1941-53: Foreign Policy
"The Soviet victory in the Great Patriotic War was the result of
Stalin's command economy." Assess the validity of this view.
How did the command economy help to ensure a victory? It allowed for
rapid mobilisation, such as with the Red Army. Conscription allowed almost 30 million
more soldiers to join the Red Army, which was a major strength for the USSR agains the
German war machine. It also meant that there had been heavy industrialisation as part of
the third FYP, which meant that the USSR was prepared militarily for war.
What other factors helped Stalin to win the war? Other factors that helped
the USSR to win the war include foreign aid that was supplied by the Allies, such as the
USA supplying 300,000 trucks as part of the Lend-Lease scheme. Additionally, it can be
argued that it was down to military reasons, such as Stalin’s war leadership and Hitler’s
strategic mistakes.
What does victory mean? Victory in this context was the destruction of the German
Third Reich and the rise of fascism across Europe. An added bonus to this was the
expansion of Sovietism across Europe, as seen through the Eastern Bloc that was formed.
Factors Within Theme
Economy – industrialisation, third Five Year Plan (T-34s)
Foreign Policy – Germany, Britain, France, America
Soviet Security – Eastern Bloc
Historiography
Khrushchev later admitted that without imported 300,000 trucks, jeeps and railway
resources ‘our losses would have been colossal’ and that ‘without spam we wouldn’t
have been able to feed our army’.
"The Soviet victory in the Great Patriotic War was the result of
Stalin's command economy." Assess the validity of this view.
Conclusion: To conclude, the view is somewhat valid that the Soviet victory in the Great
Patriotic War was the result of Stalin’s command economy. It should not be disputed that
the use of the third Five Year Plan gave the USSR the military resources to sustain
themselves throughout the war, although clearly the role of the Allies was vital in winning
the war against Germany. Ultimately, it was Stalin’s military skill that allowed him a
victory over Germany, as he, unlike Hitler, took on the advice of more experienced
generals. It’s at this point that there was a turnaround in the war effort. Whilst this may
have been crucial to gaining a victory, the view is somewhat valid that the command
economy helped to ensure a Soviet victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Points
Command Economy
Third Five Year Plan
o Geared towards war
Development of T-34 tank
Machinery and engineering output increased by about 60%
In 1933, approximately 3% of budget was geared towards war. By
1940, this was about 30% higher
, On the eve of war, Soviet industry was producing 230 tanks, 700
military aircraft and more than 100,000 rifles per month
From 1938-41, the spending on rearmament rose from 27.5 billion
roubles to 70.9 billion roubles
o However, they were unprepared for war as they’d expected it to come later
Claimed that Hitler was the only person Stalin had ever trusted – he
retreated to his dacha in despair
Military Strategy
Relinquishing control
o August 1942, Zhukov appointed as deputy
Also appointed Vasilevsky and Antonov to the Stavka
Agreed that they’d make decisions together
Stalin was out of touch with modern warfare, so appointing these
generals allowed for a turnaround in the war effort
o Zhukov trapped 330,000 German forces inside Stalingrad
Von Paulus surrendered in January 1943
o Stalin reduced the powers of the politruki
And no longer executed Commanders for failure
Understood the need for self-reliance
o Contrastingly, Hitler replaced experienced generals with “yes men”
However, the rush for Berlin
o Rushed, improvised and resulted in heavy loss of life
Unimportant to Stalin
30,000 soldiers died compared with 10,000 German soldiers
Foreign Aid
Allies
o USA
Lend-Lease (worth $1.3 billion by the end of the war)
300,000 American trucks supplied through Lend-Lease scheme –
Khruschev has later said that they would have experienced heavy
losses had it not been for that
o Impact on Germany
Fighting two-front war
Mass bombing campaigns from Britain and America from 1943
caused lots of damage to Germany’s war effort
Allied secret intelligence
o HOWEVER, it was the USSR who reached Berlin first and without Stalin’s
military skill, the advantages given by the allies may have been
unimportant
