collectivisation

• in order to build socialisation, Stalin would have to do rapid industrialization, comprehensive planning of economy, build heavy industry and collectivisation of peasants
• had to build economy as Russia beaten by Europe, constantly embarrassed in wars, agriculture remained backwards, need to show success of communism
• why did Stalin want to industrialize so quickly?

  1. increase military strength
  2. achieve self-sufficiency
  3. increase grain supplies
  4. move towards a socialist society
  5. establish his credentials
  6. improve standards of living
• MTS stations were developed, 2500, to support collective farms, they maintained and hired out machinery. Typically peasants had to hand over 20% produce for this service. used to control countryside. ensured Kolkhoz handed over it's quota of grain
• state paid very low prices and then sold produce to towns at slightly higher price
• once the quota had been met, peasants could sell excess/ surplus to local markets> came mostly from peasants private plots
• workers on the Kolkhoz had no wages, credited with workdays in exchange for labour.
• at end of year profits of farm divided into workdays peasants put in
• the private ploys were essential as peasants could use to supplement their own diet or sell
• agriculture in 1929: inefficient, unable to produce enough, much of land privately owned by Kulaks (not socialist)
• Kulaks:

  1. better off peasants
  2. believed they hoarded food instead of giving out
  3. Kulaks were anyone that the officials declared as ne
  4. many killed animals to not appear as a Kulak
• grain procurement crisis where it was thought peasants were holding back grain from the markets to make more profit; grain that was procured by state in 1927 was 3/4 of that of 1926
• industrialisation depended on exports, feeding workers, supplying labour
• exports:

  • USSR needed to buy materials
  • had range of products to export but could not make money Stalin needed
  • could not get loans from capitalist country
  • hoped exportation of surplus grain would make money for industrialisation
• supplying labour:

  • USSR needed labour force for industrialisation
  • agriculture had to be mechanised for this= less people work on farms so they could go to industry
• Stalin believed forced collectivisation was the only answer
• collectivisation would help get rid of the Kulaks and extend socialism
• collectivisation was a good way to get rid of the enemies of socialism and Stalin was able to ger rid of those who supported NEP (right)
• in 1928-9 collectivisation was carried put where a Kulak would be identified, liquidate them and frighten other poor
• 25,000 party activists were sent into countryside to force collectivisation
• all resources taken from Kulaks was to be used in collective farms
• 'dekulakisation' went ahead with each region being given a number of Kulaks which they had to find, whether they existed or not
• some Kulaks shot, sent to labour camps, deported
• Decree on 1st Feb 1930 gave officials power to use 'necessary measures' against the Kulaks.
• up to 10 million deported or sent to labour camps
• propaganda was used, villagers used to identity, other peasants denounces 'Kulaks', Kulaks often got rid of their resources to hide
• there was peasant resistance: burned crops, houses rather than had over, raids on collective farms, women's revolts effective (press coverage), animals slaughtered
• March 1930 Stalin saw the effects of collectivisation of the peasants and backtracked. He wrote an article blaming his officials for being too harsh and ended coercion.
• Once harvests had been gathered, Stalin restarted his campaign as vicious
• by end of 1931, 50% of peasants households had been collectivised
• Famine of 1932-4: collectivisation caused grain production to drop, Stalin continued, spring 1932 famine started in Ukraine and through other areas
• 1932-4 famine killed 7 million (worst famine)
• the 1932-34 famine was ignored by the Soviet regime who did not want to admit that collectivisation was failing
• Famine 1932-34: 1.73 million tons of grain were exported in 1932 and slightly less the following year. strict laws were brought in to ensure that grain was handed over, prison sentences too. Peasants tried to flee but passport system was brought into control movement of people
• Collectivisation after 1934:

  • grain production began to recover but did not exceed pre-collectivisation rates until 1935
  • meat production did not pass pre-collectivisation until 1953
  • grain procurement continued at high level
  • peasant workers did not farm the collectives as well as they could, no incentive
  • private plots became important
• in January 1930 Stalin announced that 25% of gran producing areas was to be collectivised by the end of the year
• by the end of 1931 the state had collected 22.8 million tons
• in 1934 it was announced 70% of peasant households were in collectives, rising to 90% in 1936
• private plots provided 52% veg, 57% fruit, 70% meat and 71% milk
• amount of cattle reduced from 70.5 million in 1928 to 49.3 million in 1935