Russia’s 5 Year Plan

The 5 year plan was launched by Stalin in 1928 in an attempt to speed up the industrialization process in the Soviet Union. It was an attempt to bring the Soviet Union back to the position of a modern era superpower, with a new way of thinking. Radical reforms were made — like the mammoth expansion in their way in heavy industry, infrastructure, and strength in the military. On the other hand, dire struggle was caused via substandard working conditions, and famines across the globe within the global superpower. There has been controversy for quite a while regarding whether the plan was a success and achievement in modernisation, or further harm in attempting to make the world a better place while working. With the question being, does the people's welfare supersede achievements in the innovation world.

One of the significant problems of Stalin's 5 year was the distasteful work environment. Long working hours, bad remunerations, and brutal discipline to name just a few problems with ideals as much as those of Stalin. This was intended to achieve most goals set by the Soviet Union leader, with some workers even receiving brutal punishments for lateness or not meeting tasks assigned by leaders. It also doesn't assist that Stalin's quotas were seen to be nearly impossible. Success was exaggerated by managers, with labourers being misled about paid figures, and the neglect of consumer goods for workers such as clothes, shoes, and dwellings were short in supply, with coercive labor in alleged  "gulags" built on many projects. Accidents and deaths also occurred frequently due to the hazardous atmosphere. The other end cause was the farming needed to support all the workers, leading to global famines that caused millions of people to die across the nation.

One of the main benefits of the Five-Year Plans was the rapid industrialisation of the Soviet Union. Heavy industries such as coal, steel, and oil saw colossal production increases, which made the USSR a leading industrial nation in the world by the late 1930s. This growth generated millions of new jobs, spurred urbanisation, and supported the construction of giant major infrastructure projects such as the Moscow Metro and the Dnieper Dam. Its industrial foundation also became vital for the Soviet Union during the Second World War, as it allowed the USSR to produce the tanks, planes, and weapons needed to defend against Nazi Germany. Therefore, in a general sense, the Five-Year Plans contributed to making the Soviet economy and military power much more powerful.

Overall, the Five-Year Plans made a permanent impact on the Soviet Union, with both great achievements and tremendous costs incurred. They rebuilt the economy, society, and international image of the USSR but at the same time imposed incredibly high stress on everyday citizens and created large-scale suffering. Whether more good or ill was accomplished depends on how much emphasis one places on the achievements to the state at the cost of its populace.