Making a Socialist Society


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Making a Socialist Society

Making a Socialist Society: During the Civil War, the Bolsheviks kept industries and banks nationalised. They permitted peasants to cultivate the land that had been socialised. Bolsheviks used seized land to demonstrate what collective work could be.

Process of Centralised Planning: A process of centralised planning was introduced. Officials assessed how the economy could work and set targets for a five-year period. On this basis, they made Five Year Plans. The government fixed all prices to promote industrial growth during the first two Plans (1927-1932 and 1933-1938). Centralised planning led to economic growth. Industrial production increased (between 1929 and 1933 by 100 per cent in the case of oil, coal and steel). New factory cities came into existence.

There are three reasons for the success of  socialist economy in post revolution Russia:

  • The Bolshevik nationalised  industries and banks. a process of centralised  planning was introduced. Officials assessed the condition of the economy and made Five year plans on its basis.
  • The government fixed all the prices to promote industrial growth during the the first two five year plans. it led to economic growth  and increase in industrial production , with the new industrial cities coming into being.
  • Stalin introduced a collectivisation  programme , under which the peasants were forced to cultivate in collective farms ( kolkhoz) and the government fixed the prices of grain sold to it.
  • Status of Workers: Rapid construction brought poor working conditions for workers. In Magnitogorsk, the construction of a steel plant was achieved in three years. But workers lived hard lives, resulting in 550 stoppages of work occurring in the first year. In the living quarters, during winter, with temperature at 40° below the workers had to climb down from the fourth floor and across the street in order to go to the toilet. Measures taken to improve status of workers were

  • An extended schooling system developed and arrangements were made for factory workers and peasants to enter universities.
  • Crèches were established in factories for the children of women workers.
  • Cheap public healthcare was provided. Model living quarters were made for workers.
  • The effect of all this was uneven as government resources were limited.
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