Stalins Russia After politically outmanoeuvring Trotsky and ridding the party of rivals, Stalin set to build Russia.

Other countries are 50 years ahead of Russia. We must make this up in 10 years Joseph Stalin As such, he had two main aims, a centrally planned economy called a command economy and a totalitarian system of government. Stalins Economic Aims The country had to move from an agriculture dependent country to an industrial dependent one. Although Russia was recovering from war, its industrial production was still low compared to other countries. Stalins fear of a western capitalist west drove the needed improvement In order for a strong industrial economy to occur, the agricultural sector had to be modernised and made more efficient to feed the workforce and raise enough money for industrialisation. Fewer workers were needed for the larger farms and more workers moved to the industry. Lenins NEP did not meet these demands and so Stalin claimed it was an impediment. Politically this would also yield two results: 1. Communist support would increase in the workers 2. Remaining opposition to be eliminated, Kulaks During this period, the State Planning Commission transformed the entire state through setting Five Year Plans. The targets were set and discouraged individual initiative. For example a factory manager would follow the plan to the letter. The government controlled the resources needed to achieve economic targets. Factories, mines, transport and farms were all owned by the state and it exercised tight control over the labour force. With emphasis on factories and mines, consumer industries were neglected.