Help
Posted 26 November 2003 - 07:27 PM
Helloooooo!
Am currently studying The Rise and Fall of the Communist State and I would like to know WHY Stalin introduced collectivisation and WHAT the effects of it were?
Can anyone point me in the right direction?
And/or does anyone know any good sites which cover this topic very thouroughly?
Thankyou, thankyou.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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The Soviet Union (1928-1941) Questions.
MultiQuote
#2
- Group: Moderating Teacher & Admin
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Posted 26 November 2003 - 08:32 PM
Before I suggest any websites for you to look at, I suggest you think about what the question could be about. There are a number of angles to look at for both questions.
For the first
you need to consider it from a number of viewpoints. There is the economic reasons to do both with his aim of efficiency and higher production as well as the Communist belief in collectivised economic prodution.
This leads you into the political belief in Communist economic methods of production as well as the desire to bring all classes into the communist system. The peasants were traditionally not part of the socialist / communist system in Russia before the revolution, so Stalin would want to either convince them to be part of his brave new world, or to force them to be part of it.
In addition there is the aspect of control. Peasants on a collective farm are so much easier to control for Stalin and the Communist government. As well as this coontrolling the supply of food to the cities was seen as vital for the survival of the new communist regime in the USSR.
There are other things to conisder as well such as Stalin's personality and his struggle to control the party. The debate over the NEP and Stalin's need for support in certain sections of the party in the struggles after Lenin's death needs to be considered as well.
The experience of the Civil War after 1918 also needs to be considered in framing Stalin's actions.
This first question is perhaps the harder as it is about intentions and aims. The second one about effects and impacts is perhaps simpler as it is less about interpretations. However your teacher / examiner will expect you to be able to consider the impacts on a range of levels from the political to the social to the economic etc.
GCSE article about Collectivisation
Article about Collectivisation on Spartacus
The following information is taken from JohnDClare.net
For the first
Quote
WHY Stalin introduced collectivisation
you need to consider it from a number of viewpoints. There is the economic reasons to do both with his aim of efficiency and higher production as well as the Communist belief in collectivised economic prodution.
This leads you into the political belief in Communist economic methods of production as well as the desire to bring all classes into the communist system. The peasants were traditionally not part of the socialist / communist system in Russia before the revolution, so Stalin would want to either convince them to be part of his brave new world, or to force them to be part of it.
In addition there is the aspect of control. Peasants on a collective farm are so much easier to control for Stalin and the Communist government. As well as this coontrolling the supply of food to the cities was seen as vital for the survival of the new communist regime in the USSR.
There are other things to conisder as well such as Stalin's personality and his struggle to control the party. The debate over the NEP and Stalin's need for support in certain sections of the party in the struggles after Lenin's death needs to be considered as well.
The experience of the Civil War after 1918 also needs to be considered in framing Stalin's actions.
This first question is perhaps the harder as it is about intentions and aims. The second one about effects and impacts is perhaps simpler as it is less about interpretations. However your teacher / examiner will expect you to be able to consider the impacts on a range of levels from the political to the social to the economic etc.
GCSE article about Collectivisation
Article about Collectivisation on Spartacus
The following information is taken from JohnDClare.net
Quote
COLLECTIVISATION
WHY? [Six Factors Now To Collectivise Kolkhoz]
1. Soviet agriculture backward subsistence farming/ no machinery/ too small/ inefficient.
2. Food was needed for workers in towns essential for success of 5 year plans
3. NEP not working by 1928, 20 million tons of grain short to feed towns.
4. Town workers were needed peasants needed to work in industry in towns.
5. Cash crops were needed for export to raise money to buy foreign machinery and expertise.
6. Kulaks not Communists/ had private wealth/ Stalin wanted to destroy them.
ENFORCEMENT (5 key dates):
1927 voluntary scheme ignored = food shortages
1929 compulsory collectivisation/ peasants burned crops = famine
1932 33 two-thirds of villages collectivised/ more resistance/ government took food for towns = more famine [5m died in Kazakstan & Ukraine]. Stalin blamed Kulaks = shot/ to labour camps in Siberia/ land taken.
1934 all 7 million Kulaks eliminated
1939 99% of land collectivised/ Ό million Kolkhoz.
RESULTS [Quite Modern Govt Technology Encourages Collectivisation - Poor Foolish Kulaks]
Quarter of million Kolkhoz / More modern methods machinery, modern farming methods & ideas, large-scale/ Grain by 1937, 97 million tons plus cash crops/ Town workers 17 million peasants moved to work in towns/
End of nobles/ Complete Communist control
BUT Production fell at first/ Famine/ Kulaks destroyed
WHY? [Six Factors Now To Collectivise Kolkhoz]
1. Soviet agriculture backward subsistence farming/ no machinery/ too small/ inefficient.
2. Food was needed for workers in towns essential for success of 5 year plans
3. NEP not working by 1928, 20 million tons of grain short to feed towns.
4. Town workers were needed peasants needed to work in industry in towns.
5. Cash crops were needed for export to raise money to buy foreign machinery and expertise.
6. Kulaks not Communists/ had private wealth/ Stalin wanted to destroy them.
ENFORCEMENT (5 key dates):
1927 voluntary scheme ignored = food shortages
1929 compulsory collectivisation/ peasants burned crops = famine
1932 33 two-thirds of villages collectivised/ more resistance/ government took food for towns = more famine [5m died in Kazakstan & Ukraine]. Stalin blamed Kulaks = shot/ to labour camps in Siberia/ land taken.
1934 all 7 million Kulaks eliminated
1939 99% of land collectivised/ Ό million Kolkhoz.
RESULTS [Quite Modern Govt Technology Encourages Collectivisation - Poor Foolish Kulaks]
Quarter of million Kolkhoz / More modern methods machinery, modern farming methods & ideas, large-scale/ Grain by 1937, 97 million tons plus cash crops/ Town workers 17 million peasants moved to work in towns/
End of nobles/ Complete Communist control
BUT Production fell at first/ Famine/ Kulaks destroyed
#3
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Posted 10 December 2003 - 09:52 PM
Hellooooo!
How is everyone?
I got a quick....question?
What were the effects of the 5 Year Plans on the Soviet Union Industry in the years 1928-41?
Apparently in an exam, this would only be a 7 mark question, but for work I have to extend it. How can I do so? Any tips? Or useful sites?
Dankoo
xxxxxx
How is everyone?
I got a quick....question?
What were the effects of the 5 Year Plans on the Soviet Union Industry in the years 1928-41?
Apparently in an exam, this would only be a 7 mark question, but for work I have to extend it. How can I do so? Any tips? Or useful sites?
Dankoo
xxxxxx
#4
- Group: Moderating Teacher
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- Joined: 06-October 02
Posted 10 December 2003 - 10:20 PM
There is some good basic/useful information on this page about Stalin's Russia and also on this page about the Five Year Plans
As far as extending your answer is concerned there are a couple of things you might do:
* make sure you really use the statistics not only to show what progress in terms of output was made compared with the situation before the plans were put into place, but also to highlight the fact that production targets were often not met.
* comment on the impact that the Plans had on the lives of industrial workers
* Try to ensure that your answer is balanced ie that not only do you show what was achieved, but that you also comment on the failures and criticsms that can be made.
As far as extending your answer is concerned there are a couple of things you might do:
* make sure you really use the statistics not only to show what progress in terms of output was made compared with the situation before the plans were put into place, but also to highlight the fact that production targets were often not met.
* comment on the impact that the Plans had on the lives of industrial workers
* Try to ensure that your answer is balanced ie that not only do you show what was achieved, but that you also comment on the failures and criticsms that can be made.
#6
- Group: Student
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- Joined: 10-February 03
- Location:London
Posted 24 December 2003 - 06:23 PM
What was the impact of the Second World War on the USSR and Soviet Society?
This is not a homework question, but we were told to have a "detailed" think about it, for future exam purposes.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This is not a homework question, but we were told to have a "detailed" think about it, for future exam purposes.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
#7
- Group: Student
- Posts: 95
- Joined: 10-February 03
- Location:London
Posted 24 December 2003 - 06:36 PM
Here are a few questions which we were given for exam practice for our mocks.
Why did Stalin introduce the Five Year Plans (6)
How did Stalin secure his hold on power in the Soviet Union in the years 1928-41? (15)
Where online can I find the necessary information to answer these questions? What would a model answer be? Are there any sites that have model answers of the commonly-asked questions?
Thankyou very, very much.
Good luck with revision everyone and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Why did Stalin introduce the Five Year Plans (6)
How did Stalin secure his hold on power in the Soviet Union in the years 1928-41? (15)
Where online can I find the necessary information to answer these questions? What would a model answer be? Are there any sites that have model answers of the commonly-asked questions?
Thankyou very, very much.
Good luck with revision everyone and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
#8
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Posted 24 December 2003 - 08:20 PM
Try this page of Mr John D Clare's Greenfield School GCSE History site for the first question.
The basic answer to the second question is: 'by a mixture
of fear/terror and propaganda'.
For the fear/terror aspect see this page of Mr Clare's site. I can't quickly find anything online specifically on Stalin's use of propaganda as a tool of control, but your textbook may well help.
He also has 'exemplar essays' on this page. I don't think he covers your questions but he is a very helpful man and you can ask him to provide model answers for other questions (See on the page given above). However do remember that it is Christmas so don't expect an immediate response.
You can always try searching the internet using your questions (in inverted commas "......") as the search term. That often turns up useful stuff.
Happy Christmas!
The basic answer to the second question is: 'by a mixture
of fear/terror and propaganda'.
For the fear/terror aspect see this page of Mr Clare's site. I can't quickly find anything online specifically on Stalin's use of propaganda as a tool of control, but your textbook may well help.
He also has 'exemplar essays' on this page. I don't think he covers your questions but he is a very helpful man and you can ask him to provide model answers for other questions (See on the page given above). However do remember that it is Christmas so don't expect an immediate response.
You can always try searching the internet using your questions (in inverted commas "......") as the search term. That often turns up useful stuff.
Happy Christmas!
#9
- Group: Moderating Teacher
- Posts: 2,803
- Joined: 06-October 02
Posted 31 December 2003 - 03:46 PM
Lex,
Sorry. I'd forgotten all about this question in the flurry of preparations for Christmas etc. However, since this is a 'have a think about' question I guess I'm not too late.
You can get some ideas from this 'People's Input' page of an article about the Soviet-German War on the BBC site:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwtwo/sov...an_war_04.shtml
If I find anything else useful I'll post again
Happy New Year!
Later:
If you were really serious about researching this topic you could see if your local library has a copy of The Soviet Home Front, 1941-1945: A Social and Economic History of the USSR in World War II by John Barber
- but it is an academic book and very detailed.
Sorry. I'd forgotten all about this question in the flurry of preparations for Christmas etc. However, since this is a 'have a think about' question I guess I'm not too late.
You can get some ideas from this 'People's Input' page of an article about the Soviet-German War on the BBC site:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwtwo/sov...an_war_04.shtml
If I find anything else useful I'll post again
Happy New Year!
Later:
If you were really serious about researching this topic you could see if your local library has a copy of The Soviet Home Front, 1941-1945: A Social and Economic History of the USSR in World War II by John Barber
- but it is an academic book and very detailed.
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