Under Stalin, the Soviet Union was transformed from a peasant society into an industrial and military superpower. ... Once in power, he collectivized farming and had potential enemies executed or sent to forced labor camps.
How did the Soviet Union became an industrial power?
Already during the Civil War, the Soviet government began to develop a long-term plan for the electrification of the country. ... The GOELRO project made possible the industrialisation in the Soviet Union: electricity generation in 1932 compared with 1913 increased almost 7 times, from 2 to 13.5 billion kWh.
How did the Soviet Union industrialize so fast?
The process of rapid collectivization was made possible by Stalin’s war on the Kulaks . Like Lenin before him, Stalin saw the kulaks, vaguely defined as wealthy peasants, as unacceptably capitalist. (Paradoxically, the regime was punishing those who were most successful under the NEP system.)
How did the Soviet Union become a world superpower?
Massive country, vast natural resources, scientific and technological knowledge, very large standing army, nuclear weapons, political and economic influence over many other countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. Hitler’s invasion of the USSR created a super power, just not the one he intended.
How did they increase industrial production during Stalin’s time in Russia?
From 1928 Stalin began a state-run programme of rapid industrialisation. Factories were built, transport networks developed and workers encouraged , even forced, to work harder. Stalin intended to turn the economy around and make the USSR competitive with capitalist countries.
Why did Stalin want industrialization?
Stalin wanted to create more industry and industry in the east. To do this, transport links between the regions had to be improved and peasants had to be turned into industrial workers . The race to industrialise was spurred on by the fear that capitalist countries would try to destroy communism in the USSR.
What was the name of the better off farmers in the Soviet Union?
The word kulak originally referred to former peasants in the Russian Empire who became wealthier during the Stolypin reform of 1906 to 1914, which aimed to reduce radicalism amongst the peasantry and produce profit-minded, politically conservative farmers.
Why did the USSR fall?
Gorbachev’s decision to allow elections with a multi-party system and create a presidency for the Soviet Union began a slow process of democratization that eventually destabilized Communist control and contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
How did Russia become so powerful after WW2?
From my understanding of the subject, the main reasons why the Soviet Union emerged as a superpower was because of their strong strategic position achieved through military strength and territory gained during the war .
What did Russia gain from WW2?
After World War II, the Soviet Union extended its control into Eastern Europe . It took over the governments in Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, East Germany, Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia.
Were Stalin’s 5 year plans successful?
Centralised decision-making under the Five Year Plans was not always the most efficient way to run an economy. However, particular successes were the improved supply of electricity and the greater number of machines built . Almost all heavy industries enjoyed substantial increases in production.
What were Stalin’s 5 year plans?
In the Soviet Union, the first Five-Year Plan (1928–32), implemented by Joseph Stalin, concentrated on developing heavy industry and collectivizing agriculture, at the cost of a drastic fall in consumer goods. The second plan (1933–37) continued the objectives of the first.
What was first Five Year Plan?
The first five year plan was created in order to initiate rapid and large-scale industrialization across the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) . Having begun on October 1st, 1928, the plan was already in its second year when Harry Byers first set foot in the Soviet Union.
What happened as a result of collectivization?
The application of various administrative pressures—including punitive measures—resulted in the recollectivization of one-half of the peasants by 1931. By 1936 the government had collectivized almost all the peasantry . ... This caused a major famine in the countryside (1932–33) and the deaths of millions of peasants.
Why did Stalin introduce the Five Year Plans?
Why the Five Year Plans were introduced? Stalin believed that the Soviet Union had to build up its industry so it could defend itself from attack by countries in the west . Stalin wanted the Soviet Union to be a modern industrial country like the U.S.A., Germany and Britain.
