Sixth Five-Year Plan (1981–1985)
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| Sixth Five-Year Plan (1981–1985) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sixth Five-Year Plan (1981–1985) |
| Period | 1981–1985 |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Predecessor | Fifth Five-Year Plan (1976–1980) |
| Successor | Seventh Five-Year Plan (1986–1990) |
| Launched by | Leonid Brezhnev |
| Formulated by | Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union |
| Goals | Industrial growth, agricultural stabilization, technological modernization |
Sixth Five-Year Plan (1981–1985) The Sixth Five-Year Plan (1981–1985) was the centrally planned development program adopted by the Soviet Union under the leadership of Leonid Brezhnev and implemented by the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The plan aimed to continue targets set during the Fifth Five-Year Plan (1976–1980), accelerate industrialization in heavy industry sectors, improve agricultural yields, and incorporate limited technological advances promoted by ministries such as the Ministry of Heavy Machinery and institutes like the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Implementation intersected with major international factors including the Cold War, the Afghan War (1979–1989), and global oil price fluctuations.
Background and Objectives
The plan was prepared in the wake of stagnation signaled during the late 1970s by policy debates within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, directives from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and economic reports produced by the State Planning Committee (Gosplan), reflecting responses to challenges posed by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and technological competition with United States and Japan. Primary objectives included raising output in the Ministry of Coal Industry of the USSR, expanding capacity at enterprises linked to the Ministry of Railways (USSR), and modernizing production in collaboration with research bodies like the Kurchatov Institute and the All-Union Scientific Research Institute. Targets emphasized increased production within sectors overseen by the Ministry of Machine Tool and Tool Building Industry of the USSR, improvements in the Kolkhoz sector, and bolstering strategic industries relevant to agencies such as the Ministry of Defense Industry (Soviet Union) and the Ministry of Chemical Industry (Soviet Union).
Economic Policies and Reforms
Policy instruments relied on measures promulgated by the Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, resolutions of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, and directives to ministries including the Ministry of Finance of the USSR and the Ministry of Foreign Trade of the USSR. Reforms were incremental, involving pitch to expand investment through the State Bank of the USSR (Gosbank), selective price adjustments handled by the Ministry of Finance of the USSR, and pilot programs in enterprise autonomy influenced by debates within the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and proponents such as officials associated with the Leningrad Scientific and Research Institute. International procurement and technology exchanges involved state entities like the Soviet Foreign Trade Ministry and negotiation channels with firms in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), France, and Italy.
Sectoral Performance (Agriculture, Industry, Services)
Agriculture targets tied to collective farms such as the Kolkhoz and state farms run by the Sovkhoz sector, with inputs managed by the Ministry of Agriculture of the USSR and research from the All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VASKhNIL), but yields lagged expectations amid adverse weather and management constraints highlighted by regional committees in Ukraine, Belarus, and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Industrial performance favored heavy industry overseen by the Ministry of Heavy Industry, Ministry of Coal Industry of the USSR, and the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry of the USSR, with growth concentrated in sectors supplying the Ministry of Defense Industry (Soviet Union) and the Ministry of the Aviation Industry (Soviet Union), while consumer goods production managed by the Ministry of Light Industry (Soviet Union) and service provision coordinated via municipal soviets lagged. The services sector, including transportation by the Ministry of Railways (USSR), communications supervised by the Ministry of Communications (USSR), and urban utilities administered by local Soviet councils, showed limited modernization relative to industrial expansion.
Investment, Financing and Resource Allocation
Investment planning was centralized under the State Planning Committee (Gosplan), financed through allocations from the State Bank of the USSR (Gosbank), budgetary transfers via the Ministry of Finance of the USSR, and transfers from export revenues managed by the Ministry of Foreign Trade of the USSR and state trading organizations such as Vneshtorg. Resource allocation prioritized capital projects championed by ministries including the Ministry of Oil and Gas Industry of the USSR, the Ministry of Metallurgical Industry of the USSR, and the Ministry of Chemistry, while regional development plans negotiated with republican authorities in the Ukrainian SSR, Kazakh SSR, and Byelorussian SSR competed for funds. Large projects included expansion of facilities tied to the Volga industrial complex and energy developments linked to fields like West Siberian petroleum.
Social Indicators and Welfare Outcomes
Social policy outcomes were monitored by bodies including the Ministry of Health of the USSR, the Ministry of Education of the USSR, and the Ministry of Social Security of the USSR, with indicators such as life expectancy reported by statistical agencies like the Central Statistical Administration (USSR). The plan maintained investments in housing programs executed by municipal soviets and construction trusts, and in public health institutions affiliated with the People's Commissariat legacy networks, but shortages in consumer goods reported by the All-Union Consumer Goods Ministry and services affected living standards. Education expansion under institutions such as Moscow State University and technical training in institutes affiliated with the Academy of Sciences of the USSR continued, though commentators from outlets like Pravda and Izvestia noted productivity and quality gaps.
Implementation Challenges and Criticism
Implementation was hindered by systemic issues flagged by commentators within the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, analysts at the Institute of Economic Studies and dissident voices tied to groups monitored by the KGB. Problems cited included rigidities in the planning apparatus centered on the State Planning Committee (Gosplan), distorted incentives in enterprises supervised by various ministries, technological lag relative to United States and Japan, and fiscal strains linked to military expenditures requested by the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union. Criticism appeared in public and party debates, with figures from republican leaderships in the Ukrainian SSR and Republic of Georgia urging reform, and intellectuals associated with the Academy of Sciences of the USSR proposing structural change that later influenced policymakers.
Legacy and Impact on Subsequent Planning
The Sixth Plan's mixed outcomes shaped policy choices during the Seventh Five-Year Plan (1986–1990) and the reform agenda pursued by leaders such as Mikhail Gorbachev and bodies including the Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, contributing to initiatives like perestroika and debates over glasnost. Institutional lessons informed later restructuring of ministries such as the Ministry of Finance of the USSR and prompted shifts in the role of the State Planning Committee (Gosplan) and state banks like Gosbank. Internationally, the plan's performance affected relations with trading partners including the People's Republic of China, Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), and members of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, and influenced the economic context of the late Soviet period leading up to systemic transformations.