5 Year Plans 1928-1941, Industrialization, and Collectivization
The Five Year Plans where a series of plans designed by Stalin in order to increase industry and outpoint, while still holding to the communist ideals. These were based on a Quota system. All economic planning was nor compulsory. This turned into a Command Economy, which meant that there were set targets for production. The first of the five year plans were between 1928- 1933 which focused on Agricultural changes called "Collectivization" and "Heavy Industry." Collectivization mean that all peasants had to work on collective farms, this meant that they had to work on larger farms shared between people rather than private farmland. All the land was pulled together. This was called Kolkhoz. Party officials would monitor the output of these farms. by 1932 62% of all peasants were collectivized. The Kulaks who were wealthier peasants, owned the farms. All of the Kulaks were either killed or sent to the Gulags in Siberia, because they were seen as a threat to collectivization due to their free enterprise ideals. Heavy industry is the raw materials. So in this case it meant Oil, Coal, Lumber, and especially steel. The second of the five year plans was between 1933-1937. They found that it was to severe and it was changed in 1934. Because of this many party officials revolted against Stalin and nominated a successor. Stalin had him shot, and this was the beginning of the Great Purges.