Five+Year+Plan

__**The First Five Year Plan**__

1928–1933
The First Five Year Plan was introduced in 1928 by Stalin, who was desperate to modernize his country and increase production. The plans were developed by a state planning committee and was to be carried out by the Soviet bureaucracy.

Stalin's main policy pursued at this time was called **Collectivization.** The goal of this policy was to consolidate individual land and labour into collective farms/ involved the creation of collective farms in which peasants worked cooperatively on the same land with the same equipment. It was thought that this would improve the efficiency of farming, and yield better crops and crops that could be harvested faster. Collectivization was also desired so that it would diminish the "kulak" class of landowners (wealthier farmers) who were against Stalin's reign and improve the situation of the starving poorer peasants. This didn't turn out so well, as much rebellion and suffering ensued, and collectivization was a main cause of the famine of 1932, which resulted in millions of deaths of the peasants.

The First Five-Year Plan called for rapid industrialization of the economy, with an emphasis on heavy industry. It was Stalin's intent to rapidly modernize his country, and set goals that were extremely unrealistic; a 1115 increase in coal production, 200% increase in iron production and 335% increase in electric power. In this one aspect, the plan failed, as the quantity of his goals couldn't be met, yet the plan did have large successes.

__**Successes**__; all industry and services were nationalized, managers were given predetermined output quotas by central planners, and trade unions were converted into mechanisms for increasing worker productivity. Many new industrial centers were developed, particularly in the Ural Mountains. But because of the large unrealistic production targets, drastic problems soon became evident. Widespread shortages of consumer goods occurred because of the greatest share of investment put into heavy industry.

Yet with the Five Year Plan, Stalin also sacrificed some of his and others beliefs in communism; he argued that it was necessary to pay higher wages to hard working workers in order to encourage increased output and effort. (He eventually had his way and a increase in the division between the wages of labours and skilled workers happened in the early 1930's.) This caused a deal of controversy, as members of the left-wing said that this was an inequality and a betrayal of socialism and communism

Bibliography: http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/soviet.exhibit/collect.html http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSfive.htm

Second Plan, 1933–1937
The second five year plan started in the year 1933, with a focus on heavy industries. This made Soviet Russia, Germany's closest competitor in steel production. Stalin prioritized the communication network (the railways were extremely important). Efforts were made to recuperate the agrarian sector, but this plan failed. The state of living further worsened during this period, especially among the peasants. Because of Stalin's desperation, women were asked to be a part of this plan as well in order to improve the heavy industry as much as possible. The second five year plan aimed to triple coal, iron and steel output and had great success. The USSR became a major world economic power and an end to food rationing occurred, much to the happiness of the peasants and people. There was also a minor increase in the availability of consumer goods although due to increased output and minor problems in the collectivization the quality remained poor. New dams, for hydro-electricity, new roads, new steel & metal plants were created, new mines sunk and new canals dug.

__**Successes**__; Economically the Second Five Year Plan was a success and enabled the Soviet Union to not feel the effects of the Great Depression, and also for Stalin it was a political success as it affirmed his position as the supreme leader of the U.S.S.R. Many jobs were created by it as well, and it was through both the First and Second Plan that the U.S.S.R became stronger enough to take on and beat the Nazis in World War Two.

Bibliography: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSfive.htm http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090401060017AAccamh

-Rachel C