New miniseries! Today I begin covering the First Five Year Plan, the mother of all five year plans. You might have heard about them in places other than the USSR, you might even have one of your own. But there isn't anything like this one. I break down why the Plan was so central to Soviet history, as well as take time to introduce the supporting players on Stalin's team that were integral to actually executing the plan. 

Bibliography for this episode: 

1. Fitzpatrick, Shelia On Stalin's Team: The Years of Living Dangerously in Soviet Politics Princeton University Press 2015
2. Kotkin, Stephen Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941 Penguin Press 2017
3. Montefiore, Simon Sebag Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar Vintage Books 2005
4. Allen, Robert C. Farm to Factory: A Reinterpretation of the Soviet Industrial Revolution Princeton University Press 2003

Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]