Summary
Summary Agriculture under Khrushchev and Brezhnev
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Agriculture under Khrushchev and Brezhnev policies and impacts
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How far did economic policy change between 1953 and 1985?The promotion of light industry, chemicals and consumer goods
Khrushchev faced key challenges when trying to shift focus from heavy industry:
Bureaucratic system stopped initiative - fear stifled creativity so was reluctance to change
System was clumsy, wasteful, inflexible etc. Could not foresee trends effectively
To deal with these Khrushchev pushed reforms:
1957 - Regional Economic Councils (Sovnarkhozy) set up to decentralise decision-making
Harsh labour laws of Stalin abolished
Managers of factories given more influence - encouraged creativity
Greater emphasis on vocational education
The 7th five-year plan (1959-65)
Discovery of new resources encouraged change in fuel and chemical industries
Increased targets for consumer goods
Regional development promoted
Results
Russia won space race - huge national achievement
Consumer goods abundant - raised living standards
Quality of consumer goods lacked
Experienced high growth
Poor labour productivity, inefficiency, waste etc.
Sovnarkhozy made national planning difficult
Division of party made things worse
Many of Khrushchev's reforms watered down due to military-industrial complex
Investment in agriculture and the Virgin Lands Scheme
Khrushchev genuinely interested in agriculture which had been ignored
To increase productivity and win over peasants Khrushchev introduced reforms:
1955 - individual collectives given more decision-making power
MTS abolished - peasants hated them. However, meant they now lacked in machinery
Collectives made larger to increase efficiency - however peasants were displeased
Compulsory seizure of food replaced by planned state purchases - encouraged productivity
Peasants allowed to sell excess food on private plots - provided incentives
Virgin Lands Scheme - New land open to cultivation - e.g. Siberia, Kazakhstan
The impact on agricultural production
Raised the status of agriculture in the military-based economy
Incomes of farmers doubled but still lower than city workers
Productivity low
Some land in Virgin Lands Scheme impossible to cultivate
Investment was not enough to undo damage made by Stalin
The limited attempts at reform after 1964
Reformers clashed with conservatives over reforms
Sovnarkhozy abolished by new leadership
The 'Kosygin reforms'
Prime minister
1965 - launched reforms aimed to induce creativity - increased power of managers
His reforms stifled by conservatives reluctant to give up power - watered down a lot
1968 - Kosygin sidelined by Brezhnev
Reforms under Brezhnev
1973 - Industrial and scientific institutions merge to boost production with technology
1974 - Targets centralised and focused more on cost and profit
Managers reluctant to take on new equipment - meant technology was useless
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