Stalin and Stalin and CollectivizaCollectiviza

tiontion

Good Hair

It is 1928. Stalin has now become leader It is 1928. Stalin has now become leader of the USSR. Despite the efforts of Lenin of the USSR. Despite the efforts of Lenin and the NEP Russia is still economically and the NEP Russia is still economically backward. Its industry lags behind other backward. Its industry lags behind other Western countries and farms still Western countries and farms still produce insufficient food for the produce insufficient food for the country. Stalin is suspicious of foreign country. Stalin is suspicious of foreign countries like Britain and France who countries like Britain and France who tried to end the Communist experiment tried to end the Communist experiment during the Civil War. during the Civil War.

Key aims of Stalin’s Key aims of Stalin’s economic policieseconomic policies

Provide machinery, especially tractors to Provide machinery, especially tractors to mechanise farming and produce more mechanise farming and produce more foodfood

Catch up with West, and become more Catch up with West, and become more independent especially militarilyindependent especially militarily

Create a strong industry capable of Create a strong industry capable of producing manufactured goods & producing manufactured goods & armamentsarmaments

Create a vast railway network to Create a vast railway network to transport materials and goodstransport materials and goods

Big Picture Big Picture Question:Question:

Were Stalin’s Were Stalin’s economic policies a economic policies a

success or a success or a failure?failure?

Things to know:Things to know:

What were the Five Year What were the Five Year Plans?Plans?

Who were the Stakhanovites?Who were the Stakhanovites?

What was the human cost of What was the human cost of the Plans?the Plans?

How successful were they?How successful were they?

What were the aims of the 5 What were the aims of the 5 year plan?year plan?

Targets set by Targets set by ‘Gosplan’‘Gosplan’ (govt. body (govt. body responsible for responsible for economic planning)economic planning)

Modernisation – catch Modernisation – catch up with the Westup with the West

Growth in heavy Growth in heavy industry – esp. coal, industry – esp. coal, iron & steeliron & steel

Self-sufficiencySelf-sufficiency Five plans, from 1928 - Five plans, from 1928 -

19541954‘Capitalists cannot stop the triumphal march of the 5

Year Plan’ What is the artist trying to say?

Who were the Who were the Stakhanovites?Stakhanovites?

Ukranian miner, Alexei Ukranian miner, Alexei StakhanovStakhanov

1935, Stakhanov 1935, Stakhanov excavated 102 tons excavated 102 tons during a six-hour shift during a six-hour shift (average 7 tons)(average 7 tons)

Became an overnight Became an overnight propaganda sensation as propaganda sensation as the model soviet workerthe model soviet worker

Stakhanvoites received Stakhanvoites received better housing, health better housing, health care, wages & free care, wages & free holidaysholidays

Why was Stakhanov such a popular hero for Russians at this

time?

What was the human What was the human cost?cost?

Long shifts, low payLong shifts, low pay Wages docked for failure Wages docked for failure

to meet targets which to meet targets which were often unreasonablewere often unreasonable

Late workers could lose Late workers could lose house & rationshouse & rations

Labour books – recorded Labour books – recorded jobs & comments by jobs & comments by employers so abuse could employers so abuse could be a problembe a problem

Secret police monitored Secret police monitored criticismscriticisms

Trials of Trials of ‘sabateurs’‘sabateurs’ – – punishment punishment gulagsgulags or or executionexecution

How accurate is this poster, made during the first 5 Year Plan?

How successful were they in How successful were they in industrial output?industrial output?

ProductProduct Output Output in 1928in 1928

1928-1928-3333

1933-1933-3737

1937-1937-4141

AA BB CC

AA BB CC AA BB CC

CoalCoal 36.036.0 7676 65 65 6464

155155 130130 128128

169169 - - 150150

SteelSteel 4.04.0 1111 66 66

1717 1818 1818

1919 - - 1818

OilOil 1.71.7 22 22 2121 2121

4848 2929 2626

3232 - - 2626

ElectricElectricityity

1818 - - - - 2020

- - - - 8080

- - - - 9090

Column A = target B= Official Soviet figures C= Western Column A = target B= Official Soviet figures C= Western estimateestimate

Big Picture Big Picture Question:Question:

Why did Why did Communists Communists

support support collectivisation?collectivisation?

What were the What were the economic aims of economic aims of collectivisation?collectivisation?

What were the What were the political aims?political aims?

What were the What were the effects?effects?

Key Ideas

What were the economic What were the economic aims of collectivisation?aims of collectivisation?

Improve efficiency & Improve efficiency & productivity in order to feed productivity in order to feed an increasingly an increasingly urban/industrial population.urban/industrial population.

Small peasant farms merged Small peasant farms merged into single larger farms into single larger farms ((kolkhozkolkhoz) and state farms ) and state farms ((sovkhozsovkhoz))

Greater provision of seeds, Greater provision of seeds, tractors & machinery as well tractors & machinery as well as the infrastructure to as the infrastructure to maintain themmaintain them

Produce sold to state at fixed Produce sold to state at fixed pricesprices

What is the main message behind this Soviet propaganda poster?

What were the political What were the political aims?aims?

‘‘KulaksKulaks’ benefited ’ benefited from from NEP NEP

Govt. launched Govt. launched propaganda campaign propaganda campaign against kulaksagainst kulaks

25,000 party workers 25,000 party workers used to suppress used to suppress opposition to opposition to collectivisationcollectivisation

Collectivisation helped Collectivisation helped Stalin to extend Stalin to extend political influence to political influence to countrysidecountryside

Why did kulaks, like the one in this poster, supposedly resist collectivisation so fiercely?

What were the effects?What were the effects? Pace of collectivisation Pace of collectivisation

was too fast (1929-30, was too fast (1929-30, tried to collectivise 60% of tried to collectivise 60% of farms)farms)

Peasants killed livestock & Peasants killed livestock & hoarded grain rather than hoarded grain rather than hand it over to hand it over to kolkhozkolkhoz

Food production fell Food production fell causing faminecausing famine

By 1941 almost all land in By 1941 almost all land in USSR collectivisedUSSR collectivised

Kulaks murdered or Kulaks murdered or internedinterned

Faced with such enormous human loss, how do you think Stalin would have justified collectivisation?

Stalin used propaganda to promote Stalin used propaganda to promote the policy of Collectivisation. The the policy of Collectivisation. The following photos were published by following photos were published by the Soviet Press Agency. What sorts the Soviet Press Agency. What sorts of images do you think the of images do you think the photographers will have chosen? photographers will have chosen? How useful are the photos in How useful are the photos in understanding the aims and impact understanding the aims and impact of Collectivisation?of Collectivisation?

Children studying in a Collective school

Tractors on a kolkhoz

Crèche facilities on a kolkhoz

New machinery being used on a Collectivised farm