“How Stalinism affected people's lives?”

World War I and the Russian Civil War had a devastating effect on the country's economy. Industrial output in 1922 was 13% of that in 1914. Under Stalin's direction? the New Economic Policy? which allowed a degree of market flexibility within the context of socialism? was replaced by a system of centrally-ordained Five-Year Plans in the late 1920s. These called for a highly ambitious program of state-guided crash industrialization and the collectivisation of agriculture. In spite of early breakdowns and failures? the first two Five-Year Plans achieved rapid industrialization from a very low economic base. The Soviet Union? generally ranked as the poorest nation in Europe in 1922? now industrialized at a phenomenal rate? far surpassing Germany's pace of industrialization in the 19th century and Japan's earlier in the 20th. (Allan? 33-41)

With no seed capital? little foreign trade? and barely any modern industry to start with? Stalin's government financed industrialization by both restraining consumption on the part of ordinary Soviet citizens? to ensure capital went for re-investment into industry? and by ruthless extraction of wealth from the peasantry. In specific but common cases? the industrial labor was knowingly underpaid. First? there was the usage of the almost free labor of prisoners in forced labor camps. Second? there was frequent "mobilization" of communists and Komsomol members for various construction projects.

Collectivisation

Stalin's regime moved to force collectivisation of agriculture. The theory behind collectivisation was that it would replace the small-scale un-mechanized and inefficient farms with large-scale mechanized farms that would produce food far more efficiently. Collectivisation meant drastic social changes? on a scale not seen since the abolition of serfdom in 1861? and alienation from control of the land and its produce. Collectivisation also meant a drastic drop in living standards for many peasants (but not all; the poorest peasants actually saw their living standards increase)? and it faced widespread and often violent resistance among the peasantry. In the first years of collectivisation? agricultural production actually dropped. Stalin blamed this unexpected drop on kulaks (rich peasants)? who resisted collectivisation. Therefore those defined as "kulaks"? "kulak helpers" and later "ex-kulaks" were to be shot? placed into Gulag labor camps or deported to remote areas of the country? depending on the charge. (Allan? 33-41) The two-stage progress of the collectivisation? interrupted for a year by Stalin's famous editorial "Dizzy with success"(Lankov? 26-32)? is a prime example of his ability for tactical retreats. Many historians agree that the disruption caused by forced collectivisation was largely responsible for major famines which caused up to 5 million deaths in 1932-33? particularly in Ukraine and the lower Volga region.

Social services

Stalin's government placed heavy emphasis on the provision of free medical services. Campaigns were carried out against typhus? cholera? and malaria; the number of doctors was increased as rapidly as facilities and training would permit; and death and infant mortality rates steadily decreased. All education was free and also dramatically expanded? with many more Soviet citizens learning to read and write? and higher education expanded. The generation ...