SGQ 6

IBSL2 SGQ6

QWs:

Compare and contrast the economic and social policies of one left wing and one right wing single-party ruler.

Examine the status of women in two single-party states, each chosen from a different region.

In what ways did one ruler of a single-party state try to use education to support his regime?

MWH 361-368


1. How successful was Stalin in solving Russia's economic problems?
a. What were Russia's economic problems?
Production of heavy industry was low, and the primitive agriculture system could not provide enough food.
b. What were the Five Year Plans?

Production goals set up to be reached within five years by Stalin.
i. How were they carried out?
Industry and agriculture were both taken over by the government. Old capitalist methods were used to encourage worker productivity, such as benefits for better output. Collectivization was utilized for greater agricultural efficiency.
ii. How successful were they? (Provide hard facts as evidence!)

The targets for the plans were consistently reached one year ahead of time. By 1940 they had surpassed Britain in pig-iron (USSR 14.9M tons, Britain 6.7, Germany 18.3) and in steel (USSR 18.4M tons, Britain 10.3, Germany 22.7), and had almost caught to Germany in coal (USSR 164.6M tons, Germany 186, Britain 227).
c. What does collectivization mean?

Collectivization is the process of moving all of the peasants to "collective" farms, where the peasants own the land collectively.
i. How was it carried out?
It was carried out through brute force in the countryside, and forceful collection of all grain harvests.
ii. How successful was it? (Provide hard facts as evidence!)
It was successful in the sense that agriculture became "mechanized." However, in reality total grain production went down from 73.3 million tons in 1928, to 67.6 in 1934. Afterwards it rose to 97.4 in 1937, but the initial plan was a failure. The elimination of the kulaks, who were the best workers, as well as migration to cities and a lack of cooperation by peasants was the cause of the famine in 1932-3 in the Ukraine.

2. How successful was Stalin in solving Russia's political problems?
a. What were Russia's political problems?
i. The government was unpopular with the public.
ii. Stalin and the Communists did not have complete control of the country.
iii. The non-Russian parts of the country wanted to be become independent.

b. The Purges and Great Terror
i. What were the "purges"?
The mass killing and/or expulsion of Stalin's political enemies.
ii. How were the purges justified?
1. Through Kirov's murder by a Communist Party member, which Stalin said was the beginning of assassination attempts against him.
2. Victims were accused of cooperating with Trotsky or plotting against Stalin.
iii. What was the Great Terror? How was it carried out?
The Great Terror was a series of mass expulsions and killings. Victims were put to work in labor camps for apparent treason, and "show trials" were held against former party officials.
c. What was the purpose of the 1936 constitution? How did it work in practice?
The purpose was to have the people choose candidates who we be part of new sections of the government. In practice, those elected had no power and consistently voted almost 100% in favor of Stalin's policies.
d. What was Stalin's two part approach for holding the union together?

i. He encouraged international cultures and languages.
ii. Moscow was given the ultimate power in all decisions, and discrepancies would be resolved by force.