Second Five-Year Plan

Soviet economics

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

The Second Five-Year Plan (1933–1937) in the Soviet Union continued the objectives of the first plan, which focused on developing heavy industry and collectivizing agriculture. This period saw the implementation of Stalinist policies that led to severe famines, causing millions of deaths, including the Holodomor in Ukraine, recognized as an attempted genocide. The plan's emphasis on heavy industry and military buildup, a continuation from the fourth plan, caused friction with Western powers. The Soviet Union's economic planning, established in the 1920s and 30s, aimed to industrialize the country through a command economy where subordinate units operated based on administrative instructions rather than market negotiations.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Soviet Union
Industrialization, 1929–34
…period (including that of the Second Five-Year Plan, slightly less strongly stressing heavy industry, which now followed) was only about 3.5 percent per annum, about the same as that of Germany over the same span of time. Nevertheless, during this period a number of important industrial enterprises were completed, though…
Read More
…period (including that of the Second Five-Year Plan, slightly less strongly stressing heavy industry, which now followed) was only about 3.5 percent per annum, about the same as that of Germany over the same span of time. Nevertheless, during this period a number of important industrial enterprises were completed, though…
Read More