The Soviet economy was reorganized in an entirelv different
way. The Germans invaded the regions where most of the metal
industry was concentrated, causing a drop in total production ol
forty-eight per cent in the first six months of the war. and further
declined in 1942. Cast iron production fell from 18 million tons
to 5 million tons. On the other hand, under a policv of continuous
growth in the vears before the war, many factories had
been constructed in the Urals and bevond. Soviet Russia could
draw upon almost unlimited reserves of manpower, though it
was largely untrained. Because of her size, large areas were safe
from enemy attack. Her political and economic svstem allowed
stern measures to be quicklv applied. Before the invasion, the
government had examined the problem of evacuating factories
and residents eastwards awav from areas threatened by invasion.
Fully fitted stand-ins had already been prepared for some industries.
Still the undertaking was gigantic. Between July and
November 1941, some 1520 units of production including 1300
large establishments, were disassembled, transported and reassembled.
Ten million workers had to be resettled. By the end ol
1941 the factories which had been transferred from Leningrad to
the Urals began sending heavy tanks to the front. War industries
took precedence over everything else. By the end ol 1942, Soviet
Russia was turning out more guns than Germain.
Such an effort entailed immense toil and hardship. Working
hours were lengthened, holidays were entirelv suspended. [Tie
hurried evacuation of populations gave rise to painful living
conditions and shortages of housing, hospitals, healing and
schools. Food was also scarce. The training ofurgend) needed
skilled labour presented one of the most difficult tasks. Prio
rities had to be established and workers were given obligatory
assignments. A large number of kolkhozin were given jobs in
the mines. A programme of training skilled workers was
undertaken in schools. Arms production was increased and
the quality ol equipment improved. New tanks and aeroplanes
-T34/S and Stormoviks -replaced older models.
In Soviet Russia, the entire population was drawn into the
war effort. A vigorous propaganda programme recalled great
examples of the past, especially 1812, emphasizing the invasion
of national territory over defence of the regime. The three
million members of the Communist Party trained the population,
galvanized their energies, rallied support in the occupied
areas. Soldiers, victims of German aggression, producers behind
the lines, each bore a share of the national burden. The
residents of Leningrad themselves built the fortifications around
their city. In Stalingrad munitions workers drove the tanks which
they themselves had produced into battle.
World History
