He also increased industrial and agricultural production with his policy of collectivization. He carried out purges or the harsh movements against his enemies to make sure he kept total control of the U.S.S.R. Stalin made several changes in the Soviet Union. He did this by modernizing the economy by setting up the Five-Year Plan. In document 1, Stalin's speech uses nationalistic pride to motivate the people. Stalin was trying to push the people so they can be an advanced country.
Stalin's five year plan concentrated on the development of iron and steel, machine-tools, electric power and transport. 5. what were the causes and effects of the great purge? The Great Purge is a term for a series of repressive measures in the Soviet Union in the late 1930s. 6. how did soviet foreign policy lead to difficult relations with the west? To heighten the urgency of his demands for modernization, Stalin portrayed the Western powers as warmongers eager to attack them.
‘An economic success, but a human failure’ – how accurate is this interpretation of Stalin’s economic policies of the 1930’s Stalin’s economic policies during the 1930s was to introduce Collectivization and the Five Year plan: both were aimed to boost Russia’s industrialization and agriculture within a short period of time in order to catch up to the world’s leading powers, that is, America and Britain at the time. In Stalin’s perspective, it was necessary to go to any lengths to reverse the backward economy of the country as fast as possible to overtake other countries. Without it, he viewed it as a defeat to the Socialist fatherland and a loss of international independence. This essay will examine the economic successes of his policies and whether they were fully achieved. In addition it will also examine the human failures; this would be defined as human loss, death and or a decrease in living conditions and quality of life.
Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin were both powerful, ambitious leaders that worked their way into positions of power. Stalin took over after Lenin died to lead the USSR after the Russian Revolution. Hitler became leader of the Nazi Party and gained the people’s support with promises of a strong leader that resisted western powers. On their rise to power, both Stalin and Hitler became leaders of political parties, eliminated opposing parties, and promised a better future for the people and country, but Stalin used the people’s support as leverage in his power struggle with Trotsky while Hitler used his passion and the economic situation in Germany to become leader of the Nazi party and gain support over the socialists. Both Hitler and Stalin started their journey towards power by joining political parties.
In addition, World War II introduced change through industrialisation, which was key to Russia’s success in the war. These key reforming leaders and other factors of change saw Russia grow from a very deprived country in 1856 to an industrial superpower in 1964. Alexander II became known as ‘Alexander the Great Reformer’ and ‘the Tsar Liberator’ which suggests that his work and reforms changed the nature of Russian government and society to a large extent. The emancipation of the Serfs in 1861 initially appeared to have major benefits for the serfs. As Alexander II said: “We vowed in our hearts to fulfil the mission which is entrusted to Us and to surround with Our affection and Our Imperial solicitude all Our faithful subjects of every rank and condition”2.
To what extent can Stalin’s industrial policies be said to have been successful? Stalin’s Five Year’s Plans were designed to strengthen the USSR’s economy to make the nation self-sufficient. Stalin claimed that the USSR was ’50-100 years behind’, and therefore they had to gain ground on their western counterparts, and fast. Stalin planned to advance 100 years in 10 – this was because Stalin felt vulnerable to attack and he believed that the USSR must ‘overtake and outstrip the capitalist countries’. He believed in ‘Socialism in one country’ where the USSR would become strong enough to survive, then would take over the rest of the world.
Any persons who challenged or question Stalin’s tactics were sent to gulags or put to immediate death. Josef Stalin’s Five-Year Plan called for a quick industrialization and collectivization of agriculture. Dziewanowski (2003) stated, “The purpose of collectivization was threefold, it was to assure a continuous procurement of food without over taxing the industry, and was to be followed by mechanization of the agricultural process and to tighten the politico- economic control over the countryside” (Chapter 13). Stalin’s plan was to wipe away evidence of capitalism that had been permitted under the New Economic Policy and to make changes to Russia as soon as possible no matter the price, into an industrialized and complete socialist nation ("Revelations from the Russian Archives", 2010). The Five-Year Plan was set up to quickly industrialized the economy with the idea to build up the heavy industry, but it set up impractical goals.
To what extent was the leadership of the Bolsheviks the reason for their success in the Civil War in Russia from 1918-21? The Bolshevik’s new government was still in its infantry stages when the Civil War broke out, threatening the foundation they had created for their socialist state. It is to a critical extent that the leadership of the Bolsheviks was the reason for their victory in the Civil War in Russia from 1918-1921. Lenin’s introduction of the severe policies under war communism dealt with the disastrous economic and military situation that the Bolsheviks were facing with the onset of the Civil War, and although exasperating social problems it ensured the survival of the industrial areas under Red control and kept the Red armies fed and supplied. Lenin’s skilled use of propaganda and the importance of the cause of ‘mother Russia’ harnessed the support of the peasants and working class in the face of another revolution.
This was an attempt to lay the foundation for future industrial development such as the mass production of raw materials and allowing peasants to gain the skills necessary to work in more sophisticated industries. Additionally, heavy industry would lay the foundation for rearmament in case of war. While Stalin was not intending to create a war economy during the First Five-Year Plan, he was undoubtedly concerned that Russia should be ready to defend itself in the event of war. Focus on heavy industry was one of the aims in all three Plans; however, the Second Five-Year Plan was concerned with consolidating the gains made under the First Five-Year Plan rather than continuing its slow pace. Moreover, planners also tried to stimulate the growth of new industries, such as chemical processing and the development of new materials as well as improving Russia’s transport system.
Also during this period, there was an important historical event, Hitler was elected as German Chancellor and the moderates claimed this would pose a threat of war to Russia, suggesting priorities to be diverted to peasants. Accordingly, government carried out reforms on collective farms and moderating the anti-kulak policy to win over peasant’s support.Following Kirov’s murder at the end of 1934, the moderates lost its influence. In place of it, Stalin revised the Plan again, diverting funds from the production of consumer goods to investment in Russia’s military resources. Again, the priority was modified in due course