IMPACT ON ECONOMY & SOCIETY
Table of Contents
THE EXTENT & IMPACT OF REFORM..........................................................................................................2
14.04.2022............................................................................................................................................................2
Social Reforms.............................................................................................................................................................................2
A2 1855-1881...............................................................................................................................................................................2
A3 1881-1894...............................................................................................................................................................................2
Lenin 1917-1924..........................................................................................................................................................................2
Stalin 1924-1953..........................................................................................................................................................................2
The Extent & Impact of Reform.................................................................................................................3
15.11.2022............................................................................................................................................................3
Economic.....................................................................................................................................................................................3
Political........................................................................................................................................................................................3
Social (incl health, education, housing, etc)................................................................................................................................3
Military.........................................................................................................................................................................................3
A2 (1855-81)................................................................................................................................................................................3
A3 (1881-94)................................................................................................................................................................................4
N2 (1894- 1917)...........................................................................................................................................................................4
PG (Feb – Oct 1917).....................................................................................................................................................................4
Lenin (1917-24)............................................................................................................................................................................4
Stalin (1924-53)...........................................................................................................................................................................6
Khrushchev (1953-64)..................................................................................................................................................................6
POPULATION............................................................................................................................................7
06.12.2022............................................................................................................................................................7
The Change..................................................................................................................................................................................7
Reasons for change......................................................................................................................................................................7
Gov policies..................................................................................................................................................................................7
EDUCATION..............................................................................................................................................8
07.12.2022............................................................................................................................................................8
Primary.........................................................................................................................................................................................8
Secondary....................................................................................................................................................................................8
Uni................................................................................................................................................................................................8
SOCIAL STRUCTURE – WORKING CONDITIONS........................................................................................10
07.12.2022...........................................................................................................................................................10
General trends...........................................................................................................................................................................10
Rural...........................................................................................................................................................................................10
Urban.........................................................................................................................................................................................10
SOCIAL STRUCTURE – LIVING CONDITIONS..............................................................................................11
07.12.2022...........................................................................................................................................................11
Rural...........................................................................................................................................................................................11
Urban.........................................................................................................................................................................................11
1
, IMPACT ON ECONOMY & SOCIETY
THE EXTENT & IMPACT OF REFORM
14.04.2022
Social Reforms All Russian leaders made social reforms to an extent.
Education – big on the agenda.
o Women’s education was actually encouraged.
Health & housing – not so great
o By 1955 most ppl were in substandard accommodation.
o But Khrushchev did double the housing stock.
A2 1855-1881 Railway construction
o 1st railway was completed in 1937 under N2.
o Under A2, Reutern implemented a 7-fold increase in the amount of
railway track opened, from 2200 miles in 1862 to 14000 in 1878.
o Facilitated the doubling of industrial output & helped attract foreign
investment.
Emancipation of the serfs
o 1861
o Ended serfdom in Russia & promised the serfs freedom – this may have
been largely to appease the ppl & prevent an uprising.
o Appeared to be a v progressive reform that brought Russia in line w
the West.
o By 1917, peasant access to land was still a big issue, suggesting the
reform was not a success.
A3 1881-1894 Great Spurt (Witte)
o Witte was the 1st minister to show total commitment to
industrialisation.
o Investment was diverted from agriculture to industry. This created
suspicion in many sections of the Russian Elite.
o 1897 – the rouble was placed on the gold standard to give potential
investors confidence in the Russian currency.
o Income from industry shot from 42 mill roubles in 1893 to 161 mill by
1897.
Land Captains
o Landowners appointed from 1889 onwards to supervise the work of the
regional councils (Zemstva) that had been intro by A2.
Lenin 1917-1924 War Communism
o A combination of State Capitalism & grain requisitioning to support the
Red Army in the Civil War.
o Included nationalisation of large enterprises & partial militarisation of
labour.
o Partially successful as it helped the Communists win the war, but the
policies were unpopular & caused some unrest.
Stalin 1924-1953 Five Year Plans (carried on into Khrushchev’s reign).
o Aimed to allow Russia to keep up w (& hopefully overtake) the west –
linked to desires for autarky.
o Initial targets were stipulated by key officials, passed onto industrial
commissariats to frame a plan, & then onto regional managers to be
implemented.
o The 1st plan was introduced in spring 1929 & (like the 2 nd plan) ended a
yr early.
This was allegedly due to the massive success of the plans that meant targets
were met ahead of schedule but in reality it was b/c workers struggled to meet the
unrealistic targets.
2
Table of Contents
THE EXTENT & IMPACT OF REFORM..........................................................................................................2
14.04.2022............................................................................................................................................................2
Social Reforms.............................................................................................................................................................................2
A2 1855-1881...............................................................................................................................................................................2
A3 1881-1894...............................................................................................................................................................................2
Lenin 1917-1924..........................................................................................................................................................................2
Stalin 1924-1953..........................................................................................................................................................................2
The Extent & Impact of Reform.................................................................................................................3
15.11.2022............................................................................................................................................................3
Economic.....................................................................................................................................................................................3
Political........................................................................................................................................................................................3
Social (incl health, education, housing, etc)................................................................................................................................3
Military.........................................................................................................................................................................................3
A2 (1855-81)................................................................................................................................................................................3
A3 (1881-94)................................................................................................................................................................................4
N2 (1894- 1917)...........................................................................................................................................................................4
PG (Feb – Oct 1917).....................................................................................................................................................................4
Lenin (1917-24)............................................................................................................................................................................4
Stalin (1924-53)...........................................................................................................................................................................6
Khrushchev (1953-64)..................................................................................................................................................................6
POPULATION............................................................................................................................................7
06.12.2022............................................................................................................................................................7
The Change..................................................................................................................................................................................7
Reasons for change......................................................................................................................................................................7
Gov policies..................................................................................................................................................................................7
EDUCATION..............................................................................................................................................8
07.12.2022............................................................................................................................................................8
Primary.........................................................................................................................................................................................8
Secondary....................................................................................................................................................................................8
Uni................................................................................................................................................................................................8
SOCIAL STRUCTURE – WORKING CONDITIONS........................................................................................10
07.12.2022...........................................................................................................................................................10
General trends...........................................................................................................................................................................10
Rural...........................................................................................................................................................................................10
Urban.........................................................................................................................................................................................10
SOCIAL STRUCTURE – LIVING CONDITIONS..............................................................................................11
07.12.2022...........................................................................................................................................................11
Rural...........................................................................................................................................................................................11
Urban.........................................................................................................................................................................................11
1
, IMPACT ON ECONOMY & SOCIETY
THE EXTENT & IMPACT OF REFORM
14.04.2022
Social Reforms All Russian leaders made social reforms to an extent.
Education – big on the agenda.
o Women’s education was actually encouraged.
Health & housing – not so great
o By 1955 most ppl were in substandard accommodation.
o But Khrushchev did double the housing stock.
A2 1855-1881 Railway construction
o 1st railway was completed in 1937 under N2.
o Under A2, Reutern implemented a 7-fold increase in the amount of
railway track opened, from 2200 miles in 1862 to 14000 in 1878.
o Facilitated the doubling of industrial output & helped attract foreign
investment.
Emancipation of the serfs
o 1861
o Ended serfdom in Russia & promised the serfs freedom – this may have
been largely to appease the ppl & prevent an uprising.
o Appeared to be a v progressive reform that brought Russia in line w
the West.
o By 1917, peasant access to land was still a big issue, suggesting the
reform was not a success.
A3 1881-1894 Great Spurt (Witte)
o Witte was the 1st minister to show total commitment to
industrialisation.
o Investment was diverted from agriculture to industry. This created
suspicion in many sections of the Russian Elite.
o 1897 – the rouble was placed on the gold standard to give potential
investors confidence in the Russian currency.
o Income from industry shot from 42 mill roubles in 1893 to 161 mill by
1897.
Land Captains
o Landowners appointed from 1889 onwards to supervise the work of the
regional councils (Zemstva) that had been intro by A2.
Lenin 1917-1924 War Communism
o A combination of State Capitalism & grain requisitioning to support the
Red Army in the Civil War.
o Included nationalisation of large enterprises & partial militarisation of
labour.
o Partially successful as it helped the Communists win the war, but the
policies were unpopular & caused some unrest.
Stalin 1924-1953 Five Year Plans (carried on into Khrushchev’s reign).
o Aimed to allow Russia to keep up w (& hopefully overtake) the west –
linked to desires for autarky.
o Initial targets were stipulated by key officials, passed onto industrial
commissariats to frame a plan, & then onto regional managers to be
implemented.
o The 1st plan was introduced in spring 1929 & (like the 2 nd plan) ended a
yr early.
This was allegedly due to the massive success of the plans that meant targets
were met ahead of schedule but in reality it was b/c workers struggled to meet the
unrealistic targets.
2
