Stalin's social impact

1. Social Impact

2. State control of
society
Fall in standard of
society
Famine
Lack of consumer
goods

3. More people move
to cities
Shortage of housing
Live in cramped conditions,
often without running water
or sanitation ,
in overcrowded cities
Rapid
Industrialisation
Fall in standard of
living (House)

4. Fall in Standard of living (work)
To achieve the ambitious targets set by
the Five-Year Plans:
1.Workers often worked long hours, with
little time off, under poor conditions.
2.Overworked and not fairly paid for their
efforts.

5. Impact
Shortage of houses
and the long working
hours
Led to a steady fall in
the standard of living

6. Famine
• Farms owned by the state farmers could
not keep produce for themselves.
• Hide their produce.
• Forcibly taken by the Party officials.
• 1932, the state did not distribute its
stockpiled grain, but sold the grain
overseas to raise funds for more industrial
machinery and development.

7. Impact
Seven million peasants died of starvation
due to the extreme shortage of food.

8. Lack of consumer goods
• Five-year plans: Focused mainly on
agricultural and industrial targets.
• Neglected the production of consumer
goods.
• In anticipation of WWII: The production of
weaponry and resources for war.

9. Living in fear
• The secret police had informers
everywhere, and the slightest indication of
anti-Stalin sentiments could warrant an
arrest.

10. Compulsory
schooling
and increased
literacy rates
Minority
nationalities
Women’s entry
into the workforce
Creating the
‘New Soviet man’
Impact of policies
on various
social groups

12. Minority nationalities
• Own languages
• were governed by their own governments
all appointed and controlled by Moscow.
• Lost their autonomy: the right to self-
government and independence.
• The same effects that Soviet Russia felt
under Stalin’s policies were also felt in these
minority republics.

13. Creating the ‘New Soviet man’
• Purpose: To create Soviet citizen who
was proud of being part of the modern
industrial society, and was willing to serve
the state selflessly and enthusiastically.
• E.g. Stakhanovites: official celebration of
achievers to encourage them to exceed
their industrial targets.

14. IMPACT
• The pressure to perform up to the state’s
standard, as well as the oppression faced
by those who failed to do so, had a
negative psychological impact on Soviet
society.

15. Women’s entry into the workforce
• Encouraged women to enter the workforce
and become productive members of the
economy.

16. Compulsory schooling and
increased literacy rates
• Education was loaded with propaganda and emphasised
communism.
• Raised literacy rate.
 Men’s literacy rate: rose from 40% to 94%.
Women’s literacy rate: rose from 13% to 65%
• Schools and universities also emphasised technical
subjects that would help meet national industrialisation
targets.
 helped to further the interest and influence of the
communist party.

17. Compulsory schooling and
increased literacy rates
• Teenagers: Encouraged to join the Komsomol
(Communist Union of Youth), which took them on
outdoor activities and indoctrinated them to be loyal to
Stalin and to the Communist Party.
• Children: Encouraged to join the Young Pioneers.
Impact: To be seen as the father of the people, needed
to win the loyalty of young people to maintain that
image.