Economic and social developments: changes in industrial organisation from Stalin to Khrushchev; agriculture and Virgin Lands scheme; social and cultural change
After Stalin died in 1953, Khrushchev changed how Soviet industry, farming and daily life were organised. He tried to make the economy less brutal and society less controlled than Stalin had made them.
Real World
The Virgin Lands scheme from 1954 ploughed up over 35 million hectares of Kazakhstan and Siberia; initial bumper harvests in 1956 seemed to vindicate Khrushchev, but soil erosion and drought produced repeated crop failures by the early 1960s, undermining his credibility.
Exam Focus
Examiners reward answers that explain why reforms failed, not just that they did — always link agricultural shortcomings to specific causes.
Essay Framework
Use PEEL to structure every paragraph. Tap each step for guidance and an example.
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