Agriculture within Russia (1855-1964) Part I Flashcards
What event in 1861 brought agricultural reform?
Emancipation of the Serfs
In what year was the famine under Alexander III?
1891 - Known as the Great Famine
What was Stolypin’s Land Reform of 1906-1907?
- Wager on the Strong: Use land redistribution with the best and educated peasants in hope they would educate the others.
- It would act as a buffer against the mir as a force within Russia, which has too much control and was inefficient.
Why did the Stolypin Land Reforms Fail?
Peasant grievances that the best land was still kept from them
By 1914 2 Million peasants had left the village communes and this made some regions short of labor. This accelerated in the build up to WW1
What was the derogatory term for a so called ‘Wealthy peasant’ that was seen with disgust?
Kulak
How were the Kulaks blamed during the Civil War
The harsh measures of War Communism saw grain being seized by force. Kulaks were blamed for the lack of food and a class war was targeted against them
How did the view of a Kulak change under Lenin & NEP?
They started to be viewed as a more successful peasant. They grew in number and were tolerated.
Although under the surface there was still animosity towards these peasants and life was still tough
What is Collectivisation?
The process where the state brings a number of small farming units together to control the farming infrastructure and the farmers.
How was Dekulakisation rolled out under the reign of Stalin?
- Kulaks would have their homes stripped bare to find any form of wealth they would be hiding.
Harsh treatments to any Kulaks deemed to be hoarding
Kulaks were sent to concentration camps or executed if they were classed as ‘Malicious’
What was the impact of dekulakisation & Collectivisation under Stalin?
Dekulakisation:
- By 1930 1-3 million Kulak families were deported.
- 30,000 were shot
Collectivisation:
- 50% of Households had been collectivised by the end of 1937
- 98% by 1941 lived on Collectivised farms
- Stalin’s policies contributed to the 1932-1934 Famine.
What was the name of the scheme under Khrushchev that saw an advancement in agriculture?
The Virgin Land Scheme
Name two issues or flaws with the Virgin Land Scheme
- The land was overused and not able to support crop rotation.
- Soil fertility as a result was poor.
- No policies to combat soil erosion.
- Housing was not built to cater for the influx of workers into these regions.
- Transportation to take away the grain was poor and not coordinated through bad planning.
