Stalin's Decree

This is a transcript of wartime resolution by Stalin and Molotov and subsequent proposed response by Malyshev on the development of motorcycle production in the USSR

Resolution CC of the CPSU (b) and the USSR SNK
“On the development of motorcycle production in the USSR”
N 456-189ss on March 4, 1941.

To ensure the need for motorcycles as a national economy (industrial and rural), as well as the army, aviation (airfields) and communications, the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR and the Central Committee of the CPSU (B) DECREE:

1. Accept for production the following types of motorcycles:

a) motorcycle M-72 with a sidecar (type BMW-750) with a maximum engine power of 22 hp
b) motorcycle IZh-12 without a sidecar with a maximum engine power of 13.5 hp

2 . Establish a plan for the production of motorcycles for 1941 in the number of 50 thousand pieces and for 1942 100 thousand pieces.

3 . To assign the production of the adopted types of motorcycles to the following plants:

a) Taganrog Plant No. 65 of the People’s Commissariat of Air Supply (director Agapov) with a capacity of 15,000 motorcycles of the M-72 type, ensuring the commissioning of the “M” workshop by 1.7.41 and the completion of the construction of the remaining
motorcycle shops at the specified capacity in the third quarter of 1942 To start the production of heavy motorcycles at the plant No. 65 from August 1941, stopping the production of AM-600 motorcycles from the 4th quarter of 1941;

b) The Leningrad Motorcycle Plant (director Comrade Soloviev) with a capacity of 15,000 M-72 motorcycles, ensuring the reconstruction of the plant for this capacity in the first quarter of 1942 Start the production of the M-72 motorcycles at the Leningrad plant from June 1941, stopping the assembly of motorcycles L-8 from 1.4.1941;

v) Kharkov plant “Sickle and Hammer” (director Comrade Palevsky), equipping it for the capacity of 50 thousand motorcycles M-72 and 125 thousand sidecars. Start the production of M-72 motorcycles at the Kharkov plant from June 1941 and stop production of agricultural machines and railway platforms from 1.4.1941;

g) a new motorcycle factory in Penza with the capacity of 15 thousand motorcycles M-72 and the release in 1942 of 2 thousand motorcycles;

d) Serpukhov Plant (director Kuroptev) with a capacity of 10 thousand motorcycles IZH-12, ensuring the completion of the reconstruction of the plant at full capacity in the 3rd quarter of 1942 Start the production of motorcycles IZh-12 at the Serpukhov plant from December 1, 1941, Motorcycle L-8 from December 1941;

(e) Izhevsk Plant (director Dubovaya) with a capacity of 10 thousand motorcycles IZH-12, ensuring the completion of the reconstruction of the plant at full capacity in the 1st quarter of 1942 Start the production of motorcycles IZH-12 at the Izhevsk plant from May 1941, stopping the production of motorcycles IZH-9 since July 1941;

zh) Moscow bicycle factory (director of the factory Kochedykov), equipping it for a capacity of 30 thousand motorcycles M-72. Start the production of M-72 motorcycles at the Moscow plant from June 1941, stopping the production of bicycles and spare parts for them from 1.4.1941.

4 . To approve the program for the production of motorcycles for 1941 by types in the following quantities:

a) motorcycle M-72 with sidecar – 30.5 thousand pieces

b) motorcycles with sidecar at the plant number 65 – 7,5 thousand pieces including AM-600 – 6,0 thousand pieces

v) motorcycles IZH-12 without sidecar – 5.1 thousand pieces

d)motorbikes L-8 without a sidecar – 3.9 thousand pieces

d) motorcycles IZH-9 without sidecar – 3.0 thousand pieces

By order

Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) I. Stalin

Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR V.Molotov

Famous photograph of Molotov with Stalin

Eugene translated this document for us:

The plan of motorcycles production issues by plants set by an order of Council of People’s Commissars and Central Committee of All-Russian Communist party (B “bolsheviks”) No. 456-189cc dated 4 March 1941 requiring 50,000 pieces

For the text of proposed production statistics of USSR Motoplant name and motorcycle make quantity:

Taganrog Plant No. 65: AM-600 6000; M-72 1500
Moscow Motoplant: M-72 12500
Leningrade: M-72 5000, L-8 1000
Kharkov Motoplant: M-72 13000
Izhevsk Motoplant: IZH-9 3000, IZH-12 5000
Serpukhov Motoplant: IZH-12 100; L-8 2900
Overall: motorcycles with sidecar – 38000
motorcycles without sidecar -12000
Total: 50000 pieces

then… this response from Malyshev

June 7, 1941.

Central Committee of the CPSU (b) Comrade. STALIN J.V. SNK of the USSR Comrade. MOLOTOV VM

On the implementation of the decision of the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR and the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) of 4.3.41 “On the development of motorcycle production in the USSR”

ON People’s Commissariat of Medium Engineering

1) Implementation of the plan for the production of motorcycles for 5 months.

The plan for 5 months of 1941 in 3,850 motorcycles is executed in quantity of 2936 pieces, or 76.0%. For the whole of 1940, 2,509 motorcycles were produced.

The non-fulfillment of the plan is explained by the unpreparedness for the production of motorcycles of newly commissioned plants (Serpukhov and Leningrad motorcycle plants), the lag in the preparation of the production of new motorcycle brands (IZH-12 at Izhevsk and L-8 at Serpukhov plants), while removing old brands (L- 8 at the Leningrad Plant, ML-3 on Serpukhov).

The lag in the delivery of motorcycles IZH-9 on the Izhevsk plant will be eliminated in June.

2) About preparation of manufacture for release of new types of motorcycles M-72 and IZH-12.

Decision of the SNK of the USSR and the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) of 4.3. this year. it was necessary to prepare the production of motorcycles M-72 and IZh-12 with the release in June of this year. motorcycles M-72 – 300 units and IZH-12 – 300 units.

The following work was carried out by the People’s Commissar for the implementation of this decision of the Government:

a) drawings from the German model of the motorcycle BMW-750;

b) made 5 prototypes of motorcycles, of which currently 3 units are being tested;

c) design of the technological process for the manufacture of motorcycles M-72;

d) by June 25, the manufacture of tools, fixtures and stamps at the factories will be completed: Moscow motorcycle, ZIS (motor), KIM (gear box), GAZ (sidecar). With the delay against the set deadlines, production is being prepared at the factories: Kharkov
motorcycle, Leningrad Motorcycle and Serpukhov Motorcycle (L-8). In these factories, the preparation of production will be completed in July. The Moscow group of factories (Moscow Motorcycle, ZIS, KIM) will start serial production of M-72 motorcycles starting from June 20. Gorky Automobile Plant was prepared for the production of sidecars for the program in 1941. Factories: Kharkov, Leningrad and the Kiev and Moscow motor plants involved to help them will start producing M-72 motorcycles from July, Izhevsk plant will begin serial production of motorcycles IZH-12 from July 1 after the completion of the IZH-9 motorcycle release plan (in the amount of 3000 units);

e) the production of electrical equipment and all devices for M-72 motorcycles by German models is fully prepared and mastered by the plants of the People’s Commissariat of Transport. In May 300 sets of instruments and electrical equipment were produced.

3) The supply of equipment for motorcycle plants (People’s Commissariat of Heavy Machine Building: machines, tools and appliances), materials (People ‘s Commissariat of Non-ferrous Metallurgy – non-ferrous rolled metal and aluminium) and semifinished products (People’s Commissariat of the Rubber Industry – rubber products, People ‘s commissariat of Non-ferrous Metallurgy and People’s Commissariat of Power Plants and the Electrical Industry – non-ferrous casting) is unsatisfactory. Thus, for example, the People’s Commissariat of Heavy Industry to ship of 850 machines in the second quarter to June 6, shipped only 500 machines. Undersupply, mainly falls on special machines. People’s Commissariat of Non-ferrous Metallurgy has not yet shipped a single ton of aluminium and silumin (aluminium-silicon) for motorcycle production.

4) The People’s Commissariat clearly performs poorly in the construction of workshops at motorcycle factories and the new plant in Penza, thus jeopardising the creation of the capacities established by the government decree for the second half of 1941
and for 1942. Thus, from the construction plan for the 2nd quarter at 19.5 million rubles. (out of 55 million rubles in the plan of 1941) for April and May, construction work was carried out – by 2.65 million rubles, that is, 23% of the quarterly plan and 4.8% of the annual plan. On the proposal of the People’s Commissariat of Medium Engineering to organise the construction of workshops at motorcycle factories using high-speed methods – the People’s Commissariat for Construction responded with rejection.

ON PEOPLES COMMISSARIAT OF AMMUNITION (Plant No. 65)

1) Implementation of the plan for motorcycles AM-600 for 5 months. with a plan of 1700 units completed – 1330 units or 78.5% of the plan. The main reason for the failure of the plan is the poor use of equipment at the plant and the non-fulfillment of supplies by cooperatives, as well as the shortage of equipment by the People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs and the People’s Commissariat of Power Plants and the Electrical Industry.

2) The expansion of the production of motorcycles at the plant No. 65 passes satisfactorily as a result of the poor work of the People’s Commissariat of Construction. The plan of construction works for 5 months. is executed only on 33%. The timing of the completion of the construction of a new machine assembly shop has been disrupted.

3) The type of motorcycle for gross production (M-72 or TIZAM= 500) has not yet been finally determined, due to which production preparation at the plant No. 65 has been disrupted.

CONCLUSIONS:

Both the People’s Commissariat of Medium Engineering and the People’s Commissariat of Transportation supply a motorcycle production plan for 5 months. 1941 is unsatisfactory, although a significant growth is achieved in comparison with the 1940 edition.
Preparation of production for the mass production of motorcycles M-72 and IZH-12 on the People’s Commissariat of Medium Engineering is behind the terms set by the government, for 1-1.5 months. Preparation of production for the production of
heavy motorcycles through the plant No. 65 of the Peoples Commissariat of Ammunition is disrupted.
People’s Commissariat of Heavy Industry poorly supplies machines, and People’s Commissariat of Non-ferrous Metallurgy, People’s Commissariat of the Rubber Industry and People’s Commissariat of Power Plants and the Electrical Industry – unsatisfactorily supply materials and semi-finished products for the production of motorcycles.
People’s Commissariat for Construction completely unsatisfactorily performs the construction of new workshops at motorcycle plants and the construction of new plants (Penza).
Due to some lag in the preparation of new bases for motorcycle construction (Leningrad, Kharkov and Serpukhov motorcycle plants), as well as the lag in the delivery of special machines, People’s Commissariat of Medium Engineering applies for a
reduction in the plan for the production of motorcycles by 3rd qtr, without reducing the annual plan. People’s Commissariat of Medium Engineering asks the SNK of the USSR to establish a plan for the third quarter of the year. instead of 14200 motorcycles M-72 – in 10000 units and on L-8 instead of 1300 – 900 units accordingly having increased the plan by 4th qtr.
People’s Commissariat of Ammunition Comrade Goremykin also asks to establish a plan for the 3rd quarter. in 2500 motorcycles AM-600, and 500 heavy motorcycles, due to the unpreparedness of production to be moved to the 4th quarter.

I enclose the draft resolution of the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR. V.Malyshev

Notes:
Viacheslav Aleksandrovich Malyshev (3 December 1902 – 20 February 1957) was a Soviet statesman who was one of the leading figures of Soviet industry during the 1940s and 1950s. During the war, he served as People’s Commissar of Heavy Machine Building since 1939 and Vice-Chairman of Council of People’s Commissars since 1940. From 1941 he supervised the Soviet tank industry, later he was responsible for shipbuilding and transport industry. He was elected Vice-Chairman of Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union twice, from 1947 to 1953 and again from 1954 to 1956. He was also appointed the first head of Ministry of Medium Machine Building, supervising the whole Soviet nuclear industry. Malyshev led a special commission to investigate the causes of the explosion that sank the Novorossiysk battleship at anchor at Sevastopol, used as an excuse to remove Nikolai Kuznetsov, an opponent of Nikita Khrushchev’s idea of a submarine-based navy, from commanding the Red Fleet and replace him with Sergey Gorshkov, who was much more obedient to the premier’s wishes. Malyshev was heavily favored by Joseph Stalin. In 1953 he prematurely inspected the site of a nuclear test and was poisoned by radiation; he died as a result of acute radiation syndrome in 1957, aged 54. Malyshev is buried at the Kremlin Wall, Red Square.

Background to the timeline of the above, March-June 1941- As storm clouds gathered over Europe, Britain and France seemed unwilling to commit to an alliance with the Soviet Union, Stalin saw a better deal with the Germans. On 3 May 1939, Stalin replaced his western-oriented foreign minister Maxim Litvinov with Vyacheslav Molotov.
In August 1939, the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact with Germany, a non-aggression pact negotiated by Molotov and German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop. But the state of affairs quickly deteriorated and the speed of the German victory over and occupation of France in mid-1940 took Stalin by surprise. In June 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union, initiating the war on the Eastern Front. The German tactic of blitzkrieg was initially highly effective; the Soviet air force in the western borderlands was destroyed within two days. The German Wehrmacht pushed deep into Soviet territory. Although intelligence agencies had repeatedly warned Stalin of Germany’s intentions, he was taken by surprise. He formed a State Defense Committee, which he headed as Supreme Commander, as well as a military Supreme Command (Stavka), with Georgy Zhukov as its Chief of Staff. The term “Great Patriotic War” is used to describe the conflict fought and won by the Soviet Union during the period from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945 along the many fronts of the Eastern Front of World War II, primarily between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. For some legal purposes, this period may be extended to 11 May 1945 to include the end of the Prague Offensive. The end of the Great Patriotic War is commemorated on the 9th of May.

You can read endlessly accounts of Stalin and Molotov in books and online. What has this got to do with motorcycles? The answer is a LOT.

Sources:

Steve Wiggins, Irbit Russia
Eugene Radchenko, Chelyabinsk Russia
(images are in the public domain)

Special thanks to Steve Wiggins for his many contributions. He thought we might all enjoy the above information. Thanks Steve!
Special thanks to Eugene for his translations especially for us here at b-Cozz.com

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a) motorcycle M-72 with a sidecar (type BMW-750) with a maximum engine power of 22 hp

b) motorcycle IZh-12 without a sidecar with a maximum engine power of 13.5 hp