Yes, we have. And not only that, but we have accomplished more than we ourselves expected, more than the ardent minds in our Party could have expected. That is not denied now even by our enemies, and certainly our friends cannot deny it.
– J.V. Stalin (The Results of the First Five-Year Plan, Report Delivered at Joint Plenum of the C.C. and C.C.C., C.P.S.U.(B.) on January 7, 1933)
The 2nd (1933-37) and 3rd (1938-41) Five-Year Plans: Building Socialism
Inspired by the successes of the 1st Five-Year Plan, the 2nd Five-Year Plan was prepared. In the 2nd Five-Year Plan, more attention was now paid to quality. Free healthcare and free compulsory schooling were implemented by the 1936 constitution. Between 1933 and 1938, thousands of schools (elementary schools increased by 119.1%, secondary schools by 220.3%), institutions of higher learning (increased by 131.1%), public libraries (increased by 173.7%, number of books by 147.2%), cinemas (110.9%), theatres (increased by 134.6%), and cultural institutions (cultural clubs increased by 156.5%) were constructed for the common people. Between 1933 and 1938, railway transport increased by 217.7%, river and maritime transport by 131.5%, and civil air fleet by 1022.6%. By 1933, the industrial output had increased by 263.2% of 1928. In 1937, the 2nd Five-Year Plan, like the first one, was completed successfully and nine months ahead of schedule. That same year, the Third Five-Year Plan was also prepared for implementation in the following year. This plan began on 1st January, 1938 and was supposed to end on 31st December, 1942, but before that, Hitler invaded the USSR, causing this plan to be disrupted.
The Third Five-Year Plan aimed to strengthen the Soviet Union against enemy attacks and to hasten the eastward relocation of industries vital to the war effort. Even then, the extent of its success can be gauged by the fact that, in 1938, compared to the previous year, production across sectors increased significantly (10% in the output of iron and steel, 9% in timber output, etc.). By 1939, giant strides had been made in all industries. Just before World War II (1938), industrial production was 908.8% of the level it had reached just before World War I (1913). During the war, the Soviet socialist system proved itself far superior to the capitalist system.
The 4th (1946-50) and 5th (1951-55) Five-Year Plans: Reconstruction
During World War II (1939-45), 27 million Russians were killed, wounded, or otherwise affected. Thousands of towns, key industrial regions, factories, railways, and farms were destroyed. There was enormous destruction of agricultural implements, livestock, and other resources. For rapid reconstruction, the 4th Five-Year Plan was prepared. Speaking on 9th February, 1946, Stalin declared that its aim was not merely to repair the damage, but to raise the industrial and agricultural production to a level higher than that before the war. Finally, on 18th March, 1946, the Supreme Soviet approved the 4th Five-Year Plan. Factories that had been producing war materials began manufacturing goods for peacetime use, and the work of reconstruction gained momentum. By 1950, overall industrial output exceeded the 1940 level by roughly 70–75%. Steel, coal, and electricity production expanded multifolds. Cities like Stalingrad were rebuilt. Major infrastructure (e.g., the Dnieper Dam, rail networks, and industrial complexes) was restored. Agricultural production surpassed the pre-war level. The 5th Five-Year Plan consolidated the USSR as a global industrial superpower. But the rapid achievements of the USSR slowed after the demise of Stalin in 1953.
Five-Year Plans and the Victory of Socialism
At the time of the revolution, Russia was backward and agrarian, devastated by World War I and the civil war. It transformed, within a single generation (1917-1942), into an advanced industrial power, accomplishing in decades what other nations had taken centuries to achieve. It carried out an industrial revolution unprecedented in human history, increasing its national income nearly ninefold. The Soviet people stood as living proof of the successes of socialism. The Soviet Union’s defence against the Nazi invasion, its decisive role in defeating fascism, and its rapid post-war reconstruction all demonstrated the importance of Stalin’s foresight in pursuing rapid industrialisation. Many countries tried to mimic these 5-year plans, including India, but failed miserably as the crucial socialist base was missing. These achievements were made possible by replacing the production anarchy of capitalism with a planned socialist economy, with the Five-Year Plans as the pivot. The successes of the Five-Year Plan inspired the revolutionary forces of the working class in all countries against capitalism, and proved the superiority of the socialist system.
