1. Stalin and Collectivization Good Hair

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

3. Key aims of Stalin’s economic policies Provide machinery, especially tractors to mechanise farming and produce more food Provide machinery, especially tractors to mechanise farming and produce more food Catch up with West, and become more independent especially militarily Catch up with West, and become more independent especially militarily Create a strong industry capable of producing manufactured goods & armaments Create a strong industry capable of producing manufactured goods & armaments Create a vast railway network to transport materials and goods Create a vast railway network to transport materials and goods

4. Big Picture Question: Were Stalin’s economic policies a success or a failure?

5. Things to know: What were the Five Year Plans? Who were the Stakhanovites? What was the human cost of the Plans? How successful were they?

6. What were the aims of the 5 year plan? Targets set by ‘Gosplan’ (govt. body responsible for economic planning) Modernisation – catch up with the West Growth in heavy industry – esp. coal, iron & steel Self-sufficiency Five plans, from 1928 - 1954 ‘Capitalists cannot stop the triumphal march of the 5 Year Plan’ What is the artist trying to say?

7. Who were the Stakhanovites? Ukranian miner, Alexei Stakhanov Ukranian miner, Alexei Stakhanov 1935, Stakhanov excavated 102 tons during a six-hour shift (average 7 tons) 1935, Stakhanov excavated 102 tons during a six-hour shift (average 7 tons) Became an overnight propaganda sensation as the model soviet worker Became an overnight propaganda sensation as the model soviet worker Stakhanvoites received better housing, health care, wages & free holidays Stakhanvoites received better housing, health care, wages & free holidays Why was Stakhanov such a popular hero for Russians at this time?

8. What was the human cost? Long shifts, low pay Long shifts, low pay Wages docked for failure to meet targets which were often unreasonable Wages docked for failure to meet targets which were often unreasonable Late workers could lose house & rations Late workers could lose house & rations Labour books – recorded jobs & comments by employers so abuse could be a problem Labour books – recorded jobs & comments by employers so abuse could be a problem Secret police monitored criticisms Secret police monitored criticisms Trials of ‘sabateurs’ – punishment gulags or execution Trials of ‘sabateurs’ – punishment gulags or execution How accurate is this poster, made during the first 5 Year Plan?

9. How successful were they in industrial output? Product Output in 1928 1928-331933-371937-41 A B C Coal36.0 76 65 64 155 130 128 169 - 150 Steel4.0 11 6 6 17 18 18 19 - 18 Oil1.7 22 21 21 48 29 26 32 - 26 Electricity18 - - 20 - - 20 - - 80 - - 80 - - 90 - - 90 Column A = target B= Official Soviet figures C= Western estimate

10. Big Picture Question: Why did Communists support collectivisation?

11. What were the economic aims of collectivisation? What were the economic aims of collectivisation? What were the political aims? What were the political aims? What were the effects? What were the effects? Key Ideas

12. What were the economic aims of collectivisation? Improve efficiency & productivity in order to feed an increasingly urban/industrial population. Improve efficiency & productivity in order to feed an increasingly urban/industrial population. Small peasant farms merged into single larger farms (kolkhoz) and state farms (sovkhoz) Small peasant farms merged into single larger farms (kolkhoz) and state farms (sovkhoz) Greater provision of seeds, tractors & machinery as well as the infrastructure to maintain them Greater provision of seeds, tractors & machinery as well as the infrastructure to maintain them Produce sold to state at fixed prices Produce sold to state at fixed prices What is the main message behind this Soviet propaganda poster?

13. What were the political aims? ‘ Kulaks’ benefited from NEP Govt. launched propaganda campaign against kulaks 25,000 party workers used to suppress opposition to collectivisation Collectivisation helped Stalin to extend political influence to countryside Why did kulaks, like the one in this poster, supposedly resist collectivisation so fiercely?

14. What were the effects? Pace of collectivisation was too fast (1929-30, tried to collectivise 60% of farms) Pace of collectivisation was too fast (1929-30, tried to collectivise 60% of farms) Peasants killed livestock & hoarded grain rather than hand it over to kolkhoz Peasants killed livestock & hoarded grain rather than hand it over to kolkhoz Food production fell causing famine Food production fell causing famine By 1941 almost all land in USSR collectivised By 1941 almost all land in USSR collectivised Kulaks murdered or interned Kulaks murdered or interned Faced with such enormous human loss, how do you think Stalin would have justified collectivisation?

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

16. Children studying in a Collective school

17. Tractors on a kolkhoz

18. Crèche facilities on a kolkhoz

19. New machinery being used on a Collectivised farm