History stalin 5 year plans Essay

Submitted By tansley09
Words: 721
Pages: 3

History
- Explain point’s importance and include specific examples
How successful were the five year plans in transforming Russian industry in the years up to 1941?
Complete change- coal -35.4 m tonnes 1928 – 166 million tonnes 1940 –Steel 4.0 m tonnes to 18.4m tonnes- Heavy industry now existed meant relations with other countries regarding trade increased.
Basically no industry before- transport had improved Moscow metro- Industry was producing high outputs for war
No change- Still a lot of peasants hadn’t changed to working class yet completely a lot of famine weren’t that helpful to completely changing industry

The five year plans were very successful in transforming Russian industry in the years up to 1941. They were able to dramatically increase production of coal iron and steel all vital resources for industry. Not only that but they were able to turn urban areas such as Magnitogorsk into a large industrial city that could rival those of the west. Although such things during the second year plan as lacking of supplies for essentials may not have been successful in transforming industry. More likely to hinder but not in a great effect. The first five year plans aim to liquidate the kulaks also would have hindered as it ended up being part of the reason for the famine in rural areas.
The 3 five year plans massive focus on industry were massively successful with increase of 180% during the first one. At the beginning of the five year plans 35.4 million tonnes of coal was produced in Russia and that increased massively to 166 million tonnes by 1940. The concentration on the heavy industry was massive and because of this industry had changed to the point they were rivalling the west from when before they were nowhere close. This is largely part to Magnitogorsk being revolutionised on the massive iron below it. During the first 5 year plan it was decided that this massive supply and steel was the best place to build Russia steel and iron capital, massively changing industry.
During the first five year plan famine occurred partly due to the attempted liquidation if the kulaks, who were the best at growing the wheat for the other peasants in rural areas, as well as the cities. This wasn’t successful in transforming Russian industry as peasants in rural were dying due to lack of food meaning there was less workers in the industrialising rural areas meaning that industries transformation was probably slowed down a lot by Stalin’s naivety in this situation, not realising that kulaks could actually be helpfully not just to industry if he didn’t’ shoot them all. Some can argue that this helped changed industry as it showed Stalin’s ferocity and was able to get people to work harder as they feared for their lives. There is much argument whether it is better to force people to do work or