Natasha Browne - Industrialisation Essay PDF

How effective was Stalin’s policy of industrialisation in achieving its aims by 1941? Introduction: Background - The goal of Stalin's 5 year plans was to transform the soviet union into a great industrial power to rival the western nations. Plans were put in place by the central government who dec...

How effective was Stalin’s policy of industrialisation in achieving its aims by 1941? Introduction: Background - The goal of Stalin's 5 year plans was to transform the soviet union into a great industrial power to rival the western nations. Plans were put in place by the central government who decided what would be produced, where it woi;d be produced and when it would be produced. Gosplan (the state planning commission) set production targets for different industries to meet, These targets were backed by law and failure to meet them could be treated as a criminal offence. Historians - Some historians like Fitzpatrick and Nove argue that industrialisation was not successful, Nove says that Stalin’s plans went beyond all practical possibility. Whereas Ward argues there were some dramatic advances, especially during the first 5 year plan. LOA - despite some progress, it mostly didn’t achieve its aims by 1941 Paragraph 1: Did the plans meet their targets? First five year plan - October 1928 to December 1933. Focused on heavy industries such as coal, iron, steel and electricity. Second five year plan - 1933 - 1937. Continued focus on heavy industries but also significant infrastructure projects (dams and railways) Third five year plan - 1938 to 1941. Intention was to focus on consumer industries but then there was a re-emphasis on heavy industry as the needs for armaments in the war against Germany became more pressing. Some successes: -​ First five year plan (Impressive growth) electricity production tripled, coal and iron doubled. Huge new industrial complexes were built including tractor works in Stalingrad. -​ Success continued in the second 5 year plan with the growth of chemical industries (i.e. fertiliser production) and by 1937 the USSR was virtually self-sufficient in machine making and metal work. -​ Willingness to adapt to the third 5 year plan means that defence and armaments industries grew rapidly but 1941 the USSR had successfully created the industrial base for a powerful arms industry. -​ C. Ward argues that there were huge advances, by 1932 “new factories materialised in the empty lands of the non-russian republics scarcely touched by the modern world” But many disappointments: -​ Sheila Fitzpatric argues that the targets were more of a socialist fantasy than a rational calculation. -​ First 5 year plans there were high targets that placed enormous strain on the economy, materials of all kinds were in short supply and intense competition to get a hold of them - leads to bribery and corruption a managers did illegal deals to get parts or supplies to meet their targets (hijacking lorries, ambushing supply trains to get supplies intended for other plants.) -​ Few managers willing to acknowledge the problems - fear of being accused of sabotage -​ Attack on ‘bourgeois specialists’ leads to a loss of valuable personnel and expertise (to the extent that the offensive against them was quietly dropped in 1931) - also a huge skills shortage -​ After 1937 the USSR witnessed an economic shutdown with some areas like iron and steel virtually stopping growing. Overall - some targets achieved, USSR on war footing by 1941 - but many targets unmet because they were so unrealistic and there was a huge shortage of skilled workers. Paragraph 2: Did conditions for workers improve? (Working conditions, women, living conditions, stakhanovite movement) Conclusion: