Industrialisation

What was industrialisation?

Industrialisation was the process of accelerating the development of the Soviet Union to transform it from a backward country into a modern economy that could compete with the capitalist West.

When did Stalin focus on industrialisation in the Soviet Union?

Stalin focused on rapid industrialisation of the USSR between May 1929 and June 1941.

Why did industrialisation happen in the USSR?

There were 6 main reasons why Stalin wanted to industrialise the USSR:

• ❖ To prove himself to be the true successor of Lenin by continuing his work and therefore improving his own reputation as leader.
• ❖ By 1927, Stalin feared the capitalist West would invade the USSR. The USSR needed to be able to modernise its army and mass produce weapons.
• ❖ According to Marxist theory, an advanced industrialised society was required for communism to flourish.
• ❖ The New Economic Policy seemed to have stalled as there was increasing unemployment, and in some areas of the economy the USSR had not yet reached the production levels of 1913.
• ❖ Politically, by changing his support from the NEP to rapid industrialisation, Stalin was able to eliminate his opponents on the right of the Communist Party, such as Bukharin, in the leadership struggle.
• ❖ By introducing the Five Year Plans, he would increase his power and control over the USSR, as it would mean Moscow would have economic control over the whole of the country.

How did the Soviet Union go through the process of industrialisation?

The USSR developed a command economy in which industrialisation was organised through central planning under the Five Year Plans. These 4 main steps were followed:

• ❖ The Communist Party set targets for production for the whole of the USSR.
• ❖ The Gosplan, or the State Committee for Planning, transformed these overall targets to create targets for each different industry, such as coal or electricity, for each region of the country.
• ❖ Each region would then set targets for each factory, mine or workshop.
• ❖ Each factory would set targets for each foreman, who in turn set targets for individual workers.

What were the successes of Soviet industrialisation?

Industrialisation under the Five Year Plans had 6 main successes:

• ❖ The USSR became more industrialised and was far more advanced in 1941 than it was in 1929, especially in heavy industry (coal, steel, iron, electricity).
• ❖ Transport improved with an increase in railways and canals.
• ❖ Industrial production levels increased dramatically from 1928 to 1939. For example, coal production increased from 35.5 million tons to 165.9 in 1940 - almost a fivefold increase.
• ❖ The USSR was able to fight Nazi Germany in the Second World War because industrialisation had created a modern weapons industry.
• ❖ The Five Year Plans helped create a larger working class as more industrial workers were needed in the cities and towns which led to people migrating from the countryside to the towns and cities. This would help develop a communist society.
• ❖ Despite the country being ruined in the struggle against the Nazis during the Second World War, the USSR still managed to beat the USA to almost all of the major milestones in the Space Race.

What were the failures of Soviet industrialisation?

There were 8 key failures of the industrialisation and the Five Year Plans:

• ❖ The focus on heavy industry meant there were shortages in basic consumer goods, such as clothes and toiletries.
• ❖ Working conditions were often appalling and dangerous.
• ❖ Living conditions were awful and there was a shortage of housing.
• ❖ The goods produced were often of poor quality as targets were based on quantity.
• ❖ There was a lot of waste as the transport system was inefficient.
• ❖ Targets were not met and were often unrealistic. This led to unreasonable pressure on the factories; workers and managers could be jailed for failing to meet targets.
• ❖ It led to corruption, bribery and falsification of production figures.
• ❖ The system was not flexible. It could not react to changes in circumstances because everything was planned in advance.

What was the outcome of industrialisation in USSR?

There were 4 main results of industrialisation.

• ❖ Heavy industry grew rapidly and many industrial cities, such as Magnitogorsk, were built.
• ❖ Unemployment almost vanished.
• ❖ The USSR was able to re-arm and ultimately defeat Hitler in the Second World War.
• ❖ There were shortages of consumer goods.

How were people affected by Soviet industrialisation?

Industrialisation had a massive impact on ordinary people in terms of bringing some benefit to their lives but mostly it had a negative impact.

How did people benefit from Soviet industrialisation?

Industrialisation had 4 key benefits for ordinary people:

• ❖ Women had greater job opportunities. In 1927, only 28% of industrial workers were female. This increased to 40% by 1940.
• ❖ By the late 1930s, Soviet workers could get fairly well paid jobs and earn bonuses if they worked hard to meet their targets.
• ❖ Unemployment was incredibly low.
• ❖ Education was free and vocational education had been extended.

How were people negatively impacted by Soviet industrialisation?

Industrialisation had 6 key negative consequences for ordinary people:

• ❖ Stalin's priority was the industrialisation of the USSR. Therefore, the suffering of ordinary people was of no consequence to him and was never dealt with.
• ❖ Internal passports were introduced to prevent workers from finding, and moving to, better jobs as this would disrupt production.
• ❖ Factory discipline and punishments were harsh. Workers faced fines, the threat of dismissal, or even arrest for not meeting targets.
• ❖ Housing was never a priority for Stalin. As a result, overcrowding with poor facilities was a huge issue.
• ❖ Stalin's focus on heavy industry in his Five Year Plans meant there was a constant shortage of consumer goods.
• ❖ Many of the workers on the massive engineering projects were gulag prisoners; thousands died because of the terrible working conditions.