2. Stalin’s Objectives for Rapid
Industrialisation
1. Transform Russia into a modern industrial
state.
2. To be prepared for an attack by non-
communist country.
3. Focused on heavy industries (steel,
metallurgy, chemicals, oil, coal and
electricity).
3. Magnitogorsk
• Built from scratch mainly using forced labour.
• Largest industrial city.
• Steel from its new factories was used for
building industrial products such as tractors
and railways.
4. Development of new industries
• Foreign experts were hired to teach Russians
in technical areas.
• More women were employed.
• Farmers encouraged to work in industries.
5. How did Stalin implement
industrialisation?
• Used Five-Year Plans to
speed up industrialisation.
• Three Five-Year Plans
from 1920s to 1930s.
6. First Five-Year Plan – 1928 to 1932
• Focused on heavy industries.
• Output doubled in five years for iron and steel
production and in electricity, chemicals and
engineering.
• Targets were increased.
• Completed in four years instead.
7. Second Five-Year Plan – 1933 to
1937
• Set new targets for heavy industries.
• More attention given to consumer industries.
• However, from 1934 onwards, priority was
given to industries related to military
production.
8. Third Five-Year Plan – 1938 to
1942
• Emphasis of military production continued.
• Factories were built to East of the Ural
Mountains.
• Transport and communication networks
greatly improved.
• Disrupted when Germany invaded in 1941.
9. Impact of Industrialisation
• Poor work conditions
• System of rewards and training for workers
• Changing living conditions
10. Poor work conditions
• Many Russians formed ‘Shock Brigades’
(highly-motivated workers).
• Initial enthusiasm waned in face of appalling
work conditions and unrealistic production
targets.
• Government took strict disciplinary action
against workers who were underperforming or
who engaged in sabotage.
11. Economy
• Government took complete control of the
economy.
• Known as a planned economy.
• New government department formed to set
targets in each industry and planned locations
of new towns and industrial cities (mostly East
of Ural Mountains).
12. System of rewards and training for
workers
• The Communist government offered salaries
based on how much a worker produced.
• Hard work was rewarded.
• Alexei Stakhanov was a role model.
• Primary education was made compulsory.
• By the 1930s, Russian workers were able to
obtain well-paid, high-skilled jobs.
13. Changing living conditions
• Russians suffered bitterly cold winters
because of no suitable clothing and their
homes were poorly heated.
• Basic goods had to be rationed.
• Between 1928 and 1933, the actual value of
the salaries fell by 50%.
14. Changing living conditions
• After 1935, rationing ended and more goods
were available.
• Workers believed the Soviet Union was
creating a new and better society for
Russians.
