Collectivization a quarter of a million kolkhoz were established as 99% of Russia had been collectivized by 1939 agriculture was more modern with the introduction of new methods, tractors, fertilizers, large-scale production 97 million tons were produced by 1937 plus cash crops for export 17 million peasants left the countryside to work in the cities between 1928-1937 the noble landlords were gone the Communist Party controlled agricultural production Industrialization the USSR was transformed into a modern state there were significant achievements: new cities were built dams were built and provided hydroelectric power improvement in transportation and communications the Moscow subway system was built production increased in oil, steel coal, electricity there was no unemployment heath care was available with access to doctors and medicine education was provided with emphasis on literacy and science Collectivization production of and livestock declined between1928-1937 the Ukraine famine killed approximately 5 million people the Kulaks were eliminated and approximately 4 million liquidated Industrialization it was poorly organized as there was inefficiency and duplication of effort and waste workers were subjected to extreme discipline OGPU/NKVD (secret police) terrorized the population and created fear labour camps were established and operated by the OGPU/NKVD major building projects (canal) used slave labour consumer goods were scarce and poor quality housing was poor and limited in the cities workers had no rights Stalin and the U.S.S.R. The Purges 1933
alphabet agencies provided relief or help from hunger, unemployment, mortgages FERA built or improved 5,000 buildings and 7,000 bridges PWA provided employment and provided valuable economic and social infrastructures such as bridges, airports, schools, hospitals, etc. NRA eliminated labour WPA employed 3 million people and or improved 2,500 hospitals, 5,9000 schools, 1,000 airports, 13,000 playgrounds NLRB increased union rights and bargaining power and established a minimum wage Social Security Act provided pensions and unemployment insurance opposition to New Deal came from businesses who did not support government interference and workers’ rights and from state governments who thought the federal government was infringing on their powers AAA policy of destroying crops and livestock was unpopular when people were short of food and clothing; policy of reducing acreage under cultivation resulted in tenant framers/sharecroppers being evicted from their farms NRA codes not mandatory and therefore were ignored; it did not stabilize prices of manufactures or improve wages and working conditions through organized labour RA planned to settle 500, 000 poor farming families but resettled fewer than 5,000 PWA created only temporary employment WPA provided employment for only one third of the nation’s unemployed Socials Security Act did not set national rates of benefits for the unemployed or unemployable or insurance for workers who lost their jobs because of illness, pensions were not extended to all the elderly opposition to the New Deal included companies, bankers, wealthy, who thought that it was a waste of tax payers money and government should not be involved in the economy and regulating it to this extent 1935 Supreme Court ruled NRA codes on employers and AAA were unconstitutional (illegal) because they took away the states’ power (court reversed its decision in 1937)