Josef Stalin's Second Five-Year Plan
A crimson locomotive pumps across a gold-drenched horizon while the tips of transmission towers, smokestacks, and the Kremlin peek up behind it. A black train chugs across the geographical version of the Soviet Union, appearing to stretch from The Ural Mountains to Yakutsk. A group of bright-faced Soviet soldiers stand in the foreground looking out of frame as a red train beats in the same direction behind them. Each car is trimmed in gold and adorns at least one Soviet flag at its front. The perfect metaphor for the inevitable and direct progress of Communism, Socialist Realistic artists utilized the idea of the train to formulate the consciousnesses of their viewers. Soviet leadership, on the other hand, took hold of the novel machine and, intentionally or not, would use it to define two of the greatest struggles in history. In 1933, Josef Stalin’s Second Five-Year Plan took a step forward in the natural direction. Where the First Plan built up the groundwork of Soviet industry necessary to be a world power, the Second Plan moved towards expansion, communication, and became one. Items required for interfacing with the Soviet Union’s surroundings and spreading Communism were at the top of the list: coal, oil, and railways. Although
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Should Germany win, it will itself be so weakened that it won't be able to wage war against us for 10 years.” This iteration reveals the motivation behind Stalin’s non-interventionism which outweighed ease of conquest. Stalin, coming off of a boute of purges and still in the midst of his industrialization project, was in no condition for war. The longer he could delay conflict, the weaker Moscow's foes became, all while the Soviet Union was in the midst of exponential development. The goal was clear: create incentives for Berlin to keep itself occupied, and prepare for his inevitable
Should Germany win, it will itself be so weakened that it won't be able to wage war against us for 10 years.” This iteration reveals the motivation behind Stalin’s non-interventionism which outweighed ease of conquest. Stalin, coming off of a boute of purges and still in the midst of his industrialization project, was in no condition for war. The longer he could delay conflict, the weaker Moscow's foes became, all while the Soviet Union was in the midst of exponential development. The goal was clear: create incentives for Berlin to keep itself occupied, and prepare for his inevitable