Firstly, Stalin wanted to rise military strength as he saw the Russia as a weak country. He believed that it needed to have well-developed industrial manufactures. Secondly, he wanted to move Russia towards a socialist society. Mainly because the majority of the population were workers. In 1928, the twenty per cent of the population of the USSR were workers (Feihn & Corin, 2002). Lastly, he wanted to establish his identifications. Stalin wanted to prove to the leaders of the Bolsheviks and also himself that he was as just successful and equal as a leader. A speech in February 1931, Stalin talks about the backwardness of the Soviet Union, he argues. “… No, we refuse to be beaten. We are 50 and 100 years behind the advanced countries. We must make good this distance in ten years. Either we do it, or we shall be crushed” (Stalin, 1931). This demonstrates that Stalin wanted to advance Russia because Russia was “constantly defeated”, and if he didn’t act on it soon enough, they would be crushed. By creating and sharing wealth among the Soviet people, he hoped to create a strong state controlled on communist principles, where the state controlled economic activities (Wright, 2006). While Stalin did achieve modernising the Soviet industry, he was responsible for the harsh working …show more content…
The establishment of new machines and factories provided numerous new job opportunities to the peasants. Also increasing the production speed and gave people the ability to transport. This also led to urbanisation and more people started to move into the cities. The new Russia clearly went from a rural and agricultural to urban industrial. Despites its many positive outcomes, industrialisation had also a negative effect on Russia. Many urban areas multiplied in size which led to overcrowding in the cities. The population was too big and caused many health problems. The living conditions became dirty and unhealthy. Due to the shortage of the modern equipment, the Magnitogorsk was built. As many as 250,000 skilled and even unskilled workers were put to work to build it. Most of these workers were forced labour peasants from the gulag or evicted peasants who were kicked off their land. The workers lived in overcrowded, most dirt-floored tents and derelict camp through the harsh winter and hot summer. As much as 10,000 people died of hunger, cold and diseases in the first five years of construction. An English visitor to Magnitogorsk in the early 1930s reported that it had ten theatres with a total seating of 9000. All attached to club with drama classes, chess, art and reading group. Source (something) is an eyewitness account from an American communist called John Scott. John Scott states that “From