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To what extent were Stalin's policies of collectivisation and industrialisation a success.

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Introduction

To What Extent Were Stalin's Policies Of Collectivisation And Industrialisation a success Stalin's problem was that the other advanced countries were fifty or a hundred years in front of them. He wanted to make a good distance in ten years because he believed that they would go under if they don't. To solve this problem Stalin introduced collectivization and industrialization. Collectivisation merged all the small privately owned farms under one central power that will control all production and all the finances of the farms. He also planned ambitious targets for industrial growth for every five years. On the plus side many ideological goals where fulfilled by the introduction of collectivisation, the collectivisation of agriculture is a good example of what the ideal of Communism is. In theory this should have worked brilliantly but it did not due to many different factors. ...read more.

Middle

Squads from the communist party were sent in to get more food. There was no more food in the countryside Soviet unions sold grain overseas instead of feeding those who were starving. Over seven million people died. People ate earthworms, mice ants and some even ate their own children to survive. Industrialisation targets for the first five years * Increase agriculture production by 55 per cent. * Increase industrial production by 180 per cent. * Increase investment by 228 per cent. * Increase sales of products by 70 per cent. It was an outstanding success: The results of the first five year plan Product (million tonnes) 1928 (original target) 1932 (revised target) 1932 (what was achieved) Coal 35 75 64 Oil 11.7 21.7 21.1 Iron ore 6.7 20.2 12.1 Pig iron 3.2 10 6.2 To get this achievement living conditions went down, it was impossible to build enough ...read more.

Conclusion

Prisoners in prison camps were made to do some work. Prisons then became labour camps. Were they a success? They were not an achievement; Collectivisation was a political success but an economic failure and a human disaster. Millions of people died due to famine, which came from lack of food, which in turn came from collectivisation Industrialisation was an economic success but again was at human costs. People had to live in overcrowded rundown buildings with shared kitchens and toilets with people they did not even know. The people who worked in factories had life even worse as they had to work harder to reach industrial targets and if they were unable to complete those targets or absent for one day they would lose their jobs. Collectivisation and industrialization both were good in some ways but it lowered the standard of life completely and cost millions of people to die and suffer. ...read more.

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