The social and economic condition of the Soviet Union by 1941: strengths and weaknesses

Economic strengths

• By 1940, Russia had taken over Britain in iron and steel production and was not far behind Germany
• Between 1938 and 1941, spending on rearmament increased from 27.5 billion roubles to 70.9 billion roubles
• In the eve of war, Soviet industry was producing 230 tanks, 700 military aircraft and more than 100,000 rifles per month
• The 'gap' which Stalin spoke of had been significantly narrowed
• The USSR was able to manufacture the majority of its armaments during war

Economic weaknesses

• Economic development was uneven: heavy industries had grown massively by 1941, but consumer production had been cut back and consumer goods were scarcer than they had been under the NEP
• The quality of goods was poor even though labour productivity had increased as bureaucrats were set on figures and targets…