Russia Since 1917 - The First Five Year Plan and High Stalinism

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1. The Bolshevik Revolution intended to realize the promises of “communism” by means of “dictatorship of the
   proletariat”. Discuss that topic in terms of the First Five Year Plan. What was the purpose of the plan and how
   did collectivization and industrialization by the proletariat hope to fulfill that realization?
2. Describe what collectivization was, its purpose, how it was carried out (kolkhoz or collective farm and
   sovkhoz or state farm) and how (or not) it achieved its goal?
3. Describe the purpose and nature of industrialization, the social (class, gender) change that it precipitated,
   and its success or failure in terms of modernization, national power, and wealth. What part did young people
   play in the dramatic changes taking place in Russia at that time?
4. Kenez explains what "High Stalinism" of the 1930's is in terms of political terror, economic terror, social terror
   and ideological terror. In a paragraph each, define the term and then give several concrete examples (using
   dates, people, places) of how each type of terror manifested itself.

Sample Solution