Second Five Year Plan

When was the second 5YP?

1933-37

How did the focus shift compared to the 1st 5YP?

Although focus remained on heavy industry, some more attention was given to consumer goods

How was the first and second half of this plan different from each other in terms of living standards?

Despite promises that living conditions would improve, the ongoing famine meant harsh rationing continued until 1934. however, from 1934-36, more effort was put into improving living standards.

How was the latter end of the second 5YP different in terms of spending?

German rearmament prompted more money to be spent on the military replaced any focus on consumer goods

What did a group of moderate Party officials want from 1932 and who were they unofficially led by?

More focus on living standards for industrial workers, moderating the anti-kulak policy (peasant support would be needed if war broke out), informally led by Kirov

Why did the moderates looking for better conditions during this time not have much influence?

The murder of Kirov in 1934 lessened their impact, the onset of the purges in 1936 meant many of these moderates (e.g. Kuibyshev former leader of the Gosplan) were arrested

What movement emerged under the the second 5YP in the latter part of the 1930s?

Stakhanovite movement

When were the “three good years”?

1934-36

What improved during the three good years of 1934-36?

Wages, harvests, production, consumer products were de-rationed

What were the key aims during the second 5YP?

continue the development of heavy industry, promote the growth of light industries like chemicals and electricals, develop communications to provide links between cities and other industrial areas, foster engineering and tool-making

When was the Moscow Metro constructed

1932-37

What was the aims of the Moscow metro?

Glory project to show how well socialism was working, help Moscow to deal with industrialisation as more and more people were moving there from the countryside

What details were included in the Moscow metro to show it was meant to showcase the achievements of a socialist state?

Chandeliers, marble walls, intricate mosaics

What level of skill did the workers on the Moscow Metro generally have?

Were generally unskilled - huge recruitment campaigns were used to enlist labourers

when was the Moscow-Volga Canal constructed?

1932-37

How long was the Moscow-Volga Canal?

128km

What benefits did the Moscow-Volga Canal bring?

Connected Moscow to five seas, improved links to the industrial centre of Gorky

What labour camp did many of the prisoners building the Moscow-Volga Canal come from and how many were sent/died>

Dmitlag (was enormous), 200,000 prisoners used and about 22,000 died

What was one of the only areas in which production targets were met during the second 5YP?

Machine tools

How much did coal production increase by under the 2nd 5YP?

Doubled from 64 to 128 million tonnes

How much did steel production increase by under the 2nd 5YP?

More than tripled

By how much did electricity output increase by the 2nd 5YP?

almost tripled

How did rearmament as a % of GDP change under the 2nd 5YP?

Went from 4% GDP to 17% in 1937`

By 1937, what areas were the USSR virtually self-sufficient in?

Metal goods and machine tools

Even though the quantity of lots of manufactured products increased, what was the issue with them?

They were generally of a poorer quality