Success of the Five Year Plans (AQA A-Level History): Revision Notes

Success of the Five Year Plans

Overview of economic transformation

The Five Year Plans fundamentally transformed the Soviet Union from a predominantly agrarian society into a modern industrial power within approximately one decade. While many targets proved unrealistic and the emphasis on quantity often compromised product quality, the sustained push to achieve ambitious goals stimulated substantial economic growth and increased output. Between 1928 and 1940, the Soviet economy expanded at an annual rate of approximately 5 to 6 per cent, representing a remarkable achievement for this period. This rapid industrialisation established the USSR as a major industrial power by the end of the 1930s.

Industrial development and workforce expansion

The first Five Year Plan generated substantial progress across multiple heavy industrial sectors. Engineering, in particular, witnessed dramatic expansion, with several branches developing almost from nothing. The second Plan further broadened industrial development by producing substantial growth in construction and transport infrastructure.

This industrial transformation required massive labour mobilisation. Between 1928 and 1932, the industrial workforce doubled in size. Urban populations swelled as workers migrated from rural areas to cities; between 1926 and 1939, the urban population increased from 26 million to 56 million people. This rapid urbanisation reflected the scale of industrial expansion and the shifting economic base of Soviet society.

The "good years" (1934-1936)

After initial disruption and hardship during the first Plan's implementation, workers experienced a temporary improvement in living standards during a three-year period from 1934 to 1936. During these "good years", the production of consumer goods increased noticeably. Some products, such as gramophones, appeared for ordinary Soviet citizens virtually for the first time. Both productivity and wages rose during this period, while prices fell, providing tangible benefits to urban workers.

This phase demonstrated that the Plans could, under certain conditions, deliver improvements beyond heavy industry. However, these gains proved temporary and limited in scope.

Problems and limitations

Despite achieving transformation, the Five Year Plans confronted several persistent obstacles and generated social costs. Planners consistently set unrealistic targets that factories struggled to meet, creating pressure throughout the economic system. The relentless focus on quantity meant that products were frequently of inferior quality compared to goods manufactured elsewhere in the world.

Some relief came from the Soviet occupation of eastern Poland in late 1939 and the annexation of the Baltic States in 1940, which added to Soviet economic potential.

The third Plan's progress was interrupted by the approach of war, meaning original targets could not be met. Shortages recurred and resources were diverted into other areas, particularly armaments production.

War preparation and armaments industry

The ability of the USSR to prepare itself for war stands as one of the Plans' most tangible achievements. The Plans had facilitated substantial growth in the armaments industry, producing tanks, aircraft and guns that equalled, and in some cases surpassed, anything manufactured elsewhere in the world. This military-industrial capacity would prove essential during the Great Patriotic War.

Overall assessment

The Communist Party achieved a substantial portion of what it had set out to accomplish through the Five Year Plans. The Plans advanced the proletarianisation of the Russian people and transformed the foundations of the Soviet economy. These achievements helped foster a sense of pride and belief that the communist system was superior to Western capitalism, which had suffered greatly during the Depression of the 1930s.

However, this transformation came at enormous human cost and with persistent structural problems. Social downsides and stumbling blocks accompanied the industrial gains. The Plans succeeded in creating an industrial base and military capacity, but they did so through a command economy that prioritised state-directed targets over efficiency, quality or consumer welfare.