Life in the Soviet Union changed under Stalin's rule.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2021). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] Farms were taken over by the state.
2. [1] Peasants had to put their lands together to form large joint farms.
3. [1] Animals and tools were pooled.
4. [1] Farms became much larger.
5. [1] There was some mechanisation such as tractors.
6. [1] The peasants no longer owned land.
7. [1] There was a famine.
8. [1] Kulaks were deported.
9. [1] Many people left to work in the new industries.
10. [1] To increase production in heavy industries.
11. [1] To develop the oil, coal, iron and steel and electricity industries.
12. [1] To set targets to make industry develop quickly.
13. [1] To create a foundation on which to build the next Five-Year Plans.
14. [1] To increase the USSR's military strength.
15. [1] To rival the economies of the USA and the capitalist countries.
16. [1] To catch up with the West.
17. [1] It would put into action Stalin's 'Socialism in One Country'.
18. [1] To make the USSR a stronger country.
19. [4-5] Stalin saw that the development of industry was vital to the USSR becoming economically and militarily strong. If the Soviet Union was threatened by a foreign power, it would need strong defences to survive. It was essential to develop heavy industries such as coal and steel production and chemicals so that armaments could be built.
20. [1] Stalin increased the number of crèches for children of working mothers.
21. [1] Some factories were encouraged to establish 'sitting' services. This was for mothers so that they could work even while caring for children.
22. [1] Stalin encouraged women into skilled jobs such as doctors and engineers.
23. [1] He promoted the idea that it was normal for women to work in industry.
24. [1] According to Soviet propaganda, women were equal partners in the struggle to build a communist state.
25. [1] In the world of work, Soviet women were given equality with men.
26. [1] It was still considered women's responsibility to do the domestic chores.
27. [1] Not a single woman held high office during Stalin's years in power.
28. [1] Women were subjected to changing laws which took away freedoms, such as easy divorce.
29. [1] There were more opportunities for women in Stalin's Russia.
30. [7-9] There were some benefits for women under Stalin's regime. For instance, Stalin insisted that men and women had equal status and therefore women were encouraged to study to become engineers and doctors. By 1939, 79% of doctors were women and over 40% were involved in the industrial workforce. These opportunities had not existed for them before.
31. [7-9] The position of women was supposed to be equal, but there were no women in senior positions in the state and they often took lower positions in the workplace. Also, women still had their traditional roles of mother and wife to fulfil and were expected to work in the home as well as in the workplace.