Final answer:
In the Soviet Union, collectivization forced the consolidation of individual farms into state-run entities, which led to resistance and famine, while Five-Year Plans aimed at rapid industrialization caused significant human toll despite increasing industrial capacity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Role of Collectivization and Five-Year Plans in the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union under Stalin implemented drastic economic changes through the introduction of collectivization and Five-Year Plans aimed at rapidly industrializing the economy and centralizing agricultural production. Collectivization involved consolidating individual farms into large, state-run enterprises. It was perceived as a solution to the inefficiency of agriculture and was intended to prevent potential capitalist threats from wealthier farmers, known as kulaks. However, this policy met with severe resistance, leading to tragic outcomes, such as the Holodomor, a famine that caused the death of nearly three million Ukrainians.
Stalin's Five-Year Plans were ambitious government targets set to significantly boost industrial production, particularly in heavy industries like iron and steel, and to construct new power stations. Although the plan increased overall industrial capacity by approximately 50 percent, many of the production quotas were unrealistic and led to extreme deprivation for workers. The industrial drive also came at a high human cost, with many lives lost in the process.
In summary, collectivization and the Five-Year Plans had profound impacts on the Soviet Union's economy and society, driving industrial growth while causing widespread suffering and death through famine and harsh working conditions.