... in World War II, it managed to rebuild itself to its former strength. The plans reformed the backwards Russia into a modern Soviet Union which was able to scare the capitalist world where previously socialism had been seen as a joke. However, in their success, the five-year plans were also the undoing of the Soviet Union, So successful that they resulted in a huge arms race between ... the USSR and the west which managed to bankrupt the Soviet Union by 1991. Furthermore, the immense human cost of the Soviet Unions achievements in terms ... of the fifteen million kulaks, and the million...

• Word Count: 5589
• Approx Pages: 22
• Grade Level: Undergraduate