The Five Year Plans
Gosplan
state planning agency created in 1921 to oversee the NEP
tasked with drawing up the Plans and creating the targets
had no reliable statistics to base targets on
Gosplan officials would be blamed if things went wrong
First Plan 1928-1932
approved at 16th Party Congress, April 1929
Aims
increase overall production by 300%
focus on developing coal, iron, steel, oil and machinery
boost electricity production by 600%
double production of consumer goods
improve the transport system
Successes
electricity output trebled
coal/iron output doubled
steel production increased by 1/3
no major targets met, but they were highly unrealistic to begin with
Weaknesses
'over-enthusiastic' reporting from officials to avoid punishment
house-building, food processing etc. neglected
lack of skilled workers/effective management
Second Plan 1933-1937
Aims
continue to develop heavy industry
promote the growth of light industry
develop communications
Successes
electricity and chemical production grew rapidly
zinc, copper and tin mined in Russia for the first time
steel output trebled
coal production doubled
Weaknesses
overall they learned from the mistakes of the First Plan
oil production failed to meet targets
still no decent increase for consumer goods
continued emphasis on quantity over quality
Third Plan 1938-1942
Aims
renewed emphasis on the development of heavy industry
rapid rearmament
completing the transition to communism
Successes
strong growth in machinery and engineering
rearmament spending doubled 1938-1940
Weaknesses
steel production slowed
oil failed to meet targets causing a fuel crisis
material shortages
consumer goods were once again lowest priority
lack of managers, specialists and technicians following the Purge
hard winter 1938
Plan disrupted by the German invasion 1941
Larger Projects
Moscow Metro (opened 1935)
Dnieprostroi Dam (1932)
largest dam in Europe
hydro-electric power
Magnitogorsk (founded 1929)
city built on huge reserves of iron ore in the Urals
huge steel plant
acted as a showpiece of Soviet achievement
Volga Canal (opened 1937)
made mostly using gulag labour
22,000 died constructing it
Impact
Soviet Union was self-sufficient in metal/machinery by 1937
Impact on workers
Positive
some did well due to training programs/job vacancies from purges
1931 wage differentials rewarded those who worked hard
managers could award bonuses/better houses and pay by piece
rationing phased out by 1935
Negative
7 day work weeks and long hours
being late/absent could cause dismissal, eviction or loss of benefits
damaging machinery/striking was illegal
real wages lower than 1928 in 1937
forced labour in prison camps that often caused deaths