Five-year plans of the Soviet Union facts for kids
The five-year plans were a series of big plans for the economy of the Soviet Union. They started in the late 1920s. The Soviet government committee called Gosplan created these plans. Their main goal was to quickly develop the Soviet economy, especially its industries.
Many of these plans didn't last exactly five years. Some finished early because they met their goals quickly. Others took longer or didn't work out at all. In total, Gosplan launched thirteen five-year plans. The first plans focused a lot on building heavy industries like factories and machinery. The very first plan, which started in 1928, actually finished a year early. The last plan, meant for 1991 to 1995, was never completed because the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991. Other countries that were also communist, like China, also used similar five-year plans to guide their economic and social growth.
Contents
Why the Plans Started
Before the five-year plans, the Soviet Union had a policy called the New Economic Policy (NEP). This policy was put in place by Vladimir Lenin in 1921 after a difficult period called War Communism. During War Communism, the government controlled almost everything, and even took food from farmers.
The NEP allowed some private businesses, especially small ones. Farmers could sell their extra crops after paying a tax. This helped the economy recover after the Russian Civil War. However, industrial production was still very low.
In the 1920s, there was a big discussion among Soviet leaders. Some, like Nikolai Bukharin, thought the NEP was working well enough. Others, like Leon Trotsky, wanted faster development and more government control over the economy. Joseph Stalin, who was becoming very powerful, first supported Bukharin. But later, in 1927, he changed his mind and decided to push for a "new course" with much stronger government control. This led to the idea of the five-year plans.
What the Plans Covered
Each five-year plan covered all parts of the economy. This included factories, machinery (called capital goods), everyday items (consumer goods), farming, transportation, communication, health, and education. However, the main focus was usually on electricity, heavy machinery, and agriculture.
The plans set both basic and ambitious goals. During the third plan, efforts were made to move factories further east. This was to protect them from attacks during World War II. Soviet leaders often said that "constant struggle" was needed to build a communist society. These plans aimed for huge increases in industrial production. Stalin warned that if the country didn't catch up economically, other powerful countries would "crush" them.
First Plan (1928–1932)
The first five-year plan officially started on October 1, 1928, and was supposed to last until December 31, 1932. Stalin called it a "new revolution from above." When this plan began, the Soviet Union was the fifth most industrialized country. By the end, it had moved up to second, behind only the United States.
This plan focused heavily on building new industries. About 86% of all money invested in industry went into heavy industry. The plan officially met its industrial goals in just four years and three months. However, there were problems. Sometimes, the quality of goods was sacrificed for quantity. Also, there were often shortages of food and other supplies, so rationing was put in place.
The government used a lot of Propaganda to promote the plan. They used words like "fronts," "campaigns," and "breakthroughs," making it sound like a war. Workers were pushed to work very hard, and those who didn't keep up were seen as traitors.
The first five-year plan wasn't just about economics; it aimed to change society completely. A major change was moving from individual farming to collective farms. This meant that many small farms were combined into large state-controlled farms. This change faced strong resistance from peasants, but the government pushed it through.
A very serious event during this plan was the famine of 1932–33. Millions of people died or became permanently disabled. This famine was a direct result of the rapid industrialization and forced collectivization policies.
Second Plan (1932–1937)
Because the first plan was seen as a success, the second five-year plan began in 1932 (though officially from 1933). This plan also gave top priority to heavy industry. The Soviet Union became one of the world's leading steel producers, not far behind Germany. Transportation, especially railways, also improved.
However, like the first plan, the second one didn't meet all its production goals, especially in areas like coal and oil. The government used both rewards and punishments to encourage workers. Mothers were encouraged to work, and childcare was introduced to help them. This plan also included efforts to close churches and reduce the number of religious leaders, as the Soviet government promoted state atheism.
To encourage peasants to join collective farms, the second plan allowed them to have a small plot of land for their own use. This helped agricultural production recover, as peasants grew their own fruits, vegetables, and raised animals.
Third Plan (1938–1941)
The third five-year plan lasted only three and a half years, ending in June 1941 when Germany invaded the Soviet Union during World War II. As war became more likely, more resources were put into making weapons, tanks, and other military equipment. New military factories were also built east of the Ural mountains to keep them safe.
While the first two years of this plan didn't meet all their production goals, the Soviet Union still achieved a high rate of industrial growth in the 1930s. The plan was supposed to focus more on consumer goods, but the need for military production shifted the focus back to heavy industry and weapons.
Fourth and Fifth Plans (1945–1955)
After World War II, the Soviet Union was severely damaged. Many farms, factories, and homes were destroyed. Millions of people had died. In 1945, Stalin promised that the USSR would become the leading industrial power by 1960.
Rebuilding was very hard because there weren't enough workers due to the huge number of war casualties. Also, 1946 was a very dry year, leading to a poor harvest. The United States and the Soviet Union couldn't agree on a loan to help with reconstruction, which contributed to the start of the Cold War. However, the USSR did get some payments from Germany and Eastern European countries. A group called Comecon was set up in 1949 to link the economies of Eastern European countries with the Soviet Union. A large part of the money for the fourth plan was spent on rebuilding Ukraine, which was very important for both agriculture and industry.
Sixth Plan (1956–1958)
The sixth five-year plan started in 1956 under the leadership of Nikita Khrushchev. However, it was stopped after only two years because its goals were too ambitious and couldn't be met.
Seventh Plan (1959–1965)
Instead of a five-year plan, a seven-year plan was announced in 1959. This plan was later combined into a seventh five-year plan in 1961. Its slogan was "catch up and overtake the USA by 1970." This plan slightly shifted focus from heavy industry to chemicals, consumer goods, and natural resources.
Eighth Plan (1966–1970)
The eighth plan led to the amount of grain exported by the Soviet Union being doubled.
Ninth Plan (1971–1975)
During this plan, the Soviet Union imported about 14.5 million tonnes of grain. Better relations between the Soviet Union and the United States allowed for more trade. The main goal of this plan was to increase the number of consumer goods to improve people's living standards. While it didn't fully succeed in that, it did significantly improve Soviet computer technology.
Tenth Plan (1976–1980)
Leonid Brezhnev, the Soviet leader at the time, declared the slogan for this period to be "Plan of quality and efficiency."
Eleventh Plan (1981–1985)
During the eleventh five-year plan, the Soviet Union imported a lot of grain, about 42 million tons each year. This was much more than in previous plans. Most of this grain came from Western countries, including the United States. However, the Soviet Union also exported a lot of goods to the West, so their total exports were almost as high as their imports.
Twelfth Plan (1986–1990)
The last five-year plan, the twelfth, started with the idea of "acceleration" (uskoreniye) of economic development. This idea was soon replaced by the broader term Perestroika (restructuring). This plan ended in a deep economic crisis across almost all parts of the Soviet economy, and production dropped significantly. Laws were introduced to try and decentralize the economy, meaning less control from the central government, to fix the problems of the old "command economy."
Five-year Plans in Other Countries
Many other communist countries, like China, also used similar five-year plans for their economies. Even Indonesia, under President Suharto, adopted a similar planning method, calling them REPELITA (Rencana Pembangunan Lima Tahun). These plans ran from 1969 to 1998 in Indonesia.
Images for kids
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Grain production aimed to increase from 139 million tonnes in 1958 to 172 million tonnes by 1965.
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Meat production aimed to increase from 7.9 million tonnes in 1958 to 16 million tonnes by 1965.
See also
- Eastern Bloc economies
- Soviet-type economic planning
