Economic+policies+Mao+and+Stalin

Russia's Economic problems Before Stalin: -Foreign countries were unwilling to invest in a communist state, thus there was there was less ability for capital finance expansion. -The agricultural system was unable to produce the food needed for the growing population and provide a surplus for export.
 * Stalin:**

Five Year Plans: -1928-1937 -Goal was to overcome Russia's economic problems in a short amount of time to catch up with the rest of the industrialized nations. -Concentrated on heavy industry- coal, iron, steel, ect. As well as consumer goods during the second Five Year Plan. -Government made all the economic decisions.

Outcome of the Five Year Plans: -Industry in Soviet Union was controlled by the government. -Five Year Plans ultimately were successful in expanding their industrial production. -The Five Year Plans were achieved through NO foreign investment. -Standard of living remained low. -Resistance to collectivize resulted in famine (millions also died).

Collectivization: -Idea was that the small farms belonging to the peasants would merge into large farms controlled by the state. -Stalin's reasoning for collectivizing was because smaller farmers were not as efficient as they could be if larger and ran by the state. -Also wanted to eliminate peasants. -Peasants who refused were arrested.

Outcome of Collectivization: -At first, total grain production did not increase at all (Except in 1930) and it actually went down from 1928-1934. However, during this time the Soviet Union exported 3 quarter million tons of grain, while 5 million peasants died of starvation. -Production increased by 1937. -Great number of animal and human loss.

China's Economic Problems Before Mao: -China wanted to become an industrialized and modernized nation, like Soviet Union was becoming under Stalin. -Widespread famine in 1956. -Peasants owned their own pockets of land.
 * Mao:**

The Great Leap Forward: -1958-1961 -Goal was to transform China's agricultural economy into a modern, communist nation. -Mao took many of his ideas from Stalin's Five Year Plans. -Private farming was made illegal. -Food rationing was introduced.

Outcome of the Great Leap Forward: -Widespread famine that caused 20 million deaths. -Economy initially grew in 1958, but shot down again by 1961. -Cut unemployment in half within the cities. -Mao ultimately had to get rid of collectivization and allow the peasants to own their small amounts of land once again.

Similarities: -Communist Leaders -Both of their economic policies were run as a government plan in which the whole nation was involved. -Both had the goal of redistributing the land and decrease the unemployment rate. -Mao and Stalin both used terror tactics on the peasants to force them to give up their land to the state. -Both placed an emphasis on increasing the agriculture in their nation. -Mao and Stalin also created a widespread famine in their nations following their economic plans.
 * Analysis:**