Five-Year Plans and Soviet Industrialization
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How significant was the need to rapidly modernise Soviet industry as a reason for the introduction of the Five-Year Plans? Explain your answer.
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The need to rapidly modernize Soviet industry was a significant reason for the introduction of the Five-Year Plans. The Soviet Union was many decades behind other major Western powers in terms of industrial development by 1928. The New Economic Policy (NEP) implemented prior to the Five-Year Plans had only managed to restore production levels to those before World War I. Increasing the output of heavy industry was necessary to support the development of secondary and tertiary industries. Additionally, Stalin wanted the USSR to be perceived as a rapidly growing world power and saw the industrial working class as natural allies of the Marxist ideology. Industrialization would also enable the strengthening of the armed forces and defense against potential attacks from the West. However, other factors such as Stalin's desire to prove the superiority of his own doctrine of Socialism in one country, removing political opponents within the party, and taking direct control of the economy also played a role. These factors allowed Stalin to centralize his power, both politically and economically, and increase his own prestige as a leader.
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How significant was the need to rapidly modernise Soviet industry as a reason for the introduction of the Five-Year Plans? Explain your answer. Yes Soviet industry was decades behind that of other major Western powers by 1928; NEP had only managed to restore pre-WWI production levels; output of heavy industry needed to be increased to allow the development of secondary and tertiary industries; Stalin wanted the USSR to be seen as a rapidly growing world power and an emerging force; Stalin wanted to increase the industrial working class as they were natural allies of the Marxist ideology of the party; industrialisation would allow the USSR to strengthen its armed forces and defences against attacks from the West, etc. No More significant – Socialism in one country: Stalin wanted to prove that his doctrine was superior to permanent revolution and remove political opponents from within the party; Stalin viewed the NEP as a capitalist and counter-revolutionary doctrine; desire by Stalin to remove the kulaks and the NEP men as class enemies of the state; would allow Stalin to take direct control of the economy under a command economy system of state planning – GOSPLAN; Stalin could centralise his power; rapid industrialisation would increase Stalin’s power and prestige as a great leader; allow defence as NO argument, etc.