Summary
Summary Cold War
This bullet-pointed and in-depth summary gives insight into the Cold War in all aspects. A worthwhile resource, especially when needing to glean all necessary info to do well in exams and tests
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
2 reviews
By: micayladejesus • 2 year ago
By: dhiyadabideen • 3 year ago
Content preview
Grade 12 History SyllabusChloe van Beukering
Stalin’s Five Year Plans
• In 1927 Stalin’s advisers told him that with the modernisation of farming, the
Soviet Union would require an extra 250 000 tractors
• There was also a need to develop the oil fields to provide the necessary petrol
to drive the machines
• Power stations also had to be built to supply the farms with electricity
• If this was not done, Russia’s economy — both and agriculture — could not
grow
• Since the October Revolution, industrial progress had
been slow
• It wasn’t until 1927 that production had reached the
levels achieved before the start of WW1
• Stalin decided that he would use his control over the
country to address the lack of development
• Stalin created the five year plans in order to catch up
with the rest of the industrialised world
• Introduced in 1928, the First Five year plans began
• Stalin attempted to make the USSR self-sufficient by
a state takeover of all firms and businesses
First Five Year Plan
- Concentrated on the development of:
- Iron and steel
- Machine-tools
- Electric power
- Transport
- Stalin set the workers high targets:
- 111% increase in coal production
- 200% increase in iron production
- 335% increase in electric power
• Each business or factory was required to meet a
quota through a system called Collectivisation
• Every factory had large display boards erected that
showed the output of workers
• Those that failed to reach the required targets were publicly criticised and
humiliated
Page 1 of 25
, Grade 12 History Syllabus
Chloe van Beukering
• Records were kept of workers’ lateness, absenteeism and bad workmanship
• If the worker’s record was poor, he was accused of trying to sabotage the Five
Year Plan and if found guilty could be shot or sent to work as forced labour
• During the first five year plan dams, railroad, canals, mines and factories were
built, most using prison labour
• Economical, as the prisoners had no choice
• If prison workers ever ran out, Stalin could
always go and arrest more people in order
to expedite the construction
• Many targets which the workers had to
meet were unrealistic:
• 250% increase in total industrial output
• 350% increase in heavy industries
• Many workers had to work 11 hours a day
• None revolted, as they knew their wages
were paid in food rations, which meant they would not eat if they didn’t work
• Propaganda was used
• Brochures, pamphlets and posters were distributed all
over to boost the people’s morale
• Economically, there is no denying the fact that it was a
success
• The plan was achieved in 4 years, not 5 as scheduled
• Huge expansion of energy production
• roads, railways and canals were constructed
• But, The First Five Year Plan didn’t occur without a
tremendous cost to the Soviet people
• To meet the goals of Stalin’s plans, the workweek was
changed from 5 days to 7 days
• Little or no time was permitted for workers to be away from their jobs
• To prevent workers from moving jobs, the secret police introduced internal
passport for the country
• Although most people dint agree with plans, young communist workers helped
drive the plans forward
• “Shock Brigades” attempted to drive production ahead by competing with
each other, setting examples, spying on colleagues and pressuring managers
• These workers received better food, housing and even special medals for
their efforts
Second Five Year Plan
Page 2 of 25
, Grade 12 History Syllabus
Chloe van Beukering
• Because of the ‘success’ of the first plan, the government went ahead with the
Second Five Year Plan in 1932
• The Second Five Year Plan gave heavy industry top priority and attempted to
improve the quality of consumer goods produced
• By 1933 the altered international position of the USSR resulting from Hitler’s
seizure of power was reflected in a rapid expansion of armament production
• The armed forces were gradually reshaped into an increasingly professional,
modern fighting machine, comparable to those of other great powers
• Between 1933 and 1936, the size of the Red Army tripled, from 562 000 to 1.5
million
• As a result the focus on improving quality of consumer goods fell by the wayside
• The second plan employed incentives as well as punishments and the targets
were eased a reward for the first plans being finished ahead of schedule in only 4
years
• Women were encouraged to participate in the plan as childcare was offered to
mothers so they could go to war and not need to worry about their children
• As was the case with the first 5 year plan, the second was no uniformly
successful, failing to reach the recommended production levels in such crucial
areas as coal and oil
- The Second Five Year Plan also
achieved some spectacular successes:
- The production of coal, steel,
electricity more than doubled again
- By 1937 the USSR only imported
10% of machinery compared to 80%
during the First Five Year Plan
- New railway lines were constructed
and single tracks doubled
- Air services were extended to remote
parts of the country
- Huge water-transport projects were
completed to allow Moscow access to
the sea
However…
• Growth in sectors such as consumer goods was less successful
• Real wages didn’t increase
• At Hitler came to power, more and more resources were aimed at weapon
production
Page 3 of 25
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller chloevanbeukering. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R60,00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
60904 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy summaries for 14 years now