Stalin's Domestic Policies Improved the Lives of the Soviet Citizens to a Somewhat, but Not Entirely Beneficial Extent

Stalin's domestic policies improved the lives of the Soviet citizens to a somewhat, but not entirely beneficial extent.

Source E states that "The collectivization of farming, too, began to yield positive results. Towards the end of the decade the grain crops were thirty or forty million tons higher than those that had been obtained under individual farming. Industry was at last able to supply tractors, harvester combines, and other implements in such numbers that Soviet farming achieved the highest degree of mechanization". Source L, statistical data comparing the production in Russia from 1913-1940, corroborates Source E by indicating that the economy was indeed, millions of tons higher than those obtained through individual farming. For example, the production of electric power started off at 1.9 billion kWh in 1913, and progressed to 48.3 billion kWh by 1940 due to Stalin's Five Year Plan. Source B, a chart explaining the goals and accomplishments of the Five Year Plans, also prove that there were substantial achievements and growth in the economy by means of new industries, greater emphasis on communications (especially railways to link cities and industrial centers), and providing more disposable income, which ended food rationing.

Stalin's domestic policies also proved to provide education opportunities and more rights for women. Source P, a letter to the Manchester Guardian by George Bernard Shaw, states that "Everywhere we saw hopeful and enthusiastic working class, ... developing public works, increasing health services, extending education, achieving the economics independence of woman and the security of the child..." which further corroborate with Source Q, a recording of the experiences of one peasant family uprooted during the Stalinist era. Source Q shows the progress made during the industrialization. It says that "Russia's rapidly expanding economy was crying for every kind of professional skill, for engineers, chemists, teachers, economists, and doctors. The higher schools paid stipends to their students, and aided them in every way to get through their courses and out to factor and laboratory". During the industrialization, higher schools helped their students to get through their courses and produced professional, skilled people that were needed at the time. Educated people helped improve Russia and improved the economy (ex. Pig-iron production and mills).

Although there were vast improvements due to the Stalinist era, the de-Kulakization and the purges proved to negatively affect the economy on a major scale. Source B states that the "Gosplan was thrown into chaos when the purges created shortages of qualified personnel...". Also, Source C states that by the mass genocide of the Kulaks, it created one of the "greatest man-made famines in history." Many peasants preferred to slaughter