1928 saw the first Five Year Plan, crossing the frontier from the capitalist world into uncharted lands of building socialism. Its achievements were unprecedented:
Building industry where there wasn’t any. Coal, Metals, transport, textiles, defence, oil, construction etc.
Building education – schools, nurseries, universities, vocational education, technical education, art and literature, adult education, post-work education.
Obliterating illiteracy, lifting the cultural level. Building parks, theatres, museums, libraries, sports facilities, training artists, musicians and writers, establishing innumerable newspapers in dozens of languages and media outlets.
Building a health service, providing pensions, workers rest homes, holidays etc.
Agriculture was 1.5 times greater than in 1917; industry 7 times greater than 1917; incomes 4 times greater than in 1917.
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