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Stalin and the Soviet Economy Part 3

Stalin and the Soviet Economy Part 3. I. The second & third Five-Year Plans (What were the main strengths & weaknesses of the 2 nd & 3 rd FYPs?) A. They were modeled on the pattern of the 1 st FYP B. The targets this time were more realistic C. Still had problems:

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Stalin and the Soviet Economy Part 3

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  1. Stalin and the Soviet EconomyPart 3

  2. I. The second & third Five-Year Plans (What were the main strengths & weaknesses of the 2nd & 3rd FYPs?) A. They were modeled on the pattern of the 1st FYP B. The targets this time were more realistic C. Still had problems: 1. lack of coordination in some parts of the economy 2. Under-production in other parts (hold up industry) a. Example: some projects had too little timber @ times, while at other times enough timber but insufficient steel. 3. Spare parts were hard to come by. D. This all led to fierce competition (for materials) between regions & sectors of industry. They were all afraid of missing their target 1. Hoarding of resources/ lack of cooperation between the various parts of the industry system

  3. E. The only successes was in heavy industry where the 2nd FYP began to reap benefit of the creation of large-scale plants under the 1st FYP. F. Scapegoats: genuine industrial growth was hindered by the reluctance to tell the truth. 1. Faults went unchecked until breakdowns occurred 2. Next came the search for scapegoats. a. During this period, Stalin’s political purges were at their worst. b. the accusation of “sabotage” was taken as a proof of guilt. Because of this, production suffered

  4. G. Workers & the Plans 1. Living conditions failed to rise a. caused by the famine & lack of plans for consumer goods b. only reward was the feeling that they were engaged in a great national enterprise. c. there were few material rewards to help the workers endure the severity of their conditions. d. they had to accept their lot w/out complaint H. The Stakhanovite movement, 1935 1. Party controlled the newspapers, cinema, & radio 2. Official Party Line: All was well & the workers were happy 3. Stakhanovite movement was used by authorities to inspire or shame workers into higher production

  5. I. Workers’ rights A. Since 1917 trade unions had become powerless. 1. In 192, it was Trotsky that had taken violent steps to destroy them & put them under Bolshevik control. 2. They became the means in which the Bolsheviks enforced its requirements on the workers B. During industrialization workers’ rights disappeared. 1. Strikes were prohibited 2. Demands for more pay were deemed selfish 3. Code of “labor discipline” was drawn up 4. Wages went up during 2nd FYP, but not really.

  6. J. Living & working conditions A. During FYPs, Soviet Gov. asserted the nation was under siege. B. Set against this claim, workers’ material interests were of little significance. C. most workers lived in overcrowded apartments 1. They were unsafe. 4 & 5 families to a single bathroom & kitchen D. the $ that was available the gov. spent on what? Armaments E. Direction of labor decree: enforced settlement of undeveloped areas, & severe penalties for slacking & absenteeism.

  7. F. 1941 German invasion destroyed the 3rd FYP 1. Regardless of hardship of the workers, USSR was economically strong enough to engage in a successful military struggle of unprecedented duration & intensity. 2. USSR’s triumph over Nazism would later be claimed as the ultimate proof of the wisdom of Stalin’s FYPs. G. Soviet people received few rewards for their victory in the war. 1. Stalin’s post-war concerns remained industrial recovery & national defense. 2. Rationing was ended in 1947 but was not real sign that shortages had been overcome 3. “Labor code” was not relaxed. When Stalin died in 1953, the lot of the Russian worker was harder than at any time since 1917.

  8. II. Strengths of the reforms (How successful were Stalin’s economic reforms?) A. Industrial output during the first three FYPs 1. Remarkable increase in production overall. 2. In 12 years, coal had increased 5 times 3. Steel six times 4. Oil input had doubled 5. Electricity generation had quintupled B. These 4 key products provided the basis for the military economy that would survive occupation & eventual triumph in WWII.

  9. III. Weaknesses of the reforms (What were the limitations of Stalin’s reforms?) A. Soviet economy remained unbalanced. 1. Stalin gave little thought to creating an overall economic strategy. B. Modern industrial methods were not adopted 1. Old wasteful techniques continued to be used. C. No real attention was paid to producing quality goods that could then be profitably sold abroad to raise the $ the USSR so badly needed. D. other major failing of policies was their inability to increase agricultural production or raise living standards of the workers. 1. Lack of growth caused constant food shortages & the need to always buy foreign supplies. This drained the USSR’s limited financial resources.

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