Ninety-eight years ago today, on October 1, 1927 (September 6, 1927 in the lunar calendar), the Soviet Union began to implement its first five-year plan. The Development of Communism: Hydroelectric Power Station on the Dnieper River On October 1, 1927, Joseph-Stalin's first five-year plan began to be implemented in the Soviet Union. This plan established a timetable for the following tasks: expanding industrial production, implementing agricultural collectivization, and establishing schools to train enough Communist Party officials to manage the system. The plan also reflected a shift in Stalin's political approach. The Communist leader was abandoning the "New Economic Policy" with more capitalist characteristics; this policy was formulated by Lenin and had been severely criticized by Trotsky. Stalin was also making the Soviet Union stop acting as the leader of the world revolution and instead focus on solving domestic problems.