Stalin - Agriculture

Question 1

Explain why many peasants resisted the collectivisation of agriculture. (12 marks)

Answer 1

Long term factors:

• They welcomed the opportunity to own land after the Revolution but they weren’t natural supporters of the Bolsheviks.
• The Communists had little influence over the countryside during the NEP.
• The peasants were unhappy at Communist attempts to interfere in their lives and reluctant to follow them.

Short term:

• Unhappy at heavy handed ‘Urals-Siberian’ method of taking grain similar to War Communism, in 1928.
• Many resisted because it made them ‘workers’ rather than landowners, and it took away their opportunity for personal achievement. Kulaks had a lot to lose.
• Some poorer peasants or those won over by propaganda welcomed it.

Question 2

‘By 1941, collectivisation had greatly strengthened the USSR.’ (24 marks)

Answer 2

Agree:

• It achieved its aim of securing regular grain supplies necessary to feed the industrial towns under the FYP and exports which helped pay for them.
• It achieved its aim of securing political control over the countryside for the first time.
• Social benefits such as schools and basic health services to a poor countryside.
• Without it it might have been impossible to sustain industrialisation and strengthen it to survive the war.

Disagree:

• Economically, grain and livestock production dropped dramatically in early 1930s.
• The impact of mechanisation was limited: agriculture was still inefficient and one of the most backward parts of the economy.
• millions of skilled farmers including kulaks were imprisoned, killed, or became unskilled industrial wokers.
• Ukraine famine killed millions, wasted resources, demoralised peasants and weakened economy and society.

(Soviet commentators believe it overall strengthened the USSR by supporting industrialisation, unifying country and increasing Party control. Other ‘revisionist’ views say it directed valuabl resources such as tractor production and depression in world grain decreased the money from exports.)

Question 3

Explain why, by 1929, the Soviet government had serious concerns about agriculture. (12 marks)

Answer 3

• Despite the NEP helping agriculture recover, it was still only just approaching pre war levels.
• the Communists still didn’t have secure control of the countryside and many peasants didn’t support Communism - they were reluctant to supply cheap food which resulted in harsh measures such as Urals-Siberian.
• The regime needed to ensure food supplies for towns and money from exporting in order to industrialise, and production was low because of low prices and lack of goods.
• Many Communists like Stalin saw kulaks as class enemies so peasant economy was political and social problem as well as economic.

(Different attitudes of Right and Left towards agriculture?)

Question 4

Explain why Stalin launched a campaign to exterminate the kulaks from 1928. (12 marks)

Answer 4

• Stalin decided to end NEP and collectivise agriculture in 1928.
• Kulaks were seen as class enemies, greedy for profit and would hold the regime to ransom as they’d done earlier by withholding supplies. Contemporary Communists agreed with Stalin on this.
• By stirring up hatred for kulaks amongst other peasants, it was easier to get them on board for collectivisation.
• Supporting kulaks had been an important part of the Right’s policies and Stalin was anxious to discredit the Right, who wanted a more gradual approach to industrialisation/ introducing socialism and wanted peasants to prosper under the NEP for more tax revenue.

Question 5

What were the problems agriculture in 1928 (4 points)

Answer 5

• Many Communists thought it was wrong that peasants owned their own land: private land was against the communist ideal of collective ownership.
• More food needed for industrial drive: peasants grew less food as there was low prices and lack of goods to buy.
• Agriculture inefficient and on a small scale: grouping farms with machinery like tractors and fewer farm workers needed, would increase production and mean more worker for factories.
• Ideological: Bukharin/right wing wanted to encourage peasants to get rich under NEP (more tax revenue) would pay for indust. Left wing/Stalin thought that would be too slow and dangerous.

Question 6

Soviet agriculture by 1928

Answer 6

• private land ownership went against communist ideal of collective ownership.
• the amount of grain collected by gov in 1928 was falling because low prices meant peasants grew less.
• inefficient and small scale, production could be increased by grouping them together and introducing machinery.

Question 7

Impact of collectivisation (economic)

Answer 7

• agricultural production fell due to peasant opposition and didn’t recover until late 1930s.
• famine in Ukraine.
• enough grain to supply towns and export to pay for technology.
• agriculture remained poor, peasants lacked incentive, mechanisation was poor: only one in 40 collectives had a tractor in 1940.

Question 8

Impact of collectivisation (political)

Answer 8

• extended party control to countryside through party management of collectives.
• bukharin and Rykov who opposed collectivisation lost power and influence.
• abolished elements of capitalism: class differences and private enterprise

Question 9

Impact of collectivisation (social)

Answer 9

• famine.
• although internal passports were introduced 1932 millions of younger people left the countryside for towns leaving population imbalance in rural areas and overcrowding in towns.