Defeat of the Bukharinists, Five Year Plan, Collectivisation

December 1925

Fourteenth Party Congress - Kamenev and Zinoviev defeated, Trotsky loses Politburo seat, congress called for a desire to grow economy and industrialisation

December 1927

Fifteenth Party Congress - United Opposition (Kamenev and Zinoviev) expelled from the party, Stalin and Bukharin triumphant, believe NEP is good

January 1928 - Urals-Siberian method

Grain procurement crisis in winter 1927-1928, grain procurement down by a third in west Siberia and Urals where harvests were good, Stalin;s officials close free markets and stop speculation

April 1928

Bukharinists outvoted in the Politburo on agricultural policy

Summer 1928

Bukharin’s political position weakening, outvoted frequently in Politburo and Central Committee

October 1928

Bukharinists lost the majority they previously held in the Moscow party

November 1928

Stalin felt strong enough to attack Bukharin, charged him with ‘Right deviation’

April 1929

First Five Year Plan launched at Party conference, a plan for rapid industrialisation, Bukharin loses editorship of Pravda

Summer of 1929

• Forced collectivisation steadily gained momentum

• Popular with many Party members and local officials

• 25,000 industrial workers and young committed Communists sent to countryside to develop collective farms

November 1929

Bukharin expelled from the Politburo, Right Opposition was crushed and Stalin was undisputed ruler of USSR

December 1929

Stalin announced to Party Congress his readiness to impose forced collectivisation without any restraint to ‘smash the kulaks as a class’