Revision notes on Russia book 2
1. In 1924, only 4% of the Soviet Union’s people were industrial workers.
2. Over 80% of the population were peasants.
3. After WW1 and 3 years of civil war, War Communism was replaced by NEP.
4. Lenin died in January 1924 after a series of strokes in 1922 and 1923.
5. When Lenin died, a leadership contest was bound to ensue.
6. Lenin wrote a ‘Testament’ to be read after his death with his thoughts on the next
leader of the Communist party, it was likely to be either Stalin or Trotsky.
7. The ‘Testament’ claimed that Trotsky was brilliant but too arrogant, but Lenin wrote
a scathing review of Stalin, saying that he had to go.
8. Bukharin was popular but did not fully understand Marxism.
9. Zinoviev and Kamenev failed to support October Revolution.
10. All five leading members of the Politburo agreed to work together following Stalin’s
death, just an illusion of unity. 1924-1929 turned into a heated power struggle.
11. Stalin didn’t take a leading role in the October Revolution; he was also very dull and
a poor leader and public speaker. But position as General Secretary.
12. Trotsky only became a Bolshevik in 1917, commitment doubted. Extremely arrogant.
But an excellent public speaker.
13. Stalin used the funeral of Lenin to paint himself as the loyal comrade. He convinced
the other members of the Politburo not to read out Lenin’s ‘Testament’. Trotsky
didn’t make an appearance, he claims it was due to Stalin tricking him, not believed.
14. Z, K, B and S ally against Trotsky, supporting NEP over Rapid Industrialisation.
15. Trotsky ousted at 13th Party Conference in 1924. Zinoviev and Kamenev had slowly
destroyed his reputation within the party, by pointing out his difference to Lenin.
16. Stalin formed an alliance with Bukharin and right wing to take down Z and K.
17. Bukharin used his control of the media to dominate the party alongside Stalin.
18. In 1926, Z and K formed a United Opposition with Trotsky and tried to use the 1927
15th Party conference to regain support, but their reversal in view confused people.
19. They were accused of ‘Factionalism’ and expelled from the party.
20. Stalin began to contest Bukharin. Stalin went against the NEP as its failures were
beginning to show. Stalin now had a strong identity within party. Not ‘grey blur’.
21. NEP and thus Bukharin were voted against by Stalin appointed party members.
22. In the late 1920s, Stalin began the policies of RAP IND and Forced Collectivisation.
23. Stalin wanted to create a modern economy based upon heavy industry and a
highly mechanised farming sector.
24. He wanted his economy to compete with the powers of the west.
25. He wanted the Soviet Union to be economically self-sufficient and prepared for war.
26. Reasons for industrialisation: Economically better than NEP, ideologically more
communist, militarily it would prepare them for war, politically more power for him.
27. The NEP had been a temporary step towards capitalism while the country was
recovering from WW1 and then the Civil War.
28. In 1921, Factory production was only 20% of what it had been in 1913.
, 29. Gosplan set out 3 5-year plans for the years 1928-41.
30. Priorities were heavy industries, consumer goods were neglected, all plans were
declared complete ahead of schedule although the targets were rarely met. First FYP
from October 1928 to December 1932: Economy grew by a huge 14% every year. Coal and
iron output doubled. Steel production increased by a third.
31. Second FYP from January 1933 to December 1937: Gains made in chemical
industries such as fertiliser. Moscow metro and canal completed. Big advances
continued in heavy industry sector.
32. Third FYP from January 1938 to June 1941: By 1940, 1/3 of all government spending
was on defence. Basis of powerful arms industry laid. Nine new aircraft factories.
33. However, living conditions remained extremely low.
34. Stakhanovite movement, named after Alexei Stakhanov, who mined 102 tonnes of
coal in 6 hours, 14 times the output of a normal miner. He was rewarded with 1
month’s wages, a holiday, a new apartment, and the Stakhanovite movement was
named after him. Statues of him were built and he was the pinnacle of a soviet
worker in propaganda. Workers were promised similar rewards for beating targets.
35. After a year almost ¼ of all workers were classed as Stakhanovites.
36. Successes of industrialisation: heavy industry was a huge success, coal output
increased by over 300%, steel output increased from 3 million tonnes to 18 million
tonnes per year, oil output more than doubled and electricity output increased
fivefold, from 18 million kWH to 90. These figures are according to state figures
which may not be considered completely accurate but give a good idea.
37. Transport was also increased hugely, which allowed goods to be transported much
easier.
38. FYPs created a modernised armaments industry to compete with Nazi Germany.
39. FYPs created a more urbanised Soviet Union.
40. Failures of industrialisation:
41. The quality of goods produced very poor as demands were set only for quantity.
42. Lots of waste due to lack of transport available.
43. Most of the targets set by Gosplan were unrealistically high, which meant that
managers had to lie about their output to avoid imprisonment.
44. Showpiece projects tended to rely upon forced labour camps, Gulags. The White Sea
Canal was built by 100,000 Gulag prisoners, 12,000 died in the process.
45. Quality of life did not improve for people in the Soviet Union.
46. Continuous shortages of clothes, shoes, furniture and food.
47. Magnitogorsk: In 1929 Magnitogorsk had 25 people, in 1932 it had 250,000. Built
by 40,000 political prisoners in gulags. Source of propaganda did not mention poor
quality of steel produced and terrible living conditions in tents with mud roads and
no streetlights which led to there being a lot of crime at night, dangerous to live.
48. Collectivisation: peasants had to give up privately-owned land to form large-scale
state-controlled farms, called Kolkhozes.
49. Stalin thought collectivisation would solve economic problems caused by inefficient
farming methods, which cause starvation on a vast scale, with more mechanisation.
50. Ideologically, collectivisation changed the peasants from Capitalism to communism.
