Stalin: Great Turn

Stalin's rapid industrialization
1) Stalin wanted to rapidly industrialize because Russia was still relatively weak. He need the country's military strength to increase and fighting wars means a need of more supplies and industry to manufacture stuff.
2) Self-sufficiency was also another goal because Stalin did not want to depend on western goods, especially heavy industrial plants that was needed for industrial production.
3) Industrialization would increase grain supplies, therefore reducing the reliance on Russia's backwards agricultural system because in the past, there were problems whenever harvest was bad.
4) Socialism could be achieved only in a highly industrialized state and the overwhelming majority of the population needed to be workers.
5) It would add to Stalin's reputation and people would seem him like Lenin.
Standard of living also needed improvement.

NEP problems
1) Peasants were not producing enough grain and the agricultural system was backwards.
Relationship between government and peasants deteriorated towards end of 1920s because of the Red Terror. Stalin exacerbated the crisis by sending the police to get grain from peasants.
2) Workers were not better off as companies were still hierarchical. Unemployment was high and houses were overcrowded for workers.

The Great Turn
Five Years Plan meant end of NEP as NEP encouraged capitalism.
The UK broke off relations with Russia and there was suspicion about Japanese invasion and therefore, the Russians needed an armament base.
Collectivization was introduced and peasants could no longer have private land.

Collectivization
Bukharin and right wing worried Stalin would go back to War Communism. The right pressured Stalin and he stopped seizing grain in 1928; Stalin raised price of grain to attract peasants. But, there were food shortages and Stalin expelled Bukharin. Eventually, a policy of forced mass collectivization was announed.
It was an emergency decision to solve procurement crisis of 1928-29 and to crack down on resistance of peasants. However, many saw collectivization as key out of poverty.

Force, terror, and propaganda was used to carry out collectivization. Stalin also used the 'kulak' class enemy slogan and in December 1929, the kulaks, as a class, were liquidated. There were many kulaks who were not identified due to them being family or friends. However, Stalin assembled 25,000 urban party activists to loot and force kulaks into collectivization.

Result of collectivization
Peasants had nothing to work for as they were supposed to get share in profits of the farm at the end of the year but there were never any profits. They practice passive resistance shown in apathy, neglect and petty insubordination.
This made private plots on collectives very important as it was the only way peasants could earn something.
Collectivization referred to as 'second serfdom,' peasants tied to land, but did not own it.

Collectivization could be seen as a success politically, as the party gained control of villages and did not have a bargain with peasants any more.