five year plan

• effects of Stalin's 5 year plans: economic

  • emphasis on heavy industry
  • 6x increase in coal production
  • 4x increase steel production
  • chaotic implementation
  • building of large industrial centres
  • neglect of consumer goods
  • decline in textile
• effects of Stalin's 5 year plans: social

  • decline in working conditions
  • lower pay
  • workers discontent
  • introduction of passport system
  • use of slave labour
  • growth of industrial workers
• effects of Stalin's 5 year plan: political

  • control of communist party
  • capitalist bourgeoise removed
  • expansion of governments control in economy
  • strengthening Stalin's position
• NEP abandoned in 1928 and Stalin introduced rapid industrialization; directed by Gosplan (state planning authority)
• Stalin saw iron, steel and oil production as measures of industrial growth , connected to war
• 5 year plan Oct 28- Dec 32 successes:

  • electricity x3
  • coal and iron x2
  • steel increased by 1/3
  • improved engineering industry
  • new industrial complexes
  • huge new tractor works (Stalingrad and Kharkov)
• Five year plan Oct 28- Dec 32 failures:

  • very little growth, decline in consumer goods
  • small workshops marginalised
  • chemical targets not met
  • lack of skilled workers created instability
• All his 5 year plans done in less than five years to create the image of success
• Second five year plan Jan 33- Dec 37 successes:

  • heavy industry continued to grow
  • improved transport and communications
  • chemical industries developed
  • by 1937 USSR self-sufficient in machine making and metal working
  • metallurgy developed: minerals such as Copper, Zin and tin develped)
• Second five year plan Jan 33- Dec 37 failures:

  • consumer goods lagging however signs of change with icecream, bakeries and footwear now
  • oil production did not make expected advances
• Third five year plan Jan 38-Jun 41 successes:

  • heavy industry growth
  • defence and armaments grew rapidly
• Third five year plan Jan 38- June 41 failures:

  • slow steel production
  • oil production failed to meet targets
  • poor consumer goods
  • factories ran short
  • had to stop to focus on armaments 1939
• targets were set very high so even when not met, still progress. Managers were anxious and fearful so would change statistics.
• second five year plan made more use of technical expertise and new industrial centres; coal focused on
• five year plans went against small businesses and Nepmen; state took over economy
• growth in industrial proletariat of 38% between 1926-33
• first five year plan focused on heavy industry, accounted for 80% of total investment and 1500 enterprises opened
• second five year plan: heavy industry and new industry (railway, communications), 4,500 enterprises opened
• third five year plan: heavy industry and armaments
• 1928-41 8000 new enterprises built
• census in 1934 found 1/4 of new coal cutting machines not in use ad 1/3 of new pneumatic drills; miners not trained and broken
• up to 9 million in labour camps
• 12% of timber produced in Gulag population
• quality suffered as people just trying to meet quotas
• Shakhty trial of 1928 was where 55 engineers in the Donbass found guilty of co-operating with foreign powers to hold back Soviet production. 'death of the wreckers'. 1 of the defendants denounced by his 12 year old son. 11 sentenced to death and 5 killed.
• Magnitogorsk was a large industrial plant and factories in which peasants and workers could work as well as people from labour camps and prisoners
• the first five year plan was 1.5 million workers promoted to managerial positions
• In August 1935 Alexei Stakhanov cut 102 tons from a coal steam in the Donbass region, 14x the quota and everyone tried to replicate this
• industrial norms increased between 10-15% 1936
• 25% of population in Moscow lived in 1 room
• 5% of people living in bathrooms, kitchens and hallways
• 1940 steel production increased 450% and oil doubled
• electricity 5 million Kwh in 1928m only 43.3 by 1945