Five-Year Plans

• Believed that socialism was only possible in a highly-advanced industrialised nation
• Communist revolution took place in an economically backward country
• Russia was around 100 years behind western advanced economy
• Set the agenda - 'in ten years at most we must make good the distance which separates us from the advanced capitalist countries'
• Believed that revolution should serve working class
• Peasants had prospered whilst working conditions slowly improved under the NEP - Stalin aimed to change this
• Wanted to replace 'burgious specialists' with 'red specialists'

• Response to failure of the NEP
• NEP could only industrialise country at a 'snail's pace'
• Amount of materials produced during NEP years were never more than produced during Tsarism
• Improvements in production still left Russia behind Germany and France
• New approach was needed

• Belief of 'crash industrialisation' was inspired by collectivisation successes
• Evidence that Stalin was no longer content as Lenin's pupil
• Wanted reputation that surpassed Lenin
• Gave speech on Lenin's mistakes
• 'Russia of the NEP' was over and 'Stalin's Russia' was beginning 
• Concerned that Russia was unable to defend itself in a war
• Decided that Russia would need to mass-develop iron, steel, oil and coal industries on a very large scale because they were vital for war

• Improvement in living standards for workers - poor living standards were having poor effects on health
• Grow industries even more - develop new materials 
• Set high labour performance expectations - officials realised that labour productivity was low
• More conciliatory approach to peasants - there was a threat of war and Russia needed all support
• Diverted production funds - threat of war

• Increase of military goods - preparation for war
• Discipline labour workers - increase production rates
• Restricted workers in changing jobs - workers were constantly changing jobs for better conditions and pay
• Limited amount of time peasants were to spend on private land - government wanted to regain control over peasants

Successes

• Production increase in iron, steel, coal and oil
• Peasants moved to cities
• Economy grew by 14% per year
• Education was more reformed and accessible

Failures

• Never met targets
• 'Command economy'
• Demoted or sacked those who failed to meet targets
• Unrealistic and impossible in many ways

Priorities

• Increase production

Successes

• Increased production pace
• Raw material production expanded
• Transport improved
• Rationing ended
• Peasants were given small land plots for private farming
• Russia recovered from famine

Failures

• No improvement in living standards
• Resources in short supply
• Low quality goods were relied on
• Housing shortages and issues
• Social inequalities

Priorities

• Improve workers' living standards
• Grow industries
• Set high labour performance expectations

Successes

• Peasants promoted to admin and management posts
• Living conditions improved
• Russia became more powerful

Failures

• Many industrial managers were removed and executed
• Moderates who offered creative solutions to issues were removed
• Labour productivity did not increase
• Workers were not motivated

Priorities

• Increase production of military goods
• Discipline workers
• Restrict workers in changing jobs

• Children and young people were encouraged to challenge authorities of parents and teachers
• Parents were expected to teach children to respect the Soviet government
• New curriculum was introduced with a series of textbooks
• Core subjects were set out
• Homework was to be set regularly
• National examinations were brought in
• Discipline was designed to prepare children for regulation of workplace under Five-Year Plans
• Teaching and learning in Russia were influenced by Five-Year Plan methods
• State spending on education was reduced to free up resources for Five-Year Plans
• Communist Party and trade unions offered grants and scholarships

• Women were entering the workforce
• Number of women employed in industry grew rapidly
• Women made up almost half a workforce in some places
• Soviet authorities recognised important contribution from women
• 80% of farm workers were women 
• Women were represented in countryside Stakhanovite movement 
• Most celebrated Stakhanovites were women - Pasha Angelina was recognised as the organiser of the First Women's Tractor Brigade and Maria Demchanko pledged to harvest four times average sugar beet yield

• Zhenotdel was closed down in the 1930s
• Communist Party paid little attention to role of women on assumption that men and women were equal
• Traditional gender roles were reasserted
• Women were paid less than men
• Women were sentenced to two years in jail for having an abortion
• Women who had abortions that were not to save their lives were considered 'undeserving'
• Women were still expected to be responsible for household chores and childcare
• Wives of Party officials were expected to manage a 'well-ordered Communist home' and not work
• Female Party members were encouraged to do their duties at home
• Wives of Party officials were expected to be part of 'wife activist movement' 
• Members of the movement were expected to be 'ideal mothers'

• The 'Great Retreat' was the term used to describe the mid-1930s where gender roles and sexual attitudes were re-implemented
• Family policy was promoted using Soviet propaganda by publicising Stalin's faithfullness to his family - he visited his mother and showed faithfulness to his wife who committed suicide - this was in hope that the people of Russia would follow his example
• Soviet authorities seeked to promote marriage because they saw it as highly important, especially within the party - it was considered to be 'glamorous' and gained married couples and their families various bonuses
• Marriage was encouraged by introducing marriage certificates and wedding rings 
• Married Party members were given perks such as spacious accommodation, their own holiday homes and opportunities to take their families to Party holiday resorts
• Divorce was discouraged by making the cost very high and failing to meet divorce laws resulted in two years' imprisonment