Did the successes of soviet economy outweigh the failures?

• Criteria


  success means not only successful for gov and big business but for people as well (links to commnist ideology)
• Intro


  soviet economy was attempting to repair from civil war and revolution in 1921 and by 1941 it was focusing on preparing for the war and heavy industry
• Para 1 NEP


  Success (somewhat)

  - Introduced 1921, small factories of 20 people or less privatised , money reintroduced and agriculture back to free market, avoid counterrevolution

  - Ended requisitioning, farmers were happier, grain production increased 33.7% in first year, less radical policies kept ordinary people on board with the new regime

  - Nepmen got rich selling desirable goods and became new middle class which although caused inequality, kept non workers in cities happy

  - The NEP was not introduced until 1921, alienated sections of the population and the party, and by 1925 had plateaued in terms of economic improvement

  - scissor crisis w agriculture and industry (successful in early years as j had to repair from civil war)

  - Consistent but only somewhat effective
• Para 2 1st 5YP

  Failure

  - Facade as seemed successful w magnitogorsk that went from 25 people in 1929 to 25,000 in 32

  - by 1933 only 17% of workforce were skilled in moscow (less than in other cities)

  - Used labour camp prisoners like for white sea canal where 10,000 prisoners died on construction 1931-32, depth reduced so canal was useless

  - Factory managers under pressure by quotas to fill so sacrificed quality and also products were demanded for sectors that didn't require them

  - Stalingrad tractor factory meant to produce 500 a month but june only managed 8 + most broke down in 3 days other
• Para 3 2nd and 3rd 5YP

  Success (somewhat)

  - Developed industry in moscow and leningrad and less-developed areas (kazakhstan + ural mountains)

  - Although figures could've been exaggerated there was substantial progress 1928-41 17% growth in heavy industry

  - 4x ↑ steel and 6x ↑ coal

  - Dnieper dam power for industry

  - Advance in consumer goods footwear + food

  - ↑(bakeries, ice cream and meat factories in many towns)
• Para 4 Collectivisation


  Failure

  - Forced requisitioning 1928 and collectives formed

  - opposition from peasants and party officials murdered

  - Stalin noticed this failure and began blaming party officials for being overzealous

  - Machinery was slow and tractors not until mid 1930s

  - Kulaks most productive farmers and removing them damaging

  - Grain production 73 mil tonnes 28 to 67 mill 34

  - famine 1932-33 4mil deaths in 1933 alone
• Conclusion


  slightly agree as they improved from initial setback of civil war but programmes like collectivisation did immense harm and lives of the workers were never truly improved, only a very small amount of people benefitted and those from major cities the human cost was too large to even consider it a success