Dictatorship and Conflict in the
USSR, 1924-53
Effect Question Chapters 2-5
CHAPTER 2
Rapid industrialization
Effect #1 – development of soviet industry
Effect #2 – bad living and working conditions
One effect of rapid industrialization is that the Soviet Union saw a huge development in the
soviet industry. During the first Five year plan the economy grew a substantial amount of 14%. coal
and oil production doubled while steel production increased by one third. Furthermore, with the use
of those increased materials, the Soviet Union could focus on transport schemes which were made
during the second five-year plan such as the Moscow metro and the Moscow sea canal. Also, due to
rapid industrialization, development in chemical industry resulted in the production of fertilizers that
would benefit the countryside of the Soviet Union and the armaments industry saw a huge
improvement preparing the Soviet Union for any potential wars. For example, many arms factories
were built as well as nine new aircrafts.
Another effect of rapid industrialization is the bad working and living conditions that were
created. One example of this is the shortage of housing as the population of cities such as Moscow
and Petrograd more than doubled creating shortage of housing. As the government was not willing
to spend its limited resources in housing, people had to leave in tiny apartments of four-square
meters with a communal bathroom and kitchen. Furthermore, there was very little to no investment
remained for the improvement of living conditions and everyday good. Items such as shoes, clothes
and furniture were extremely difficult to find and therefore very expensive. To acquire such items
people had to stint in queues with 1000 people. Similar difficulty existed in working places as well.
Due to the highly unrealistic targets set by the Gosplan, workers were working long hours seven days
per week to meet their targets and avoid punishment. Also, basic work and safety standards were
nonexistent causing frequent accidents and life risk in the workplace.
The Stakhanovite movement
Effect #1 – people were encouraged to work harder
Effect #2 – created disturbance and violence
One effect of the Stakhanovite movement is that it encouraged many people to work harder.
This motivation was created by the massive propaganda and the use of the worker Alexei Stakhanov
which was said to have mined 102 tons of coal in 6 hours which was 14 times more than the average
worker. To make people work harder, he was rewarded with one month’s wages, a new apartment
and a holiday and the workers were promised that they would be rewarded in a similar way if they
exceeded their targets like this. to increase the effect of Stakhanov, he toured the country
encouraging workers to follow his example and statues were built in his honor. This created the
1
, Stakhanovites which were the workers which exceeded their targets and enjoyed some privileges
because of it
Another effect of the Stakhanovite movement is that it created some disturbance to the five-
year plans which struggles managers. This is because some other people did not like the pressure on
them to work harder and Stakhanovite workers were often attacked while the word Stakhanovite
slowly became more like an insult. Also, further disturbance was created from the Stakhanovites
themselves as ‘Recordmania’ occurred where the managers had to spend time dealing with attempts
to set new production records which disrupted normal working patterns
Collectivization
Effect #1 – dekulakization
Effect #2 – great famine
One effect of collectivization was the shocking order of Stalin to liquidate the kulaks and the
process of dekulakization. The kulaks as the peasants who were most successful under the NEP were
the ones with the most to lose under collectivization. As a result, Stalin wanted to remove them as
class entirely to get rid of their opposition. The kulaks were forbidden from joining collective farms
and instead were rounded up by dekulakization squads made up of army units and secret police.
However, the term ‘’kulak’ lost its real meaning resulting to anyone who opposed collectivization to
have the same fate as the kulaks. Thousands of people were shot on the spot, deported to Siberia or
forced in labor camps
Another effect of collectivization was the Great Famine of 1932-33 which especially hard-hit
in Ukraine. The great famine was a result of the opposition to collectivization as the peasants burned
their farms and killed and ate their animals to prevent the state from taking them from them. This
created a huge shortage of food which escalated into a famine. To survive people ate, insects,
worms, mice and even human flesh. In fact, various posters of the time said, ‘to eat your own
children is a barbarian act’ and more than 2500 people were convicted for cannibalism. In Ukraine
the famine was knows as ‘Holodomor’ which meant extermination as 4-5 million people died.
However, Stalin refused to accept offered help from other countries and used the famine as a
punishment to the people for resisting collectivization
CHAPTER 3
Purges
Effect #1 – total control/removal of opposition
Effect #2 – Gulags
One effect of the purges is that Stalin finally had his position as a leader completely
unchallenged as through the purges he got rid of any possible person who could threaten his
position. Most importantly through the Moscow trials 1936-1939 he finally abolished all his
opponents from the struggle to power. Starting with Kamenev and Zinoviev who were accused of
organizing the murder of Kirov and plotting against the government, they pleaded guilty and were
shot. A similar trial took place with Trotsky’s former allies and finally with Bukharin who was also
accused of plotting against the government. Although Bukharin tried to fight for his life and point out
the absurd nature of his charges, he also ended up pleading guilty and was sentenced to death.
Furthermore, Stalin not only exterminated his political opponents, but by extending the purges to
the workers and peasants he eliminated every single person who might even had a thought of
challenging his position. Therefore, through the purges Stalin managed to create a Soviet Union with
no one against him either due to fear or genuine beliefs
2
USSR, 1924-53
Effect Question Chapters 2-5
CHAPTER 2
Rapid industrialization
Effect #1 – development of soviet industry
Effect #2 – bad living and working conditions
One effect of rapid industrialization is that the Soviet Union saw a huge development in the
soviet industry. During the first Five year plan the economy grew a substantial amount of 14%. coal
and oil production doubled while steel production increased by one third. Furthermore, with the use
of those increased materials, the Soviet Union could focus on transport schemes which were made
during the second five-year plan such as the Moscow metro and the Moscow sea canal. Also, due to
rapid industrialization, development in chemical industry resulted in the production of fertilizers that
would benefit the countryside of the Soviet Union and the armaments industry saw a huge
improvement preparing the Soviet Union for any potential wars. For example, many arms factories
were built as well as nine new aircrafts.
Another effect of rapid industrialization is the bad working and living conditions that were
created. One example of this is the shortage of housing as the population of cities such as Moscow
and Petrograd more than doubled creating shortage of housing. As the government was not willing
to spend its limited resources in housing, people had to leave in tiny apartments of four-square
meters with a communal bathroom and kitchen. Furthermore, there was very little to no investment
remained for the improvement of living conditions and everyday good. Items such as shoes, clothes
and furniture were extremely difficult to find and therefore very expensive. To acquire such items
people had to stint in queues with 1000 people. Similar difficulty existed in working places as well.
Due to the highly unrealistic targets set by the Gosplan, workers were working long hours seven days
per week to meet their targets and avoid punishment. Also, basic work and safety standards were
nonexistent causing frequent accidents and life risk in the workplace.
The Stakhanovite movement
Effect #1 – people were encouraged to work harder
Effect #2 – created disturbance and violence
One effect of the Stakhanovite movement is that it encouraged many people to work harder.
This motivation was created by the massive propaganda and the use of the worker Alexei Stakhanov
which was said to have mined 102 tons of coal in 6 hours which was 14 times more than the average
worker. To make people work harder, he was rewarded with one month’s wages, a new apartment
and a holiday and the workers were promised that they would be rewarded in a similar way if they
exceeded their targets like this. to increase the effect of Stakhanov, he toured the country
encouraging workers to follow his example and statues were built in his honor. This created the
1
, Stakhanovites which were the workers which exceeded their targets and enjoyed some privileges
because of it
Another effect of the Stakhanovite movement is that it created some disturbance to the five-
year plans which struggles managers. This is because some other people did not like the pressure on
them to work harder and Stakhanovite workers were often attacked while the word Stakhanovite
slowly became more like an insult. Also, further disturbance was created from the Stakhanovites
themselves as ‘Recordmania’ occurred where the managers had to spend time dealing with attempts
to set new production records which disrupted normal working patterns
Collectivization
Effect #1 – dekulakization
Effect #2 – great famine
One effect of collectivization was the shocking order of Stalin to liquidate the kulaks and the
process of dekulakization. The kulaks as the peasants who were most successful under the NEP were
the ones with the most to lose under collectivization. As a result, Stalin wanted to remove them as
class entirely to get rid of their opposition. The kulaks were forbidden from joining collective farms
and instead were rounded up by dekulakization squads made up of army units and secret police.
However, the term ‘’kulak’ lost its real meaning resulting to anyone who opposed collectivization to
have the same fate as the kulaks. Thousands of people were shot on the spot, deported to Siberia or
forced in labor camps
Another effect of collectivization was the Great Famine of 1932-33 which especially hard-hit
in Ukraine. The great famine was a result of the opposition to collectivization as the peasants burned
their farms and killed and ate their animals to prevent the state from taking them from them. This
created a huge shortage of food which escalated into a famine. To survive people ate, insects,
worms, mice and even human flesh. In fact, various posters of the time said, ‘to eat your own
children is a barbarian act’ and more than 2500 people were convicted for cannibalism. In Ukraine
the famine was knows as ‘Holodomor’ which meant extermination as 4-5 million people died.
However, Stalin refused to accept offered help from other countries and used the famine as a
punishment to the people for resisting collectivization
CHAPTER 3
Purges
Effect #1 – total control/removal of opposition
Effect #2 – Gulags
One effect of the purges is that Stalin finally had his position as a leader completely
unchallenged as through the purges he got rid of any possible person who could threaten his
position. Most importantly through the Moscow trials 1936-1939 he finally abolished all his
opponents from the struggle to power. Starting with Kamenev and Zinoviev who were accused of
organizing the murder of Kirov and plotting against the government, they pleaded guilty and were
shot. A similar trial took place with Trotsky’s former allies and finally with Bukharin who was also
accused of plotting against the government. Although Bukharin tried to fight for his life and point out
the absurd nature of his charges, he also ended up pleading guilty and was sentenced to death.
Furthermore, Stalin not only exterminated his political opponents, but by extending the purges to
the workers and peasants he eliminated every single person who might even had a thought of
challenging his position. Therefore, through the purges Stalin managed to create a Soviet Union with
no one against him either due to fear or genuine beliefs
2
