privately owned
- only largest insustires controlled by the state
- all this is not very communist!
Ideological reasoning for rapid industrialisation - 3 points
- RI promised to get rid of class enemies and capitalism
- Marxist theory suggest that communism can only thrive in a highly advanced economy
- USSR was mainly rural, RI needed to turn peasants into workers, only then communism would work
Why did Stalin have a fear of invasion?
Civil War showed how hostile other nations were
What was happening in Britain that increased the need for industrialisation? (3 points)
- Br gov accused Soviet officials of spreading revolutionary propoganda
- Br gov searched the Soviet trade mission in London
- Br gov broke off diplomatic relations
What was happening in China that increased the need for industrialisation?
There was civil war between the communists and nationalists, so USSR -1 ally
What was happening in Poland that increased the need for industrialisation?
Soviet diplomat assassinated in Poland
What were Stalin’s political motives for industrialisation?
(4 points)
- divided politcial opponents on the right wing
- finished Bukharin
- called RI the ‘second revolution’
- improved his authority
What does gosplan mean and what did it do?
Means ‘state committee for planning’ + was in charge of the 5 year plans
Change in amount of people working at gosplan fact
1924 - staff of 34
Under Stalin - 500,000 officials
First plan - date and aims
1928-32
- to expand heavy industry
First plan successes
(3 points)
- economy grew 14% each year
- coal and iron output doubled
- steel production increased by 1/3
First plan failures
(4 points)
- living + working standards declined dramatically
- lack of skilled workers
- poor quality products
- targets were unrealistic so not met
Second plan - dates and aims
1933-37
- to expand heavy industry
- to develop chemical industry
- make some consumer goods
- improve road, rail, canal transport links
Second plan successes
(4 points)
- new transport schemes e.g. Moscow Metro and Moscow Canal
- more realistic targets set
- big advances in heavy industry
- gains made in chemical industry
Second plan failures
(1 point)
- consumer industries received little investment
Third plan - dates and aims
1938-41
- expand heavy industry
- increase armament production
Why was the third plan cut short?
The Nazi invasion of the USSR in June 1941
Third plan successes
(3 points)
- by 1940 1/3 of GDP spent on defence
- basis of a powerful arms industry
- 9 new aircraft factories
Third plan failures
(2 points)
- plan cut short by Nazi invasion
- struggled because purges meant many experienced factory managers were in the gulag
What was Alexei Stakhanov famous for?
Mined 102 tonnes of coal in 6 hours , this was 14x the average
What were the benefits of becoming a stakhanovite?
(4 points)
- new flats
- higher wages
- bigger rations
- holidays
How many workers became Stakhanovites?
1/4 of workers became stakhanovites
Problems of the stakhanovite movement?
(4 points)
- recordmania
- stakhanovite became a term used for self-centered people
- unpopular with normal workers
- pushed other worker’s wages down
