Fourth Five Year Plan, 1946 to 1950

What was the Soviet Union's Fourth Five Year Plan?

The Fourth Five Year Plan was the fourth industrial plan created by Gosplan for the USSR. It was a reaction to the damage caused by the Second World War.

When was the Fourth Five Year Plan in the Soviet Union?

The Fourth Five Year Plan was from 1946 to 1950.

What were the aims of the Fourth Five Year Plan in the Soviet Union?

The Fourth Five Year Plan was aimed at reconstruction, following the devastation caused by the Second World War. It was still focused on heavy industry.

What impact did the Second World War have on the Soviet Union that the Fourth Five Year Plan had to address?

The Second World War had a devastating effect on the USSR in 4 main ways:

• ❖ 5 million homes were destroyed.
• ❖ 100,000 collective farms were destroyed.
• ❖ 65,000km of railway was destroyed.
• ❖ 19 million civilians were killed.

What were the successes of the Fourth Five Year Plan in the Soviet Union?

The Third Five Year Plan had 4 main successes:

• ❖ Production of consumer goods doubled from 12% to 24%.
• ❖ Industrial production in electricity, pig iron and coal surpassed pre-war levels.
• ❖ 2.5 million people were rehoused.
• ❖ The USSR could exploit resources in eastern Europe to help its recovery.

What were the weaknesses of the Fourth Five Year Plan in the Soviet Union?

The Fourth Five Year Plan had 4 key weaknesses:

• ❖ The supply of consumer goods remained insufficient.
• ❖ Workers were worse off as there were pay cuts and the rouble was devalued by 90%.
• ❖ Lack of housing was still a major issue.
• ❖ Farming took a very long time to recover. It took until 1952 for grain production to reach pre-war levels due to the lack of men, investment and machinery.