How Did Joseph Stalin Improve The New Economic Policy

Stalin’s policy priorities were not building a ‘worker’s paradise’ or a classless society, but protecting Russia from war and invasion. In 1928, Stalin launched the first of two ambitious five-year plans to modernize and industrialize the Soviet economy. These programs brought rapid progress – but also significant death and suffering. Stalin’s decision to nationalize agricultural production dispossessed millions of peasants, forcing them from their land to labor on gigantic state-run collective farms. Grain was sold abroad to finance Soviet industrial projects, leading to food shortages and disastrous famines in the mid-1930s. Soviet Russia was dragged into the 20th century, transforming from a backward agrarian empire into a modern industrial superpower – but this came at extraordinary human cost.

In Russia and China, both Stalin and Mao emerged as almost god-like leaders despite making their respective countries endure harsh programs of reform all economically, politically and socially. Mao can be seen to have adopted the policies of Stalin, both inspired by the Marxist ideologies of Lenin. Both Stalin and Mao recognized the economic backwardness of their respective countries and wanted to use industrialization and collectivisation as the primary means of increasing their economies. Although the original plans were very similar, the actual undertaking of the plans in addition to the results and how it helped consolidate both leaders may slightly vary. Comparing and

Other European countries used much more modernised equipments. However, the NEP does not encourage this modernisation which could in fact dramatically improve the country’s economy. Grain export was the most important source for their agriculture yet the exports were three fourth lower than it was a decade ago. This left the Russian economy to be far behind in modernisation than any other European countries. Modernisation was pivotal as it can enhance a country’s strength in many ways. Most importantly, it would help support Russia’s military at a time where an invasion to any European country could be foreseen. The Communists were afraid of this, since they were prone to any invasion with their weapons being out of date. The Communists felt they should be a major industrialization powerhouse against other European rivals such as Germany however the NEP would make the country even more vulnerable.

A dystopian society is a society that is ruled under a government that makes unfair laws for the people or prohibit people from doing certain things. One could formulate that Joseph Stalin, a quite audacity, and unflappable Russian leader during the livid, maniacal, times of WW2, for example, made many changes to the Soviet Union (USSR and/or Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) that impacted many people and their lives. “You cannot make a revolution with silk gloves.” (Joseph Stalin; Inspiringquotes.us). Some facts are, Joseph Stalin made many changes during his reign over the USSR, how his choices impacted other citizens lives in the USSR, and the genres of literature that were used.

     Stalin had an ingenious plan to help his country’s economy get back on track. He called this plan the Five Year Plan which consisted of four parts. First was a plan to increase industrial output in five years because Russia was far behind the Great Powers of Europe. Second

His “Socialism in One Country” policy said that although revolutions in other countries had failed, Russia could still build socialism by using Lenin’s NEP. Stalin and the Centre allied with the Right and Bukharin over the NEP policy, wanting to continue with it. This gave Stalin someone to help him and keep him popular and powerful.

Communism is a political and social act where everything was controlled by the Government and the citizens having no say. Life in Russia has forever been different than that of Canada. Although Russia claims to be a democracy, its citizens do not fully know the idea of freedom. Joseph Stalin had a plan to make Russia the super power of the world but ultimately failed because communism never works. Stalin released new ideas that he thought would help improve the economy but never actually did. From the time that Stalin came into power in 1924, up until his death in 1953 he transformed Russia’s previously more week society into an active military and industrial superpower striking fear and terror into its citizens. Stalin did play a huge role in defeating the Axis power in WWII but is seen as a communist who was a ruthless ruler responsible for the deaths of over 20 million people. Although some people believe that Joseph Stalin’s plan for communism was good, in reality many horrors affected his people, the economy, and the future of Russia.

Vladimir Lenin, founder and leader of the Bolsheviks, failed the Soviet Union with his New Economic Policy (NEP), which was designed to bring more money to the USSR and help their economy flourish. This was introduced with the idea of “War Communism.” War Communism started during World War I and dealt with the economic and social problems facing the USSR during the war. With most resources going to the military, grain production was low and forced millions of peasants to move and turn to cannibalism. Peasants tried to revolt for change but were killed. Because of this, the Bolsheviks lost their main supporters (working class, peasants, etc.) This led Lenin to bring about the NEP. Many in his party saw the Capitalistic ideals of the NEP as a

Russia’s economy was so harsh that peasants decided to cause the civil war which has been prolonged for 3 years, and Lenin provided the ideal plan NEP that every people do same amount of work and get same amount of payment. However, this was not enough to reconstruct the nation. After Lenin’s death, Stalin became the leader. Stalin abolished the Lenin’s NEP and changed to the plan that government decide everything. First he forced private farm owner to join kolkhozy, the collective farm. Then he focused on heavy industry such as coal and steel rather than agriculture. As a result, Russia’s development of industry has dramatically increased about 30%. South Korea’s development of industry was also great; however, it is far beyond that of the Russia. At the end Russia became one of the strongest country in the

New Economic Policy is a term that traces back to the letter, which Lenin received from an acquaintance named, Nikolai Rozhkov. The goal of NEP was to replace the failing economic approach known as War Communism. It was also

One can easily admit that the Party had failed to properly economically plan the needs of each state. The Soviet Union economy was complex and massive, it became an impossible task for the state planners to manage, as they did not want to grant and create more managerial levels that would proceed to the local level resulting in failed timely attempts to the constant changes the economy was going through. Since the Soviet economy was based on state planning, it failed in encouraging innovation and motivating productivity. Managers would also alter numbers in order to produce the quotas that they were required to meet. The growth of the Soviet economy had been in a constant decline since the 1950’s and this progressed to the 1980’s. This was a clear sign that the Soviet economy was in need of a complete economic overhaul. Gorbachev succeeded power in March, 1985 and became General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist party of the Soviet Union. His main goal was to revive the Soviet economy, and he strongly believed that success was tied to loosening the governments control and creating a system that included less government intervention and more freedom to allow private initiatives. This new market economy would allow for private enterprise, which what Gorbachev believed would create more innovation. For the first time since 1920’s, individuals were able to own and create businesses.

It was designed to industrialise the USSR in the shortest possible time and, in the process, to expedite the collectivisation of farms. The plan was ruthlessly applied and focused on heavy industries, in particular the development of iron and steel, machine-tools, electric power and transport. Stalin justified these measures when speaking in a statement made in 1931 by saying, "We are 50-100 years behind the advanced countries. We must make good this distance in 10 years. Either we do it or we shall be crushed."" (My essay "Compare and contrast the economic policies of Lenin and Stalin and evaluate their success")

The primary focus of this investigation is to asses did Stalin’s Five Year Plans have a positive impact on The Soviet Union’s economy and industry beginning 1928 and leading up to 1941. This topic was chosen to discuss the economical and industrial effects before and after Stalin’s Five Year Plan, this was interesting to study because Stalin introduced the first plan in 1928 after Lenin’s regime ended, and its success in achieving its goals was declared ahead of its time, in 1932. The first scope of this investigation will look into how job opportunities were before Stalin’s Five Year Plans and if Stalin’s Plan had a positive or negative affect on it afterwards. The second scope of this investigation will assess the industrialization before and after Stalin’s overtaking. The method that will be used to conduct this investigation is websites, books based off the history of the twentieth-century in Russia that looks into the political, social, and economic success and failures.

The New Economic Policy (NEP) was a measure implemented in order to counter the arguably disastrous effects War Communism. The New Economic is controversial. Some historians argue it allowed the Soviet economy to solidify and begin to recover, and also allowed the Bolsheviks to retain control over Russia. Others, like Orlando Figes, state it was ultimately a failure, arguing that under the NEP the peasants grew away from the Bolshevik regime, inviting a future, and brutal, reassertion of central control.s This essay will discuss the effectiveness of the NEP economically and politically as well as outlining War Communism and why it failed

The Soviet Union sparked its first paths of development towards a communist economy through a five-year plan in 1938. The plan called for government controls and government regulation for their workers. This planned also controlled prices and wages for the workers to control the standard of living and to keep the needs of the common man minimal. The government wanted control of all private industries so that they can push for a rapid industrial society. Benefits such as health care and public housing were terminated to help the Soviet government with their plan. The Soviets wanted to combine their work force with their investments in coal, steel and iron to boost their capital and help them create a super nation.