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Section 3. History and archaeology
Section 3. History and archaeology Секция 3. История и археология
Babadjanov Khasan Baxtiyorovich, The Tashkent University of Information Technology, assistant of Humanity Department, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
E-mail: bhasanb@inbox.ru
Some notes about the trade and supply system of Uzbekistan during the Second World War
Abstract: In this article on base of the available literature, the archive document describe general picture and problems to trade, providing the population goods and factors influenced upon this system in Uzbekistan during the Second World War.
Key words: the translation of the economy on military rails, production balance, rationing, inflation.
The economic factors play an important role in modern warfare. The war is not only a military confrontation of states and it includes also an economic fights. Any army cannot conduct operations without the economic support such as providing ammunitions, fuels, equipments, clothes and foods. Also the Second World War showed that economic factors define the success of the warfare. Precisely, it were appeared difficulties in the food supply and trade system of Uzbekistan in the Second World War period. Below should be considered the major causes of these difficulties.
In the 22th June of 1943 the German fascistic army started an annexation into the territory of the former Soviet Union. The military and economic crisis due to the war demanded the restructuring of the national economy for the miitary needs. States engaged in war, mobilize own economic structures and industry for military needs. As a result of the war general resources of the state and its industry direct for the development of destructive weapons.
The restructuring of the economy on the base of requirements of military economy specialized the most industrial enterprises in the production of military products. Therefore, despite the decrease of the production of consumer goods was not a drastic drop in the production of military products. Production of raw materials and resources were reallocated to the benefit of the military industry.
The major economic factor that has led to difficulties in the trade-economic sphere was the mobilization
of non-military enterprises for the production of military weapons. For example, 63 enterprises in Tashkent and 230 enterprises in the country began to produce military products in december of 1941 [1, 440]. As a result, there was a strong disproportion in the production of military and non-military products.
The production of consumer goods decreased or the production of their some kinds was stopped. An imbalance in production led to the shortage of industrial and consumer goods. Existing industrial forces were not able to meet demands of the population for industrial goods. An introduction of the card system on certain types of goods during the war became a reason of the deterioration in the quality of goods and rising prices for them.
The fall in production of consumer goods was not the only factor affected the trade and economic system. Also a part of the production which was scheduled for trade with the population was directed for needs of the driving army. This process was clearly visible in first years of the war. In particular, in 1940-1942 the proportion of flour and cereal products intended for the needs of the population has fallen from 86 % to 73 %, and meat products from 43 % to 23 % and leather products from 79 % to 27 % [2, 126]. The decline of commodity fund of some products has contributed to the deficit in their providing.
The abovementioned economic factors directly affect dynamics of the trade and supply system. The war began in June 22, 1941 contributed to a state of emergency in the supply and distribution system of the former Soviet Union. Soap, matches, salt, sugar and other
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Секция 3. История и археология
consumer goods available in stores were purchased in large quantities by the population above their needs to create stocks of these products at home.
In early years of the war there have been accepted several papers on the implementation of the rationing system. According to the decree of the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR initially in Moscow and Leningrad, as well as some of their suburbs was introduced food (bread, pastry products, meat, fish, oil) and consumer goods (cotton and silk fabrics, shoes, clothes, laundry soap) rationing [3, 705]. From July to November of1941 also in other cities of the Soviet Union was introduced rationing system. Prior to September 1, 1941 in 197 settlements, and until November of this year in 38 cities began distributing foods on the card [4, 192].
The card system was introduced mainly in the cities and the daily bread ration for each person was set based on professions, ages and social status of people. During the Second World War, the definition of norms of goods and foods distributed by cards became a social phenomenon
The definition of norms to certain groups on cards also influenced the socio-political situation in the Soviet state. The determination of norms by the card system shows a stratification of the Soviet society wartime. “The proximity to the state” of certain social strata and the owners of some professions to the totalitarian economic system of the former Soviet Union affected the establishment of norms by cards to the population.
Population of cities where the card system was implemented in terms of providing bread were allocated into four groups:
Group 1 — workers, engineers and technicians and equivalent to them (workers of transport and communications, medicine, art sphere and science, education system, as well as donors);
Group 2 — employees and their equivalents;
Group 3 — people, who lost their main breadwinner;
Group 4 — children under 12 years.
It is also important to emphasize that during the war the rural population was not included in the public provision. Only representatives of rural intellectuals (nurses, teachers, agronomists, zootechnicians and others) and disabled veterans in rural areas could enjoy the privileges of the card system. This provision was clearly defined in the Resolution 24307-p of the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR from December 19, 1942, and in the Resolution 1614 of the Council of People’s Commissars of UzSSR from December 26, 1942. Resolutions indicated that only the workers and employees of rural areas,
which were not involved in agricultural work as well as representatives of the evacuated population, had the right to use cards for bread and foods [5].
The main positive aspect of the card system was that people had the right to buy the necessary products such as bread, food and industrial goods in the standard norms and prices set by the state.
But it is wrong to see only the positive aspects of the introduction of the card system, as can be observed many shortcomings and offenses in the implementation of the rationing system. Also, it is impossible to forget that the introduction of cards to some extent negatively affected to the socio-economic life. Below we consider these issues in summarized form:
• In firstly, introduction of the card system has led to the drop of the role of cash in the sale and decline of feelings of the material interests of workers from their labors. Regardless of the amount of work and the quality of production workers received products strictly according to the norm.
• In secondly, the distribution of products by the card system had a negative impact on the qualities and types of manufactured goods. Regardless of product quality it distributed centrally and buyers had no opportunities to choose.
• In thirdly, the formed administrative and bureaucratic procedure involved the realization of the card system. During the war the personnel of the state structure which was engaged in the implementation of the rationing system consisted of 25 thousand people [4, 398]. Certainly, this bureaucracy was not formed immediately. People’s Trade Commissariat of the USSR and its field offices engaged in the distribution of cards. Also, formed special offices which distributed cards to companies, organizations and population and controlled rationing. In some cases were offense in activities of administrative system in rationing products.
During the war years in the provision of clothes and other light industrial products also emerged a number of problems. In particular, the generating force of light industry were aimed at fulfilling the military needs. Enterprises, which produced leather products began to prepare products for aviation, automotive and tractor sector, tanks and other military areas. For example, in 1941 the saddlebag factory in Tashkent produced products for the front in the amount of 504 thousand rubles, and in 1942 the volume was increased with 9 times and factory produced products at 4885 thousand rubles [6, 9].
To increase military production enterprises had almost stopped the production of goods which they
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Section 3. History and archaeology
produced in peacetime. Freed in this way producing power were directed to the production of military products. As a result, in 1940-1942, the production of knitwear for public sale was reduced in 16 %, and shoes in 8 % [7, 75-76].
During the war clothes and shoes can be had only found in the bazaars in very expensive prices. Consumer goods mainly prepared in craft shops and factories from waste materials. For example, for the upper parts of the flip-flops used remnants of tunics, and their prices in 1943 was 85-100 rubles [8]. As for children’s clothies required little material and they sold more expensive. In 1943, retail padded j acket sold for 62 rubles and the baby coat for 88 rubles [9].
Despite the fact that the products manufactured with waste were poor quality and expensive, it was problematic to get them during the war. Clothes and light industry products were stored in damp and dirty warehouses. The audits have found that women’s belt sold for 43 rubles in Tashkent. It was also found children’s substandard soft toys in urban warehouses that were harmful to the health of children [10]. Such irresponsibility was commonplace during the war. Any organization did not controll range and quality of products during the war.
During the difficult war years, people primarily tried to stock foods rather than industrial goods or clothing. Since clothes and industrial products (such as a refrigerator or radio) industries are human’s secondary need. And foods are a basic human need, and the demands for them have everyday character. And due to incomplete cover of basic needs fell demands for secondary needs.
One of objective reasons for the fall of the trade during the war was monetary inflation. The decline of the production of consumer goods during the war intensified inflation. In the trade and supply system number of consumer goods decreased and increased the share of cash. The increase in non-commodity moneys led to big indicators of inflation, an increase in demand compare with the supply, costliness and fallings of living standards.
As a result of the unlimited production of soft moneys increased prices and decreased their purchasing values. Also decreased real salaries of workers and employees, peasants accumulated a lot of devalued cash moneys. The issue of cash is a secret way to pay for the war. Since it does not cause a rapid response as the introduction of emergency taxes for the population.
Money issue affects negatively in one hand on the financial position of people, in the other hand on the trade and economic sphere. As a result, people’s confidence has fallen to money and it reduced the volume of retail
trade. Depreciation of the money led to a shortage of products in markets and even it furthered the development of barter trade.
There is a difference between inflations of war and peace periods. The fixed capital of the state during the war goes on the production of military goods, as well as preparation raw materials and personnel to needs of the military sector. As usual, weapons do not create the production of assets and commodities. Speaking on another, no matter how much increased military production in the state, since this increase does not cover needs of the population for industrial products and also dost not create producing forces in the future.
The wartime economy created a kind of paradox. Decline in living standards of the population contributed to the accumulation of large amounts of cash in population. Besides the public distribution system cash moneys in other places have lost their importance.
Unlimited issue of paper moneys has contributed to higher prices and lower purchasing power of the population. Financial status of workers, employees and others worsened. If we look at this fine example, in January 1942 in the People’s Commissariat of meat and milk products of UzSSR leading economist who was appointed head of two departments received a salary of 1,250 rubles per month [11]. In January 1942, if we should go with these moneys to the Farmers’ market in the city then we could buy 1.25 liter of milk or 1.2 kg of potatoes to them [12, 197]. And prices of card products (except alcohol) were not changed, therefore the significance of the cards for the population was higher than cash.
In these difficult socio-economic conditions the majority of people did not have the ability to buy something from the free trade. And some part of the population were unable even to buy products at fixed prices on the card. Salaries of young workers and employees were enough only for the purchase of the card products only for 2-3 weeks.
According to materials of archival documents foodstuffs illegally redistributed in many enterprises. Also formed a closed system to provide bread and other food products of the certain stratum of the population.
Since 1944, in order to combat illegal trade was formed “commercial trading system” (unofficial name was “commercial”) which sold goods without cards severally overpriced. Implementation of commercial trading system has contributed to attract a part of cash moneys in the society to the state military system. Commercial shops gave a small part of the population, particularly the workers and employees who received large
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Секция 3. История и археология
salary, to buy bread or other foods additionally to card products. Differences between prices of the card and the commercial trade system were great. For example, at the end of 1945 bread made from second grade flour rationing price sold at 1.7 rubles, and in commercial shops sold for 30 rubles. (differences between prices differed by almost in 27 times) [12, 194]. Therefore, in the retail trade turnover the share of commercial trade system was only 9.6 % in 1945 [4, 399].
The difficult situation in the trade and supply system had negative impact on the organization of the trade and qualities of goods. Also, the decline in the purchasing power of the population, the cessation of the production of certain goods or their deficit contributed to a drop in the volume of trade in cash equivalents. Even if we consider monetary inflation the retail trade turnover of the state and cooperatives included 528 million rubles, in 1942 this indicator was 374 million rubles, and in 1945 was 393 million rubles [4, 410]. As a result,
during the war in the retail trade sector and public catering sphere occurred decline of the system. Even in the postwar years, the system could not recover. In particular, if in 1941 in Tashkent in the retail trade sector were involved in 1939 subjects (shops), by 1947 their number was 565 [13, 43].
Analysis of the volume and the quality of the trade system of Uzbekistan in World War II indicates a presence of many problems in the country in the first years of the war. With the change in the balance of supply forces of the production, the population and the army there was a shortage of food and non-food items. In order to prevent the negative consequences of this deficiency and provide the population with essential goods was introduced rationing system. Despite the shortcomings in the implementation of the rationing system during the war, in generally this centralized trade supply system can evaluate a positive process of the war period.
Reference:
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12. Народное хозяйство СССР в Великой Отечественной войне 1941-1945 гг. Статистический сборник. -Москва: Информационно-издательский центр Госкомстата СССР, - 1990.
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Volontyr Olena Oleksandrivna, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, postgraduate student, the Faculty of History E-mail: olena_0207@ukr.net
Cultural-educational process and students' self-government of Lutsk Ukrainian gymnasium (1918-1939)
Abstract: The paper describes the process of education of students of educational institutions in Volyn in the interwar period 1918-1939. Analyzes the forms and methods of extracurricular education and activities of student organizations and self-government.
Keywords: school power, Lutsk Ukrainian gymnasium, student’s self-government, student’s organizations.
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