Stalin’s Dictatorship (Social Impact)

Impact of Stalin’s Rule

Social Impact

1. State control of society

Negative

• Stalin’s Soviet Union was characterised by increased state control over daily social life. This led to drastic social consequences for the Soviet people.
• Under Stalin, all private enterprise was banned,
• Major social goods like housing, education, health services, were determined & distributed by state depts.
• Long queues were also common because the demand for goods was greater than what the statecontrolled industry or distribution channels could supply.

2. Fall in Standard of Living

Negative

• On average, people were worse off than they had been before the revolutions of 1917.
• Drive towards industrialisation caused more people to move to the cities where the factories were located. The increasing population in the cities made the shortage of housing an even greater problem. Many were thus forced to live in cramped conditions, often without running water or sanitation, in overcrowded cities.
• In addition, the workers were pushed very hard in order to achieve the ambitious targets set by the FiveYear Plans. This meant that workers often worked long hours, with little time off, under poor conditions. Pay was very low and many basic goods, including food were in short.
• The shortage of housing and the long working hours thus led to a steady fall in the standard of living.

3. Famine

Negative

• Ambitious agricultural targets of 5-Year Plans meant that grain & produce were seized at expense of farmers.
• As the collective farms were owned by the state, the farmers could not keep produce for themselves. Even though many attempted to hide their produce, they were forcibly taken by the Party officials.
• During the Great Famine in 1932, the state did not distribute its stockpiled grain, but sold the grain overseas to raise funds for more industrial machinery and development. Close to seven million peasants died of starvation due to the extreme shortage of food.

4. Lack of Consumer Goods

Negative

• Five Year Plans focused mainly on agricultural and industrial targets but paid little attention to consumer goods such as clothing, chairs, textiles and sugar.
• Stalin did not care for the welfare of his workers and although the Third Five-Year Plan in 1939 finally promised to provide more luxuries’ such as bicycles and radios, these promises were not kept.

5. Living In Fear

Negative

• The purges were successful in terrorising the masses into obedience.
• The secret police had informers everywhere, & people knew that they were being constantly watched & judged by Stalin’s officials. If they were judged poorly, it would be tougher for them to apply for housing, jobs or holidays
• Managers and workers also worked in fear as they were punished if they did not meet their work targets. An enemy of the state’ would be sent to forced labour camps or even killed.
• Nobody dared to oppose or challenge him due to the prevailing atmosphere of fear.
• Therefore, Stalin’s dictatorship had an adverse psychological impact on the people and the people would not be encouraged to do their best when they were living in an atmosphere of fear and distrust.