The Success and Failure of Collectivization in the Soviet Union: Industrialization and Consumer Goods

The implementation of collectivization in the Soviet Union aimed to boost agricultural productivity and redirect surplus labor from agriculture into industrial sectors. However, this ambitious policy had both successes and profound failures. This article delves into the successes achieved in heavy industry and the simultaneous neglect of consumer goods production, illustrating the complex landscape of industrialization and its consequences.

Targeted Industrialization

One of the most striking aspects of the Soviet industrialization drive is the focus on heavy industry. The push for rapid industrialization was primarily aimed at strengthening the Soviet Union’s military capabilities, particularly the armaments industry. This is evident in the ambitious production targets set for various critical resources.

Steel Production

Let’s turn our attention to the production of steel, a crucial component of heavy industry. According to historical data, the targets for steel production during the five-year plans show a marked upward trend:

First Five-Year Plan: 10.4 million tons Second Five-Year Plan: 17 million tons Third Five-Year Plan: 28 million tons Fourth Five-Year Plan: 25.4 million tons (post-war) Fifth Five-Year Plan: 44.2 million tons

The graph depicting these figures shows a steep upward trend, indicating the focused efforts on rapidly increasing heavy industry production.

Divergence from Consumer Goods Production

While the production targets for heavy industry showed significant growth, the opposite was true for consumer goods production. Herein lies one of the major anomalies of the Soviet industrialization period. The data for cotton and woollen goods production illustrates this disparity:

Cotton Goods:

First Five-Year Plan: 4.7 million metres Second Five-Year Plan: 5.1 million metres Third Five-Year Plan: 4.9 million metres Fourth Five-Year Plan: 4.7 million metres

Despite the increase in production targets in the early years, over the 20-year period, the targets for cotton goods production did not show any significant growth.

Woollen Goods:

First Five-Year Plan: 270 million metres Second Five-Year Plan: 227 million metres Third Five-Year Plan: 177 million metres Fourth Five-Year Plan: 159 million metres

The targets for woollen goods production actually cut by nearly 40 percent over the same period, underscoring the policy’s prioritization of military over consumer needs.

Capitalism and Capital Accumulation

The capitalist system thrives on the drive for capital accumulation. Companies like Ford must constantly invest to stay competitive with rivals like General Motors. This competitive pressure forces all capitalist enterprises to invest more and more in capital, leading to increased exploitation of workers. This cycle of competition is mirrored in the Stalinist regime, where the exploitation of workers and peasants was intensified as a means to compete with other capitalist powers, particularly Nazi Germany.

State Capitalism in the USSR

Broadly speaking, the USSR can be viewed as a form of state capitalism. The harsh exploitation of workers and the gulag system were by-products of this competition. Tony Cliff’s analysis of 'State Capitalism in Russia' provides a deeper understanding of how this system operated and its consequences for the Soviet people.

Conclusion

Collectivization in the Soviet Union was successful in terms of heavy industry and military production but failed to meet the basic consumer needs. The focus on industrialization and the neglect of consumer goods reflect the priorities of Soviet industrial policy. This balance between industrial strength and consumer welfare remains a crucial topic in historical analysis and can provide insights into contemporary economic policies.