Assess the impact of Stalin on Russia and the Russian people

theplans to GOSPLAN, the state planning bureau. The idea was that thestate would decide targets for industrial production, and would usecentral planning and direction of the nation's resources to achievethe priorities set out in each planThe first five year plan was launched in 1928. It was to b focused onbuilding up heavy industry's like coal and steel. Propaganda was usedto try to make the workers finish in just four years. The targets weretough but enormous increases in production were achieved. The firstfive year plan was a success.The second five year plan (1933-7) concentrated on improving thingslike transport and production of machinery.The third five year plan (1938-41) ran for only three and a half yearsbefore it was interrupted by war.More and more resources were transferred into defence relatedindustry's. When war broke out in 1941, Germany was attacking theworld's second greatest industrial power. Fifteen years before, Russiahad been a backward agriculture nation.Russia would not have survived against Germany without the changeswhich the five year plans had brought.Collectivisation was an attempt to reorganise Russian farming. Allpeasants would have to work on the collective farms (Kolkhoz). It wasvery unpopular. The peasants were reluctant to change their way offarming.Stalin had two reasons for wanting change in the countryside:1) He needed to get his hands on the peasant's grain so he could sellit for export. Using foreign currency this would get him a lot ofmoney to buy vital equipment for industry.2) The industrial workers needed cheap food. If the peasantscontrolled grains sales, they would try to keep the price high. Thismeant that industrial workers would need to be paid more.The peasants continuously rebelled against collectivisation, so Stalinsent in the army and secret police to terrorise them. In the end theyco-operated, they had no choice really.The purges are not something for Stalin to be proud of. As many as20million Russians may have died as a result of Stalin purges. Peoplewould have been killed, worked to death or deported.The victims of these purges were Kulaks (wealthy farmers), plantengineers and foreman-accused of sabotaging the five year plan.Show trials were held for the leading Bolsheviks in 1936. The leadingBolsheviks were Zinoviev, Kamenev, Rykov, Tomsky, Buckharin, andYagoda. These people were made examples off.Sergi Kirov, the head of the Leningrad party died in 1934. In 1938 75%of army officers were murdered. This had a serious effect on theperformance of the Red Army in the first two years of world war two.Religion played a big part in Russian lives. The Orthodox Church haddominated the lives of most Russians.Stalin outlawed the Church, buildings were destroyed, priests werepublicly humiliated and forced to confess that they had been lying andother religions (such as Islam's and Buddhist) were persecuted too.There was a greater impact in the countryside.Many people would turn to God in tough times, but Stalin took Godaway, it was as if Stalin was God, because he had the power to takehim away.Education was something Stalin was keen on. He wanted his country tobe able to read!Stalin introduced free compulsory education for everybody. Literacyimproved massively.In 1900 25% of people could read.In 1925 40% of people could read.In 1940 75% of people could read.This was a big increase and Stalin had done well to get 75% of peoplereading by 1940.Some Russians regard Stalin as the greatest ever leader, and somedon't. He had done some good things as leader of Russia, and some badthings. He introduced free education, won the war against Germany,industrialisation in just 10 years and he was very popular. However hehad killed off religion, introduced collectivisation and then therewas the purges…