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Russia Chapter 7
Stalin and the Soviet economy, 1929-1941. OCR A Level History, Russia 1894-1941
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| 'Revolution from above' | Although the Right argued that the proletariat should control the country's economy, Stalin began to direct the economy from the central agency Gosplan, giving the state total control. This began to paint Stalin as a revolutionary leader like Lenin. |
| What was collectivisation | Centralised agriculture. where 50 to 100 farmers would pool resources, with profits funding industrialisation. Initially optional, but only 1% of farmers took part, so when it became mandatory, 97% of peasant households were collectivised by 1940. |
| Kulaks and collectivisation | To help force collectivisation, Stalin criticised 'Kulaks' for monopolising land and exploiting peasants, and argued that their removal would lower food prices and modernise the USSR. |
| De-kulakisation | Some regions enthusiastically 'de-kulakised', which peasants used to justify personal grievances. OGPU squads sent by Stalin arrested and deported Kulaks (after they had been attacked by other peasants). |
| Stalin's reasons for collectivisation | Stalin viewed the peasants as subordinate to industrial workers, arguing that they should bow to industrialisation in times of crisis. Famine was looming, but Stalin insisted the problem was actually food distribution and grain hoarding. |
| Scale of resistance to collectivisation | Between December 1929 and March 1931 millions resisted. 30,000 arson attacks occurred and the number of rural mass disturbances were 172 and 229 in the first and second half of 1929 respectively. |
| The role of women in resisting collectivisation | Women, as mothers and organisers of the household, were hit hard by the shortages caused, and broke into grain barns and seized bags taken by squads. Some lay down in front of tractors, as the Soviets were reluctant to prosecute women. |
| Fall in food consumption during collectivisation (1928 to 1932) | Bread fell from 250 to 215 kg per person. Meat and butter consumption each halved. |
| Fall in livestock during collectivisation (1928 to 1932) | The number of horses and cattle halved, while the number of pigs fell from 26 to 9 million, and sheep/goats fell from 146 to 42 million |
| Disproportionation of food shortage statistics | The amount of food in urban areas was actually higher, as a major purpose of grain requisitioning was to supply industrial regions. This meant that peasants were even worse off than figures suggest (particularly in Ukraine and Kazakhstan). |
| National famine | Starvation grew until 1932-33, when a national famine occurred. Hungry peasants started to flow into towns (part of Stalin's industrialisation plans). 2 million peasants were driven to these towns, but the press denied a famine. |
| Argument that collectivisation was inevitable | Historians suggest that Imperial Russia was long overdue a great migration, as there was a large imbalance between the rural and urban population. Collectivisation relieved the pressure on the land and provided the urban workforce Russia needed. |
| Long term effects of collectivisation | By 1939, Soviet agricultural productivity had barely reached the level of the Russian Empire in 1913. 10 million peasants had been killed by the famine in the 1930s. |
| What were the Five Year Plans (FYPs)? | Stalin saw the essential aim of the Russian economy to be improving heavy, 'war' industry (steel, oil and iron). Capitalist technology and socialist planning avoided issues caused by the Depression. FYPs were created by Gosplan to develop quotas. |
| Targets of the 1st FYP | The 1st FYP was more of a set of targets than a plan to reach them, so managers lied about production figures. The 'success' of the plan led to Stalin creating 'optimal' targets which were near impossible. |
| Propaganda of the FYPs | Production did increase massively, so propaganda was used to give Soviet people the idea that they were building a better world. Young people were enticed to work for the new Soviet state in construction, with foreign engineers brought in. |
| How Stalin dealt with resistance to the FYPs | Stalin portrayed the FYPs as a defence of the USSR against international hostility, so any resistance was labelled as 'sabotage'. Workers (such as engineers in Ukraine) could be put on trial to keep other citizens in line. |
| Reasons for resistance to the FYPs | Experts criticised the focus on quantity over quality, as Stalin used grand building projects to prove the USSR was advancing. |
| Problem of 'sabotage' in the FYPs | 'Sabotage' referred to anyone who was not playing their part (even by being late), and OGPU agents were used to terrorise workers. Managers therefore inflated production figures, which Stalin used to claim the FYP was a success (and shorten it by a year). |
| 2nd and 3rd FYPs | More realistic targets, but poor coordination led to delays and broken machines. Resources were hoarded by industries, and most success was in heavy industry. 'Sabotage' was effectively a guilty sentence, and skilled workers were often deported. |
| The Stakhanovite movement | In August 1935, the Communist media claimed that Alexei Stakhanov cut 100 tonnes of coal in a 5 hour shift. This led to a Stakhanovite movement of fast production, which caused disruption by using up better loads and time. |
| Workers' rights in the FYPs | Trade unions were banned, workers' rights disappeared and demands for pay were seen as selfish. A code of punishments and their penalties was drawn up. |
| Living conditions during industrialisation | Living standards were lower in 1937 than 1928, but Stalin painted the USSR as fighting for survival, so costly food and overcrowding could be justified. Families shared kitchens and bathrooms, leading to queues. |
| Focus of funding during the FYPs | Funding was mostly spent on rearmament than social programmes - the defence budget rose from 4% of the industrial budget in 1933 to 17% in 1937. By 1940, a third of government spending was on arms. |
| Strengths of the FYPs | From 1927 to 1940, coal production x4, steel x6, oil doubled and electricity x5. This created the militarised economy that was able to hold out against and drive back Germany in WW2, which was seen as the great argument of the plans' success. |
| Weaknesses of the FYPs: Industrial focus | Heavy industry boomed, but lighter sectors such as chemicals and textiles declined. Stalin did not develop an overall industrial strategy, leading to old, wasteful methods of using mass labour rather than efficient machines. |
| Weaknesses of the FYPs: Grand projects | Stalin's 'Grand projects of Communism' created no exports to sell abroad, and were mainly to show off to foreign visitors. Projects such as the White Sea Canal were almost completely useless, depriving the USSR of the opportunity to compete economically. |
| Weaknesses of the FYPs: Neglect of agriculture | Agriculture was deprived of funds as it was seen as secondary to industry. This caused a lack of industrial growth, resulting in constant food shortages which could only be met by buying foreign supplies. |
Created by:
Charlie_M
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