Communism

Why did Stalin industrialise?

Economic -

>USSR's economy was backward

>Damaged infrastructure after World War I

>Reduced trade after Communist takeover 1917

>5 Year Plans would ensure state control over all materials and adequate distribution of resources to aid urban growth

Why did Stalin industrialise?

Rank and File Party Members -

>Rapid industrialisation would sweep away the old system

>As the 1920s wore on, they became disillusioned with the revolution

>Stalin's personal power would extend throughout the course of the Plans

Why did Stalin industrialise?

Communist Power-

> To industrialise was patriotic

> The anti Communist sentiment provided an incentive for people to highlight the flaws of Capitalism

> The rise of Hitler and the Wall Street crash opened up opportunities for this

Why did Stalin industrialise?

Fear of Foreign Invasion -

> Suspicious of the West; they may try to invade and destroy Communist Russia

> Memories of the Civil War reiterated their unpopularity with the rest of the world

> They would be crushed if their economy could not match that of the West

Why did Stalin industrialise?

Stalin's Personal Gain -

> NEPmen, kulaks and the bourgeoise pushed for largescale revolution, but Stalin believed they compromised the position of the peasantry and held it back

> The proletariat - the backbone of the revolution - would grow with industrialisation

> Socialism couldn't survive in a non industrial society, and industrialisation was imperative for the survival of the revolution