Industrial Centres, Projects and Foreign Involvement (AQA A-Level History): Revision Notes
Industrial Centres, Projects and Foreign Involvement
Overview of Soviet industrialisation projects
During the period of the Five Year Plans, the Soviet Union undertook ambitious industrial projects intended to demonstrate the capabilities and modernity of the socialist state. These projects ranged from massive infrastructure developments to entirely new industrial cities built from the ground. The scale and pace of industrialisation during this period was unprecedented, with the regime prioritising heavy industry and defence capabilities over consumer goods production.
The projects served multiple purposes beyond their immediate industrial function. They were designed as propaganda tools to showcase Soviet achievements both domestically and internationally. Foreign visitors in the 1930s frequently recorded their impressions of these developments, often expressing astonishment at the speed and scale of construction taking place across the USSR.
Major showcase projects
Dnieprostroi Dam
Construction of the Dnieprostroi Dam began in 1927, with the facility opening in October 1932. This hydro-electric installation on the Dnieper River in Zaporizhia, Ukraine, became the largest power station in the Soviet Union upon completion. With a generating capacity of approximately 560 MW, it also ranked among the world's largest power plants at that time.
The power station's location on previously barren countryside reflected deliberate planning. It was designed to supply electricity to several aluminium production facilities and a high-quality steel production plant scheduled for construction nearby. The dam began generating electricity during the first Five Year Plan. Following the installation of four additional generators during the second Five Year Plan, the facility increased Soviet electric power capacity fivefold by 1932.
The electricity provided by Dnieprostroi enabled substantial industrial development in the surrounding region. The industrial centres of Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih and Dnipropetrovsk expanded significantly as a result of the power supplied by this installation.
Turksib Railway
The Turksib (Turkestan to Siberia) Railway, also known as the Central Asiatic Railway, represented a major infrastructure project built between 1926 and 1931, with passenger services commencing in 1929. This line connected Central Asia with Siberia, running from Tashkent to Novosibirsk where it joined the West Siberian section of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
The railway served both political and economic objectives. Publicised as the 'forge of the Kazakh proletariat', it was intended to establish a working class population in the steppes and semi-deserts of Central Asia. The construction required approximately 50,000 workers to build this expensive line through challenging terrain.
The railway facilitated important agricultural trade flows. It enabled the transport of cotton from Turkestan to Siberia and allowed cheap Siberian grain to reach the Fergana Valley. The project attracted international attention, with Soviet filmmaker Viktor Alexandrovitch directing a 1929 documentary about its construction.
Moscow Metro
The Moscow Metro opened in 1935 as the USSR's first underground railway system. The initial phase consisted of one 11-kilometre line serving 13 stations. Extensions followed in a second stage completed in 1938, though a planned third stage was postponed due to the Second World War.
This project formed part of the second Five Year Plan and addressed the pressing need to manage the influx of peasants migrating to Moscow during the 1930s. Beyond its practical transport function, the Metro represented an ambitious architectural statement. It was deliberately designed to demonstrate that socialist engineering could surpass capitalist achievements.
Architectural Symbolism and Resources
The project drew on resources and personnel from across the Soviet Union. Massive recruitment campaigns sought specialist workers and unskilled labourers from throughout the country. Artists and architects were commissioned to create a system that embodied socialist ideals. The stations featured marble walls, high ceilings, elaborate chandeliers, and extensive use of steel—materials selected to symbolise Soviet industrial achievement.
Moscow-Volga Canal
Constructed between 1932 and 1937, the Moscow-Volga Canal connected the Muskva and Volga rivers. Ranking among the world's tallest canal systems with a statue of Lenin standing 25 metres high, this 1937 structure was built at the confluence of the Volga River and the Canal.
Forced Labour and Human Cost
The construction relied entirely on forced labour. Prisoners from the Dmitlag labour camp, which became the largest facility of its kind by 1934, provided the workforce. During construction, nearly 200,000 prisoners were employed, with approximately 22,000 dying during the work. The regime operated a tiered ration system: prisoners meeting work quotas received 600 grams of bread daily, those falling short received 400 grams, and those being punished received 300 grams. The White Sea Baltic Canal of 1933 was similarly constructed using forced labour.
New industrial cities
Magnitogorsk
Magnitogorsk exemplified the Soviet creation of entirely new industrial cities. Located in the Urals, this complex combined a gigantic steel plant with a purpose-built town housing 150,000 residents. The city was constructed from nothing, with workers living in communal barracks beneath large portraits of Lenin and Stalin. Residents were subjected to constant political lectures and discussions, creating an environment of intense ideological immersion.
Foreign Observer Account: John Scott at Magnitogorsk
American student John Scott joined the Communist Party and volunteered to work at Magnitogorsk, later documenting his experiences in "Beyond the Urals". His observations recorded that:
- Brigades of young enthusiasts from across the Soviet Union arrived in summer 1930 to undertake initial railroad and dam construction
- Subsequently, groups of local peasants and herdsmen came to Magnitogorsk, though collectivisation in the villages left many peasants unfamiliar with industrial tools and processes
- The site attracted several hundred foreign engineers and specialists who arrived to advise and direct operations, with some earning as much as several hundred dollars daily
Between 1928 and 1932, nearly a quarter of a million people migrated to Magnitogorsk. Approximately three-quarters arrived voluntarily, seeking work, food, and improved conditions. The remainder came under compulsion.
Komsomolsk
Komsomolsk emerged from a 1931 government decision to construct a shipyard on the River Amur in East Russia, opening up development in this remote region. The city was largely built using volunteer labour mobilised through the Communist youth organisation, Komsomol, which provided its name.
However, construction also relied heavily on penal labour drawn from prison camps in the surrounding area. By the end of the 1930s, several shipyards and heavy industrial plants had been completed. The city developed into a regional centre supporting industries including metallurgy, machinery production, oil refining and shipbuilding.
Foreign expertise and involvement
The necessity of foreign specialists
The USSR lacked sufficient native expertise to undertake these vast projects independently. Consequently, the regime recruited foreign companies and individuals possessing both managerial and technical capabilities. This foreign involvement took various forms across different sectors.
In the automotive industry, American industrialist Henry Ford provided consultancy services. He advised on car manufacturing techniques, trained Russian engineers in the United States, and assisted in designing the car plant at Gorky. This represented a transfer of American mass production methods to Soviet industry.
International Contributions to Major Projects
The Dnieprostroi Dam project drew on Canadian experience with hydro-electric power station construction. In 1932, six American engineers joined the project, including Colonel Hugh Cooper, who masterminded the Russian construction, and G. Thompson from General Electric. These specialists received official recognition for their contributions, being awarded the 'Order of the Red Banner of Labour' for outstanding work on DniproHES.
Walter Rukeyser, working as a consultant engineer, helped develop the asbestos industry at 'Asbest' in the Urals. The Moscow Metro relied substantially on construction engineers from Britain. Although native workers built and decorated the system, the engineering designs, route planning, and construction specifications were handled by specialists recruited from the London Underground.
Foreign workers and ideological appeal
Beyond high-level specialists, ordinary labourers also travelled to the USSR from Western countries to work on these new industrial projects. The timing proved significant: during the Depression of the 1930s, communism presented itself as an attractive alternative system to capitalism. Some foreign workers genuinely believed they were contributing to the construction of a new world order based on socialist principles.
The fate of foreign workers
Despite their contributions, foreigners increasingly became targets of suspicion. The regime found it convenient to scapegoat them when projects encountered difficulties or failures. The secret police arrested numerous British engineers working in Moscow, allegedly because they had acquired detailed knowledge of the city's geographical layout through their work.
The End of Foreign Involvement
Engineers associated with the Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Company (Metrovick) faced arrest and deportation in 1933. This action effectively ended British business involvement in the USSR. The episode demonstrated the precarious position of foreign workers, who could be removed arbitrarily regardless of their contributions to Soviet industrial development.
Key Points to Remember:
- Major showcase projects including the Dnieprostroi Dam, Turksib Railway, Moscow Metro and Moscow-Volga Canal served both practical industrial functions and propaganda purposes, demonstrating Soviet modernity and capabilities.
- Entirely new industrial cities such as Magnitogorsk and Komsomolsk were built from nothing, combining industrial plants with purpose-built residential areas and relying on both voluntary and forced labour.
- Foreign specialists and companies provided essential expertise for Soviet industrialisation, including American engineers at Dnieprostroi, Henry Ford's automotive consultancy, and British engineers for the Moscow Metro.
- Foreign involvement ended abruptly in the early 1930s when the regime turned against foreign workers, arresting and deporting British engineers in 1933, reflecting growing paranoia and suspicion despite their contributions.