What was the impact of WWII on Soviet agriculture and industry?

Russia – The Rule of Stalin, 1945-1953

In this course, Dr Claire Knight (University of Bristol) discusses the state of affairs in the USSR in the aftermath of the Great Patriotic War (1941-45). In the first lecture we explore the impact of the war on Soviet agriculture and industry, and how the industrialisation superpower dealt with the destruction left in the wake of the war. In the second lecture, we investigate High Stalininsm and the standing of the Stalin Cult through and after the war, and the relative disjunction between the official presentation and the population’s perception. Third, we look at the impact of the war on people and culture, understanding how people rebuild their lives in the face of huge devestaton, and how culture was used to forge new post-war identities. Finally, in the fourth lecture, we delve into the New World that emerged in the face of German defeat, as tensions between the superpowers rose to inspire a new war, the Cold War.

What was the impact of WWII on Soviet agriculture and industry?

In this module we think about post-war rebuilding, focussing on: (i) recovery from the extensive economic, demographic, ideological, and political costs of World War II; (ii) attempting to reinvigorate heavy industry, re-collectivise agriculture and rebuild cities despite economic instability; (iii) the minimal economic improvements by the early 1950s, but the overall stagnant Soviet economy was left with ongoing issues in agriculture and industry, and significant reforms were delayed until after Stalin's death.