Impacts of Industrialisation

• There were five, Five Year Plans (FYP) which increased industrial output in the Soviet Union

Coal

• 1929: 35 million tonnes
  
• 1941: 150 million tonnes

Oil

• 1929: 12 million tonnes
• 1941: 26 million tonnes

Steel

• 1929: 3 million tonnes
• 1941: 18 million tonnes

Electricity

• 1929: 18 kWh
• 1941: 90 kWh

• As a result Russian GDP doubled by 1941
• However some of these figures are said to be exaggerated

• These excellent output figures from the FYP, slightly improved working conditions and wages
• They helped Russia survive the Great Depression throughout the 1930s unharmed
• Also helped Russia survive an attack from the Nazis in 1941
• While the party, state and economy enjoyed these successes the workers suffered the wrath of them: there wages and working conditions did not improve- as a result many workers ended up living in the same house and sleeping in the same bedroom
• Industrialisation made the Soviet economy increasingly unbalanced also as much of it was fed into the industrial output
• In 1935 Alexei Stakhanov claimed to have single handedly cut 100 million tonnes of coal- 14 times than the quota stated- many workers tried to copy this however instead of helping production increase it slowed it down leading to an overall loss
• Industrialisation made the Soviet Union a modern industrial state