Russia- Agriculture

Question 1

What are the trends in agricultural reforms in Russia during this time period?

Answer 1

• Many of the reforms were used alongside repression.
• Many of the reforms were very brief.
• Many of the reforms were reactionary.

Question 2

What agricultural reforms were used under Alexander II that can be seen as reprieves?

Answer 2

• The 1861 Emancipation Edict.
• Although in the short term results in unhappiness, other reforms would not have been able to happen whilst serfs were tied to the land.
• Eventually leads to: modernisation and economic improvement.

Question 3

What agricultural reforms were used under Alexander III that can be seen as reprieves?

Answer 3

• The 1883 Peasant Land Bank made it easier and cheaper for peasants to buy land.
• The poll tax was abolished in 1886.
• Overall, some nice incentives introduced, however there was still the 1891 famine.

Question 4

What did the 1883 Peasant land bank do?

Answer 4

It made it easier and cheaper for peasants to buy land.

Question 4

When was the poll tax abolished?

Answer 4

In 1886

Question 5

What agricultural reforms were used under Nicholas II that can be seen as reprieves?

Answer 5

• Stolypin’s reforms, which included making all state and crown land available to the peasant land bank. This therefore increased the amount of land under cultivation.
• Peasants could leave the Mir without permission.
• Redemption payments were abolished.
• As a result, there was a significant decline in peasant riots.

Question 6

What repressive agricultural reforms were introduced by the Tsars?

Answer 6

• Despite Alexander II introducing the 1861 Emancipation Edict , medieval farming methods like strip farming were still in place.
• The Mir replaced landlords under Alexander II.
• Alexander III introduced Land Captains in 1889 and they had a lot of control over peasants, there movement, and what they could and couldn’t farm.

Question 7

What agricultural policies did Lenin use?

Answer 7

• War Communism
• NEP

Question 8

What were the successes of Lenin’s policy of war communism?

Answer 8

• No real positive impacts on agriculture, however, War Communism allowed Russia to win the civil war as all industries were focused towards the war effort.

Question 9

What were the failures of Lenin’s policy of war communism?

Answer 9

• Grain requisitioning meant that peasants in the countryside starved, hence there was the 1921 famine, where 5 million people died.
• Food production collapsed to 48% of the 1913 productions levels.
• In 1913, 80 million tons of grain had been produced but in 1921, it was 37.6 million.
• War Communism was unhelpful for the economy, as the focus of all industries on the war meant that industries , such as consumer goods industries, were ignored.

Question 10

When was the New Economic Policy (NEP) used in Russia?

Answer 10

1921 - 1928

Question 11

Describe what the New Economic Policy (NEP) did?

Answer 11

• It introduced Capitalism into Communist Russia, which allowed peasants to sell their crops.
• Small business were also legalised and this gave rise to a wealthy Kulak class and NEPmen.

Question 12

What were the successes of the NEP?

Answer 12

• Agriculture improved to an extent and so the grain harvest rose from 37.6 million tonnes in 1921 to 56.6 million tonnes in 1923.

Question 13

What were the failures of the NEP?

Answer 13

• Farming methods didn’t become modernised and so remained backwards.
• Grain production was still below pre WW1 levels, despite having risen.

Question 14

Who introduced Collectivisation in Russia?

Answer 14

Stalin

Question 15

What agricultural policy was used by Stalin?

Answer 15

Collectivisation

Question 16

What were the successes of Collectivisation ?

Answer 16

• The building of MTS resulted in an increase in machinery in farms.
• The policy of Collectivisation contributed to Russia being able to win WW2….
• Although agricultural output initially decreased, after the first onslaught, agricultural output produced enough grain to fund 5yr plans.

Question 17

What was Collectivisation ?

Answer 17

Bringing many smaller farm units together to form bigger ones.

Question 18

What were the failures of Collectivisation ?

Answer 18

• Due to an overall decreased agricultural output, there was the worlds worst ever man-made famine between 1932 and 1934, where 10 million people died.
• There was a lot of struggle with the 1940 grain harvest.
• Russia still remained behind the West in terms of agricultural output.
• Collectivisation resulted in what was commonly seen as a 2nd serfdom.

Question 19

What were the successes of Khrushchev’s agricultural policies?

Answer 19

• Only really short term successes i.e. agricultural output increasing from 81 tonnes to 144 million tonnes from 1954 to 1958.
• The 1954 harvest was successful.
• By 1956, an extra 35.9 million hectares were cultivated, equal to the total cultivated area of Canada.
• Khrushchev raised prices for state procurements reduced the amount of food that needed to be produced, and reduced the tax on peasants, to act as invectives to peasants.
• He removed the idea that peasants without livestock had to provide the state with meat and milk.

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Question 20

What were the failures of Khrushchev’s agricultural policies?

Answer 20

• The overuse of land resulted in reduced soil fertility and overall, very bad quality soil.
• Erosion by wind removed 13,000 square miles of topsoil from land in 1960 alone.

Khrushchev cut many corners, which resulted in slowed production.

• Famines in 1962 and 1963
• Novocherkassk riots in June 1962 due to discontent over how an increase of production quotas coincided with a nationwide increase in dairy and meat prices.
• High yields of grain did not last, so Khrischev had to import grain from the West in 1963.
• By abolishing the MTS, Khruschvev had aimed to gave farmers the ability to own their own cheaper machines. However, they had nowhere to store the machines and had no knowledge on how to service them if they broke down. As a result, a lot of machinery rotted away uselessly in the fields.
• Despite Khrushchev’s obsession with growing maize, it was not a suitable crop for Russia’s climate and hence, only 1/6 of maize planted ended up being harvested.
• Peasants spent more time working on their private plots than on state farms. So despite agricultural outpur rising, output was still below that of the West.

Question 21

When did Alexander III introduce land captains?

Answer 21

In 1889

Question 22

Despite Alexander II introducing the Emancipation Edict in 1861, what stil remained in place?

Answer 22

The medieval farming method of strip farming, so more reforms with farm equipment eveidently needed to be made

Question 22

What famine was there under Alexander III?

Answer 22

The 1891 famine, due to excessive grain exportation.

Question 23

Despite alexander II introducing the emancipation edict in 1861, what still remained in place?

Answer 23

The medieval farming method of strip farming.

Question 24

What was the purpose of land captains?

Answer 24

They had a lot of control over peasants, their movement, and what they could and couldn’t farm.

Question 24

How many peple died from the 1921 famine?

Answer 24

5 million people in the countryside

Question 25

Did war communism mean that consumer goods were ignored?

Answer 25

Yes

Question 26

What did the grain harvest rise from between 1921 and 1923?

Answer 26

from 37.6 million tonnes to 56.6 million tonnes

Question 27

How many people died as a result of the man- made 1932 famine?

Answer 27

10 million people

Question 28

What agricultural policy resulted in what is commonly seen as the 2nd serfdom?

Answer 28

Collectivisation

Question 29

What did agricultural output rise from between 1954 and 1958?

Answer 29

81 tonnes to 144 million tonnes

Question 30

When were there famines under Khrushchev?

Answer 30

in 1962 and 1963

Question 31

When were the Novocherkassk riots?

Answer 31

In 1962, they were over rising prices

Question 32

Why did Stalin collectivise farms?

Answer 32

• To achieve socialism in the countryside.
• To control and transform the backwards peasantry.
• To solve problems of food supply
• To raise revenue for industrialisation.
• To destroy political rivals.

Question 33

Who did the Politburo see as a barrier to collectivisation?

Answer 33

The kulkas

Question 34

What percentage of farms had been collectivised by Feb 1930?

Answer 34

60%, but this number had fallen to 20% by August

Question 35

By 1939, what percentage of farms had become collectivised?

Answer 35

90%

Question 35

By 1914, what percentage of the peasantry had left the communes to establish their own farms?

Answer 35

25%. This created a new class of prosper farmers

Question 36

How many peasants migrated to East Siberia as a result of Stolypins reforms?

Answer 36

3 million peasants

Question 37

How many peasant riots were there in the first 4 months following emancipation?

Answer 37

647, in 449 intances troops were used

Question 38

What happened in Bezdna?

Answer 38

• Peasant, Anton Petrov, urged peasants to seize freedom for themselves.
• When thousands gathered to support him, the army was sent in.
• Soldiers fired repeatedly on the crowds, killing 70 people.
• Petrov was later arrested and executed.

Question 39

Is it true that between 1929 and 1935, agricultural output was lower that it had been under 1928?

Answer 39

Yes. However, after it had recovered from its first onslaught, Soviet agriculture produced enough grsin to fund the ongoing 5 year plans

Question 40

Is it true that the grain harvest of 1940 struggled to meet the level met in 1913?

Answer 40

Yes

Question 41

What happened to grain production as a result of War Communsim?

Answer 41

In 1913, 80 million tons of grain had been produced but in 1921, it was 37.6 million.