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Stalin's rise to power

- The position that Stalin held in the party (general secretary)
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- Stalin's economic policies(Five-year plan + Collectivisation)

The Results of Stalin's first 5 Year Plan
- Ambitiously, Stalin started the 5-year plan
- 1941, it had a big impact on Russia economically, politically, and socially.
- It was a big success economically, however, there were negative effects socially.
- Politically, Stalin was able to strengthen his power. Economic and Social effects had good
and bad effects

- Stalin emphasized heavy industries resulting in huge achievements in the economy.

- Stalin thought, to make the USSR strong enough to protect itself, emphasizing heavy
industries which could make the USSR develop faster, was needed in order to catch up with
other industrialized countries such as Germany, Japan, the US, the UK, etc.
- Successfully increased coal and steel production by sixfold and fourfold respectively.
- New industrial centers such as Magnitogorsk and Gorki were set up.
- Magnitogorsk, in southeast Siberia, which was based on the metal industries like iron and
steel and experienced enormous growth; in 1929 there were only 25 people living there but
three years later the number had increased to 250,000.
- Those achievements, which were seen as the major successes of the 5-year plans, made it
possible to recover the USSR's economy which had been disrupted during WWI.
- In addition, since the Soviet Union takeover in 1917, trade with the rest of the world had been
severely reduced but by an increase in heavy industries' production, the USSR could rely in its
own resources.

- However, there were some social problems; human rights were attacked. Workers couldn't
get any respect from the USSR government.
- Had to work in deplorable and dangerous conditions and for big engineering projects
(dangerous such as dams or canals, slave labor (such as political opponents, kulaks, or
Jews) was used.
- When Stalin ordered to build of the Belomor canal, 100,000 workers (slave laborers) died
between 1931 to 1933.
- Those who made mistakes were sent to the labor camps which were called 'gulag" showing
the ruthlessness of Stalin.
- Everyone had to work under fear and to fulfill increasingly unrealistic targets, a wide range of
enterprising methods like ambushing resources, and offering a bribe were used; corruption
increased.
- Another point that showed Stalin didn't care about his people was that he only dealt with
what were called "capital' industries. Thus, consumer industries were neglected. There was a
shortage of consumer goods and thus people suffered from the increased price.

- Politically, Stalin seized power by removing those who opposed the plan or those who might
be an obstacle to progress.
- Stalin attacked the Muslim faith because he thought it was holding back industrialization.
- 7 million Kulaks who opposed his plan were also eliminated.
- Capitalist classes such as Nepmen and bourgeois experts were removed.
- Therefore, his position was strengthened and this became the basis of his strong policy in
the future.

- In conclusion, due to the five-year plan, significant success was achieved economically.
However, socially, people in the USSR suffered terribly because of Stalin's ruthless policy.
Politically, by removing all obstacles, he strengthened his position.

- Stalin's Domestic Policies(Social and Cultural Policies + also the use of terror to
consolidate rule)