STALIN: PEOPLES HERO OR MONSTER?
STALIN: PEOPLES HERO OR MONSTER? (1928-1941)
Were the Five-Year Plans and Collectivisation policies successful?
Stalin’s five-year plans and collectivisation policies were not the first attempt to reorganise the soviet workforce. The New Economic Policy was applied in March 1921, which was a mixture of socialism and capitalism. By 1927 the NEP had revived Soviet industry to 1913 levels and was successful in heavy goods, however agriculture was in turmoil. Stalin would no longer allow the peasants to threaten the cities – and the government – with their power to hold back food. He felt he could kill two birds with one stone: agriculture was to be updated on a collective and more politically acceptable basis bringing the still largely peasant population under party control. Stalin saw the issue in stark terms. He could either proceed with an enhanced form of the NEP, by encouraging large scale capitalist farming and increase the power of the Kulaks, disturbing the introduction of socialism to the countryside or choose a policy that forced the peasants into state-owned collective farms. At the same time he pressed forward with a programme of rapid industrialization. The concept of collectivisation was plausible, large mechanised farms should produce more food in comparison to small farms with primitive tools. However, during that period the Soviet Union could not be classed as an industrialised nation. They had few tractors and other types of farm machinery available.
Stalin would have to introduce farm managers that could cope with these larger farms. Peasant farmers worked independently, now they were forced to work collectively and did not want to give up their own land, resistance was inevitable as peasants had to pool their machinery and livestock on large farms. Peasants were forced to hand over their produce to the government and were either paid wages or had to feed themselves on what was left over, the peasants showed this anger by
Were the Five-Year Plans and Collectivisation policies successful?
Stalin’s five-year plans and collectivisation policies were not the first attempt to reorganise the soviet workforce. The New Economic Policy was applied in March 1921, which was a mixture of socialism and capitalism. By 1927 the NEP had revived Soviet industry to 1913 levels and was successful in heavy goods, however agriculture was in turmoil. Stalin would no longer allow the peasants to threaten the cities – and the government – with their power to hold back food. He felt he could kill two birds with one stone: agriculture was to be updated on a collective and more politically acceptable basis bringing the still largely peasant population under party control. Stalin saw the issue in stark terms. He could either proceed with an enhanced form of the NEP, by encouraging large scale capitalist farming and increase the power of the Kulaks, disturbing the introduction of socialism to the countryside or choose a policy that forced the peasants into state-owned collective farms. At the same time he pressed forward with a programme of rapid industrialization. The concept of collectivisation was plausible, large mechanised farms should produce more food in comparison to small farms with primitive tools. However, during that period the Soviet Union could not be classed as an industrialised nation. They had few tractors and other types of farm machinery available.
Stalin would have to introduce farm managers that could cope with these larger farms. Peasant farmers worked independently, now they were forced to work collectively and did not want to give up their own land, resistance was inevitable as peasants had to pool their machinery and livestock on large farms. Peasants were forced to hand over their produce to the government and were either paid wages or had to feed themselves on what was left over, the peasants showed this anger by