Good afternoon, dear blog readers!

Today we are discussing the topic "Post-war restoration and development of the USSR in 1945-1952."

Transition to peaceful construction.

At the end of the bloody battles, the state was faced with the task of creating favorable conditions for the subsequent development and formation of the Soviet Union. During the Great Patriotic War, under the slogan "Everything for the front, everything for victory!" most of the production was aimed at creating weapons and equipment to provide the Red Army with everything necessary for a successful fight against the enemy. But when the hostilities ended, many enterprises began to be transferred to "peaceful rails", the State Defense Committee (GKO) was abolished and the military people's commissariats were reorganized.

In addition, it was necessary to eliminate the enormous damage caused by the war. In record time, the work of the Donetsk coal basin was resumed, the Dneproges and Zaporizhstal were restored. In total, in the first five years after the war, thanks to the enthusiasm of the Soviet people, more than 6,000 industrial enterprises were restored. In addition, many new facilities were built: the Rybinsk and Sukhumi hydroelectric power stations, the lead-zinc plant in Ust-Kamenogorsk and others.

However, the attention of the state did not "switch" to the production of class "A" products, but was still paid mainly to heavy and military industries.

Difficulties in the development of agriculture.

Due to the war, a lot of sown areas were damaged, crop yields fell and land cultivation worsened. For many years after the war, new equipment was not supplied to the village and almost no measures were taken to improve agriculture. All these factors and the drought of 1946 contributed to the famine in the fertile lands of the Soviet Union: in Ukraine, Moldova, in the Lower Volga region, etc. (1947-1948).

Only at the beginning of 1947 did the authorities begin to promote the rise of agriculture, namely:

• increased the production of agricultural machinery
• electrified the village
• Enlarged collective farms by combining small farms into large

But all these measures did not significantly improve the condition of the village, since many of them were carried out by force, and those who did not want to obey were repressed. In general, grain harvests by 1950 did not exceed and did not even equal the pre-war period (32 million tons in 1950 against 36 million tons in 1940).

Socio-economic situation.

The trends in the development of the economy in the post-war period did not differ much from those during the war: the heavy and military industry still remained dominant, and the plan for the production of consumer products (clothes, shoes, etc.) was still not fulfilled and did not meet the needs of the population.

To improve the situation of the people, the government took the following measures:

• Cancellation of "cards" in 1947
• Carrying out monetary reform in order to extract counterfeit money from citizens
• Housing construction and restoration
• Publication of Stalin's work "Economic Problems of Socialism in the USSR" in 1952, in which the head of the leadership explained the economic policy of the state

Socio-political life.

The end of a difficult bloody war, which at the beginning of hostilities seemed only a bright dream; The victory over a strong enemy, which was considered invincible, was perceived by all the peoples of the vast country as an unprecedented holiday and met the new era with great hopes that everything would finally work out. The bloodless and exhausted Soviet people are once again enthusiastically taking up the restoration and construction of their Motherland.

In 1946, Stalin ordered the development of a new Constitution of the USSR, which should introduce the democratic principles of society, allow peasants to have a small private economy while maintaining state property, decentralize economic management and expand the independence of enterprises. But all these proposals were rejected, and the development of the Constitution was curtailed in 1947. At the same time, the people's dreams of a new better life were curtailed.

Stalin's policy turned in the opposite direction to strengthen the administrative-command system. The Secretariat of the Central Committee of the CPSU gathered the reins of government in all spheres of society into its own hands. To ensure the production of labor force, decrees were created according to which people who did not work were deported to special working settlements (Kemerovo and Omsk regions, Krasnoyarsk Territory). A minimum of workdays was introduced for collective farmers.

The policy of repression.

Probably, for many people, even those who did not particularly study history, the name of Stalin is associated with cruelty and repression. We will not go into details of how inhumane the mustachioed general secretary was in this matter (if you wish, you can find the information yourself), but simply give the dates and content of the “cases” that may be caught on the exam.

• Since 1946 - the case of "saboteurs" of aviation, associated with disruptions in the production of aviation
• Since 1949 - "Leningrad case", associated with the leaders of the Leningrad party organization
• “Mingrelian case”, connected with suspicions of the oppositional mood of the Mingrelian organization in Georgia
• In 1952 - the "case of doctors", due to the fact that Stalin suspected major physicians of deteriorating his health

Foreign policy.

The victory in the Great Patriotic War undoubtedly increased the international prestige of the USSR.

In order to avoid the outbreak of a new war in 1945, the United Nations was created, which included 51 states.

The Soviet Union after the war established friendly relations with many countries: with the German Democratic Republic, the People's Republic of China and the People's Republic of Korea. In 1947, the Cominformburo was formed, which consisted of representatives of 9 communist parties of Eastern Europe.

No sooner had one misfortune passed the world than another threat arose. Not everyone liked such a rapid and successful spread of the influence of the USSR in the international arena, and some countries began to prepare for a confrontation with the Soviet Union.

In order to better represent the events of the Cold War and make it easier to remember them in connection, we offer you the following table.

Despite the fact that the USSR suffered very heavy losses during the war years, it entered the international arena not only not weakened, but became even stronger than before. In 1946-1948. in the states of Eastern Europe and Asia, communist governments came to power, heading for the construction of socialism on the Soviet model.

However, the leading Western powers pursued a power policy towards the USSR and the socialist states. One of the main deterrents was atomic weapon, which the United States enjoyed a monopoly on. Therefore, the creation of an atomic bomb became one of the main goals of the USSR. This work was headed by the physicist I. V. Kurchatov. The Institute of Atomic Energy and the Institute of Nuclear Problems of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR were created. In 1948, the first atomic reactor was launched, and in 1949, the first atomic bomb was tested at the test site near Semipalatinsk. In the work on it, the USSR was secretly assisted by individual Western scientists. Thus, a second nuclear power appeared in the world, the US monopoly on nuclear weapons ended. Since that time, the confrontation between the US and the USSR has largely determined the international situation.

Economic recovery.

Material losses in the war were very high. The USSR lost a third of its national wealth in the war. Agriculture was in deep crisis. The majority of the population was in distress, its supply was carried out using a rationing system.

In 1946, the Law on the five-year plan for the restoration and development of the national economy was adopted. It was necessary to accelerate technological progress, to strengthen the country's defense power. Postwar five-year plan marked by large construction projects (hydroelectric power station, state district power station) and the development of road transport construction. The technical re-equipment of the industry of the Soviet Union was facilitated by the export of equipment from German and Japanese enterprises. The highest rates of development were achieved in such industries as ferrous metallurgy, oil and coal mining, construction of machines and machine tools.

After the war, the countryside found itself in a more difficult position than the city. In the collective farms, tough measures were taken to procure bread. If earlier the collective farmers gave only part of the grain "to the common barn", now they were often forced to give all the grain. The discontent in the village grew. The sown area has been greatly reduced. Due to the depreciation of equipment and the lack of labor, field work was carried out late, which negatively affected the harvest.

The main features of post-war life.

A significant part of the housing stock was destroyed. The problem of labor resources was acute: immediately after the war, many demobilized people returned to the city, but the enterprises still lacked workers. We had to recruit workers in the countryside, among the students of vocational schools.

Even before the war, decrees were adopted, and after it continued to operate, according to which workers were forbidden, under pain of criminal punishment, to leave enterprises without permission.

To stabilize the financial system in 1947, the Soviet government carried out a monetary reform. Old money was exchanged for new money at a ratio of 10:1. After the exchange, the amount of money the population had sharply decreased. At the same time, the government has reduced the prices of consumer products many times. The card system was abolished, food and industrial goods appeared on open sale at retail prices. In most cases, these prices were higher than rations, but significantly lower than commercial ones. The abolition of cards has improved the situation of the urban population.

One of the main features of post-war life was the legalization of the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church. In July 1948, the church celebrated the 500th anniversary of self-government, and in honor of this, a meeting of representatives of local Orthodox churches was held in Moscow.

power after the war.

With the transition to peaceful construction, structural changes took place in the government. In September 1945, the GKO was abolished. On March 15, 1946, the Council of People's Commissars and People's Commissariats were renamed into the Council of Ministers and ministries.

In March 1946, the Bureau of the Council of Ministers was created, the chairman of which was L. P. Beria . He was also instructed to supervise the work of the internal affairs and state security agencies. Pretty strong positions in the leadership held A.A. Zhdanov, who combined the duties of a member of the Politburo, Orgburo and party secretary, but in 1948 he died. At the same time, the positions G.M. Malenkova, who had previously held a very modest position in the governing bodies.

Changes in party structures were reflected in the program of the 19th Party Congress. At this congress, the party received a new na-sha and ne - instead of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks), they began to call it Communist Party Council and Union (CPSU).

USSR in the 50s - early 60s. 20th century

Changes after the death of Stalin and the XX Congress of the CPSU.

Stalin died on March 5, 1953. The closest associates of the leader proclaimed a course towards the establishment of collective leadership, but in reality a struggle for leadership developed between them. Minister of the Interior Marshal L.P. Beria initiated an amnesty for prisoners whose term was no more than five years. He put his supporters at the head of several republics. Beria also proposed to soften the policy towards collective farms and advocated detente of international tension, improvement of relations with Western countries.

However, in the summer of 1953, other members of the top party leadership, with the support of the military, organized a conspiracy and overthrew Beria. He was shot. The fight didn't end there. Malenkov, Kaganovich and Molotov were gradually removed from power, G.K. Zhukov was removed from the post of Minister of Defense. Almost all of this was done on the initiative N.S. Khrushchev, who since 1958 began to combine party and state posts.

In February 1956, the 20th Congress of the CPSU was held, on the agenda of which were an analysis of the international and domestic situation, summing up the results of the fifth five-year plan. At the congress, the question of exposing Stalin's personality cult was raised. The report "On the cult of personality and its consequences" was made by N.S. Khrushchev. He talked about Stalin's numerous violations of Lenin's policy, about "illegal methods of investigation" and purges that killed many innocent people. They talked about Stalin's mistakes as a statesman (for example, a miscalculation in determining the date of the start of the Great Patriotic War). Khrushchev's report after the congress was read throughout the country at party and Komsomol meetings. Its content shocked the Soviet people, many began to doubt the correctness of the path that the country had been following since October revolution .

The process of de-Stalinization of society took place gradually. At Khrushchev's initiative, cultural figures were given the opportunity to create their own works without total control of censorship and strict party dictates. This policy was called the "thaw" after the name of the then popular novel by the writer I. Ehrenburg.

During the "thaw" period, significant changes took place in culture. Works of literature and art have become more profound and sincere.

Reforms in the field of economy. The development of the national economy.

Reforms carried out in the 50s - early 60s. 20th century were controversial. At one time, Stalin outlined the economic frontiers that the country was to reach in the near future. Under Khrushchev, the USSR reached these milestones, but in the changed conditions, their achievement did not have such a significant effect.

The strengthening of the national economy of the USSR began with changes in the raw sector. It was decided to set acceptable prices for agricultural products, to change the tax policy so that the collective farmers were materially interested in selling their products. In the future, it was planned to increase the cash income of collective farms, pensions, and soften the passport regime.

In 1954, at the initiative of Khrushchev, development of virgin lands. Later, they began to reorganize the economic structure of the collective farmers. Khrushchev suggested building urban-type buildings for rural residents and taking other measures to improve their life. Relaxation in the passport regime opened the floodgates for the migration of the rural population to the city. Various programs were adopted to improve the efficiency of agriculture, and Khrushchev often saw a panacea in the cultivation of any one crop. The most famous was his attempt to turn corn into the “queen of the fields”. The desire to grow it, regardless of the climate, caused damage to agriculture, but among the people Khrushchev received the nickname "maize".

50s 20th century characterized by great success in the industry. The production of heavy industry has grown especially. Much attention was paid to those industries that ensured the development of technology. Of paramount importance was the program of continuous electrification of the country. New hydroelectric power plants and state district power plants were put into operation.

The impressive success of the economy aroused the confidence of the leadership headed by Khrushchev in the possibility of even greater acceleration of the pace of the country's development. The thesis was put forward about the complete and final construction of socialism in the USSR, and in the early 60s. 20th century headed for construction communism , that is, a society where every person can satisfy all his needs. According to the new party program adopted in 1962 by the XXII Congress of the CPSU, it was supposed to complete the construction of communism by 1980. However, the serious difficulties in the economy that began at the same time clearly demonstrated to the citizens of the USSR the utopianism and adventurism of Khrushchev’s ideas.

Difficulties in the development of industry were largely due to the ill-conceived reorganizations of the last years of Khrushchev's rule. Thus, most of the central industrial ministries were liquidated, and the leadership of the economy passed into the hands of economic councils, created in certain regions of the country. This innovation led to a rupture of ties between regions, which hindered the introduction of new technologies.

Social sphere.

The government has taken a number of measures to improve the welfare of the people. A law on state pensions was introduced. In secondary and higher educational institutions, tuition fees have been abolished. Heavy industry workers were transferred to a reduced working day without reducing wages. The population received various financial benefits. The material incomes of the working people have grown. Simultaneously with the increase in wages, prices were reduced for consumer goods: certain types of fabrics, clothes, goods for children, watches, medicines, etc.

Many public funds were also created, which paid various preferential benefits. Due to these funds, many were able to study at school or university. The working day was reduced to 6-7 hours, and on pre-holiday and public holidays the working day lasted even less. The working week has become shorter by 2 hours. On October 1, 1962, all taxes on the wages of workers and employees were abolished. From the end of the 50s. 20th century began selling durable goods on credit.

Undoubted successes in the social sphere in the early 60s. 20th century were accompanied by negative phenomena, especially painful for the population: essential products, including bread, disappeared from store shelves. There were several demonstrations of workers, the most famous of which was a demonstration in Novocherkassk, during the suppression of which the troops used weapons, which led to many casualties.

Foreign policy of the USSR in 1953-1964.

Foreign policy was characterized by the struggle to strengthen the position of the USSR and international security.

The settlement of the Austrian question was of great international importance. In 1955, at the initiative of the USSR, the State Treaty with Austria was signed in Vienna. Diplomatic relations were also established with Germany and Japan.

Soviet diplomacy actively sought to establish the most diverse ties with all states. The Hungarian uprising of 1956, which was crushed by Soviet troops, became a severe test. Almost simultaneously with the Hungarian events in 1956, arose Suez Crisis .

On August 5, 1963, an agreement between the USSR, the USA and Great Britain on the ban on nuclear tests on land, in air and water was signed in Moscow.

Relations with most of the socialist countries had long been streamlined - they clearly obeyed the instructions of Moscow. In May 1953, the USSR restored relations with Yugoslavia. A Soviet-Yugoslav declaration was signed, which proclaimed the principle of the indivisibility of the world, non-interference in internal affairs, and so on.

The main foreign policy theses of the CPSU were criticized by the Chinese Communists. They also challenged the political assessment of Stalin's activities. In 1963-1965. The PRC laid claim to a number of border territories of the USSR, and an open struggle broke out between the two powers.

The USSR actively cooperated with the countries of Asia and Africa, which won independence. Moscow helped developing countries create national economies. In February 1955, a Soviet-Indian agreement was signed on the construction of a metallurgical plant in India with the help of the USSR. The USSR provided assistance to the United Arab Republic, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Syria and other countries of Asia and Africa.

USSR in the second half of the 60s - early 80s. 20th century

The overthrow of N. S. Khrushchev and the search for a political course.

Development of science, technology and education.

The number of scientific institutions and scientists increased in the USSR. Each union republic had its own Academy of Sciences, which was subordinate to a whole system of scientific institutions. Significant progress has been made in the development of science. On October 4, 1957, the world's first artificial Earth satellite was launched, then the spacecraft reached the Moon. On April 12, 1961, the first manned flight into space took place. The first ascent of the space CSM became Yu.L. Gagarin.

New and more powerful power plants were built. Aircraft construction, nuclear physics, astrophysics and other sciences were successfully developed. Scientific centers were created in many cities. For example, in 1957 Akademgorodok was built near Novosibirsk.

After the war, the number of schools dropped catastrophically, one of the tasks of the government was the creation of new secondary schools. The increase in the number of high school graduates has led to an increase in the number of university students.

In 1954, co-education of boys and girls was restored in schools. The tuition fees for high school students and students were also abolished. Students began to pay scholarships. In 1958, compulsory eight-year education was introduced, and the ten-year school was transferred to 11-year education. Soon, work in production was included in the curricula of schools.

Spiritual life and culture of "developed socialism".

The ideologists of the CPSU sought to quickly forget Khrushchev's idea of ​​building communism by 1980. This idea was replaced by the slogan of "developed socialism". It was believed that under "developed socialism" nations and nationalities were drawing closer together, a single community had formed - the Soviet people. They talked about the rapid development of the country's productive forces, about blurring the lines between town and countryside, about the distribution of wealth on the principles of "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his work." Finally, the transformation of the state of the dictatorship of the proletariat into a nationwide state of workers, peasants and the people's intelligentsia was proclaimed, between which the lines are also continuously blurred.

In the 60-70s. 20th century culture has ceased to be synonymous with ideology, its uniformity has been lost. The ideological component of culture receded into the background, giving way to simplicity and sincerity. Works created in the provinces - in Irkutsk, Kursk, Voronezh, Omsk, etc., gained popularity. Culture was given a special status.

Nevertheless, ideological tendencies in culture were still very strong. Militant atheism played a negative role. The persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church intensified. Temples were closed in the country, priests were deposed and defrocked. Militant atheists created special organizations for preaching atheism.

The Great Patriotic War, which became a severe trial and shock for the Soviet people, turned the whole way of life and the course of life of the majority of the country's population for a long time. Huge difficulties and material deprivations were perceived as temporarily inevitable problems, as a consequence of the war.

The post-war years began with the pathos of restoration, hopes for change. The main thing is that the war was over, people were glad that they were alive, everything else, including living conditions, was not so important.

All the difficulties of everyday life mainly fell on the shoulders of women. Among the ruins of the destroyed cities, they planted vegetable gardens, removed rubble and cleared places for new construction, while raising children and providing for their families. People lived in the hope that a new, freer and more prosperous life would come very soon, which is why the Soviet society of those years is called the “society of hopes”.

"Second Bread"

The main reality of everyday life of that time, trailing from the military era, was a constant lack of food, a half-starved existence. The most important thing was missing - bread. The "second bread" was the potato, its consumption doubled, it saved, first of all, the villagers from starvation.

Cakes were baked from grated raw potatoes, rolled in flour or breadcrumbs. They even used frozen potatoes that remained in the field for the winter. It was taken out of the ground, the peel was removed, and a little flour, herbs, salt (if any) were added to this starchy mass, and cakes were fried. Here is what the collective farmer Nikiforova from the village of Chernushki wrote in December 1948:

“The food is potato, sometimes with milk. In the village of Kopytova bread is baked like this: they will wipe off a bucket of potatoes, put a handful of flour for gluing. This bread is almost without the protein necessary for the body. It is absolutely necessary to establish a minimum amount of bread that must be left untouched, at least 300 grams of flour per person per day. Potatoes are a deceptive food, more flavorful than satiating.”

People of the post-war generation still remember how they waited for spring, when the first grass appeared: you can cook empty cabbage soup from sorrel and nettle. They also ate "pimples" - shoots of a young field horsetail, "columns" - sorrel flower stalks. Even vegetable peelings were crushed in a mortar, and then boiled and used as food.

Here is a fragment from an anonymous letter to I.V. Stalin dated February 24, 1947: “The collective farmers mainly eat potatoes, and many do not even have potatoes, they eat food waste and hope for spring, when green grass grows, then they will eat grass. But there are still some left with dried potato peels and pumpkin peels, which will grind and make cakes that in a good household would not be eaten by pigs. Preschool children do not know the color and taste of sugar, sweets, cookies and other confectionery products, but eat potatoes and grass on a par with adults.

A real boon for the villagers was the ripening of berries and mushrooms in the summer, which were collected mainly by teenagers for their families.

One workday (a unit of labor accounting on a collective farm), earned by a collective farmer, brought him less food than the average city dweller received on a food card. The collective farmer had to work and save all the money for a whole year so that he could buy the cheapest suit.

Empty cabbage soup and porridge

Things were no better in the cities. The country lived in conditions of acute shortage, and in 1946-1947. The country was in the grip of a real food crisis. In ordinary stores, food was often missing, they looked wretched, often cardboard models of products were displayed in the windows.

Prices in the collective farm markets were high: for example, 1 kg of bread cost 150 rubles, which was more than a week's salary. They stood in queues for flour for several days, the queue number was written on the hand with an indelible pencil, in the morning and in the evening they held a roll call.

At the same time, commercial stores began to open, where even delicacies and sweets were sold, but they were “not affordable” for ordinary workers. Here is how the American J. Steinbeck, who visited Moscow in 1947, described such a commercial store: , also run by the state, where you can buy almost simple food, but at very high prices. Canned goods are stacked in mountains, champagne and Georgian wines are pyramids. We have seen products that could be American. There were jars of crabs with Japanese trademarks on them. There were German products. And here were the luxurious products of the Soviet Union: large jars of caviar, mountains of sausages from Ukraine, cheeses, fish and even game. And various smoked meats. But they were all delicacies. For a simple Russian, the main thing was how much bread costs and how much they give, as well as the prices for cabbage and potatoes.

The rationed supply and services of commercial trade could not save people from food difficulties. Most of the townspeople lived from hand to mouth.

The cards gave bread and once a month two bottles (0.5 liters each) of vodka. Her people were taken to suburban villages and exchanged for potatoes. The dream of a person of that time was sauerkraut with potatoes and bread and porridge (mainly barley, millet and oats). Soviet people at that time practically did not see sugar and real tea, not to mention confectionery. Instead of sugar, slices of boiled beets were used, which were dried in an oven. They also drank carrot tea (from dried carrots).

The letters of the post-war workers testify to the same thing: the inhabitants of the cities were content with empty cabbage soup and porridge in the face of an acute shortage of bread. Here is what they wrote in 1945-1946: “If it were not for bread, it would have ended its existence. I live on the same water. In the canteen, except for rotten cabbage and the same fish, you don’t see anything, portions are given such that you eat and you don’t notice whether you dined or not ”(worker of the metallurgical plant I.G. Savenkov);

“Feding has become worse than in the war - a bowl of gruel and two tablespoons of oatmeal, and this is a day for an adult” (worker of the automobile plant M. Pugin).

Monetary reform and the abolition of cards

The post-war period was marked by two major events in the country that could not but affect the daily life of people: the monetary reform and the abolition of cards in 1947.

There were two points of view on the abolition of cards. Some believed that this would lead to the flourishing of speculative trade and the aggravation of the food crisis. Others believed that the abolition of ration cards and the allowing of the commercial trade in bread and cereals would stabilize the food problem.

The card system was abolished. Queues in stores continued to stand, despite a significant increase in prices. The price for 1 kg of black bread has increased from 1 rub. up to 3 rubles 40 kopecks, 1 kg of sugar - from 5 rubles. up to 15 rubles 50 kop. In order to survive in these conditions, people began to sell things acquired before the war.

The markets were in the hands of speculators who sold essential commodities such as bread, sugar, butter, matches, and soap. They were supplied by "dishonest" employees of warehouses, bases, shops, canteens, who were in charge of food and supplies. In order to stop speculation, the Council of Ministers of the USSR in December 1947 issued a resolution "On the norms for the sale of industrial and food products in one hand."

In one hand they released: bread - 2 kg, cereals and pasta - 1 kg, meat and meat products - 1 kg, sausages and smoked meats - 0.5 kg, sour cream - 0.5 kg, milk - 1 l, sugar - 0.5 kg, cotton fabrics - 6 m, threads on spools - 1 pc., stockings or socks - 2 pairs, leather, textile or rubber shoes - 1 pair, laundry soap - 1 piece, matches - 2 boxes, kerosene - 2 liters.

The meaning of the monetary reform was explained in his memoirs by the then Minister of Finance A.G. Zverev: “From December 16, 1947, new money was put into circulation and they began to exchange cash for them, with the exception of a bargaining chip, within a week (in remote areas - within two weeks) at a ratio of 1 to 10. Deposits and current accounts in savings banks were revalued according to the ratio 1 for 1 to 3 thousand rubles, 2 for 3 from 3 thousand to 10 thousand rubles, 1 for 2 over 10 thousand rubles, 4 for 5 for cooperatives and collective farms. All ordinary old bonds, except for the 1947 loans, were exchanged for new loan bonds at 1 for 3 old ones, and 3 percent winning bonds - at the rate of 1 for 5.

Monetary reform was carried out at the expense of the people. Money "in a jug" suddenly depreciated, the population's tiny savings were withdrawn. If we take into account that 15% of savings were kept in savings banks, and 85% - on hand, then it is clear who suffered from the reform. In addition, the reform did not affect the wages of workers and employees, which remained the same.

The end of the Great Patriotic War was a huge relief for the inhabitants of the USSR, but at the same time it set a number of urgent tasks for the government of the country. Issues that had been delayed for the duration of the war now needed to be resolved urgently. In addition, the authorities needed to equip the demobilized Red Army soldiers, provide social protection for war victims and restore destroyed economic facilities in the west of the USSR.

In the first post-war five-year plan (1946-1950), the goal was to restore the pre-war level of agricultural and industrial production. A distinctive feature of the restoration of industry was that not all evacuated enterprises returned to the west of the USSR, a significant part of them were rebuilt from scratch. This made it possible to strengthen industry in those regions that did not have a powerful industrial base before the war. At the same time, measures were taken to return industrial enterprises to civilian life schedules: the length of the working day was reduced, and the number of days off increased. By the end of the Fourth Five-Year Plan, the pre-war level of production had been reached in all the most important branches of industry.

Demobilization

Although a small part of the Red Army soldiers returned to their homeland in the summer of 1945, the main wave of demobilization began in February 1946, and the final completion of demobilization took place in March 1948. It was envisaged that the demobilized soldiers would be provided with work within a month. The families of the dead and disabled of the war received special support from the state: their homes were primarily supplied with fuel. However, in general, the demobilized fighters did not have any benefits in comparison with citizens who were in the rear during the war years.

Strengthening the repressive apparatus

The apparatus of repression, which flourished in the pre-war years, changed during the war. Intelligence and SMERSH (counterintelligence) played a key role in it. After the war, these structures filtered prisoners of war, Ostarbeiters and collaborators returning to the Soviet Union. The organs of the NKVD on the territory of the USSR fought organized crime, the level of which increased sharply immediately after the war. However, already in 1947, the power structures of the USSR returned to the repression of the civilian population, and at the end of the 50s the country was shocked by high-profile lawsuits (the case of doctors, the Leningrad case, the Mingrelian case). In the late 1940s and early 1950s, “anti-Soviet elements” were deported from the newly annexed territories of Western Ukraine, Western Belarus, Moldova and the Baltic states: intelligentsia, large property owners, supporters of the UPA and “forest brothers”, representatives of religious minorities.

Foreign policy guidelines

Even during the war years, the future victorious powers laid the foundations of an international structure that would regulate the post-war world order. In 1946, the United Nations began its work, in which the five most influential states in the world had a blocking vote. The entry of the Soviet Union into the UN Security Council strengthened its geopolitical position.

At the end of the 40s, the foreign policy of the USSR was aimed at creating, strengthening and expanding the bloc of socialist states, which later became known as the socialist camp. The coalition governments of Poland and Czechoslovakia that appeared immediately after the war were replaced by one-party ones, monarchical institutions were liquidated in Bulgaria and Romania, and pro-Soviet governments proclaimed their republics in East Germany and North Korea. Shortly before this, the Communists had taken control of most of China. Attempts by the USSR to create Soviet republics in Greece and Iran were unsuccessful.

Intra-party struggle

It is believed that in the early 50s, Stalin planned another purge of the top party apparatus. Shortly before his death, he also carried out a reorganization of the party's management system. In 1952, the VKP(b) became known as the CPSU, and the Politburo was replaced by the Presidium of the Central Committee, which did not have the post of General Secretary. Even during Stalin's lifetime, there was a confrontation between Beria and Malenkov on the one hand and Voroshilov, Khrushchev and Molotov on the other. Among historians, the following opinion is widespread: members of both groups realized that the new series of trials was directed primarily against them, and therefore, having learned about Stalin's illness, they made sure that he was not provided with the necessary medical care.

The results of the post-war years

In the post-war years, which coincided with the last seven years of Stalin's life, the Soviet Union turned from a victorious power into a world power. The government of the USSR managed to relatively quickly rebuild the national economy, restore state institutions and create around itself a bloc of allied states. At the same time, the repressive apparatus was strengthened, aimed at eradicating dissent and at "cleansing" party structures. With the death of Stalin, the process of development of the state has undergone drastic changes. The USSR entered a new era.

The victory in the Second World War promised the USSR significant changes. Citizens were also waiting for these changes, many of whom, during the liberation of Europe, saw bourgeois life, from which they had previously been fenced off by the iron curtain. After the Great Patriotic War, the inhabitants of the USSR expected that the changes would affect the economy, agriculture, national politics, and much more. At the same time, the overwhelming majority were loyal to the authorities, since the victory in the war was considered the merit of Stalin.

In September 1945, the state of emergency was lifted in the USSR, and the Defense Committee was also announced to be disbanded.

In the post-war years, mass repressions began in the USSR. First of all, they touched those who had been in German captivity. In addition, repressions were directed against the peoples of the Baltic states, western Ukraine and Belarus, whose population most actively opposed the Soviet regime. In such a cruel way, order was restored in the country.

As in the pre-war years, the repressions of the Soviet government affected the military. This time it was due to the fact that Stalin was afraid of the popularity of the high military command, which enjoyed popular love. By order of Stalin, the following were arrested: A.A. Novikov (Aviation Marshal of the USSR), Generals N.K. Kristallov and P.N. Monday. In addition, some officers who served under the command of Marshal G.K. were arrested. Zhukov.

In general, the repressions of the post-war years affected almost every class of the country. In total, during the period from 1948 to 1953, approximately 6.5 million people were arrested and shot in the country.

In October 1952, the 19th Congress of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks took place, at which it was decided to rename the party into the CPSU.

The USSR after the Great Patriotic War radically changed its foreign policy. The victory of the USSR in the Second World War led to the aggravation of relations between the USSR and the USA. As a result of this aggravation, the Cold War began. Soviet power, in the post-war years, increased its influence on the world stage. Many countries of the world, especially those that were liberated by the Red Army from fascism, began to be controlled by the communists.

The United States and Britain were seriously worried that the growth of the influence of the USSR could lead to a decrease in their influence on world politics. As a result, it was decided to create a military bloc, the function of which would be to counteract the USSR. This bloc was called "NATO" and was formed in 1949. The Americans could no longer delay the creation of NATO, since in the same year the Soviet Union successfully tested the first atomic bomb. As a result, both sides were nuclear powers. The Cold War continued until Stalin's death on March 5, 1953. The main result of the post-war years was the understanding by the parties that issues must be resolved peacefully, since the Cold War, with the stubbornness of the parties, can develop into an armed one.