Collectivization in the Soviet Union

Collectivization in the Soviet Union

Collectivization in the Soviet Union was a policy implemented by the Soviet government, primarily under the leadership of Joseph Stalin, during the late 1920s and early 1930s. This policy aimed to consolidate individual landholdings and labor into collective farms, known as "kolkhozy" and "sovkhozy," in order to increase agricultural productivity and facilitate the state's control over the rural economy.

Background

The Soviet Union, after the Russian Revolution of 1917, was primarily an agrarian society with a large peasant population. The New Economic Policy (NEP), introduced by Vladimir Lenin in the early 1920s, allowed for some degree of private ownership and market mechanisms in agriculture. However, by the late 1920s, the Soviet leadership, particularly Stalin, viewed the NEP as insufficient for achieving rapid industrialization and feared the rise of a wealthy peasant class, known as "kulaks."

Objectives of Collectivization

The main objectives of collectivization were:

1. Increase Agricultural Production: By pooling resources and labor, the Soviet government believed that collective farms could achieve economies of scale and increase agricultural output.

2. Facilitate Industrialization: Surplus agricultural produce was to be used to feed the urban workforce and to export for acquiring foreign currency needed for industrialization.

3. Eliminate Kulaks: The policy aimed to eliminate the kulaks as a class, who were seen as potential threats to socialist ideals.

4. Strengthen State Control: Collectivization was intended to bring the rural economy under state control, reducing the influence of individual farmers.

Implementation

The process of collectivization began in earnest in 1929, following Stalin's declaration of the "Great Turn." The government used a combination of propaganda, coercion, and force to persuade or compel peasants to join collective farms. The policy was met with widespread resistance from the peasantry, leading to violent confrontations and the destruction of crops and livestock.

Consequences

The consequences of collectivization were profound and far-reaching:

1. Famine: The disruption of agricultural production and the forced requisitioning of grain led to severe food shortages, most notably the Holodomor in Ukraine, resulting in millions of deaths.

2. Economic Impact: While some increases in agricultural productivity were eventually achieved, the initial years of collectivization were marked by significant declines in output.

3. Social Upheaval: The policy led to the displacement of millions of peasants, the destruction of traditional rural life, and widespread suffering.

4. Political Repression: The campaign against the kulaks involved mass arrests, deportations, and executions, contributing to the climate of fear and repression in the Soviet Union.

Legacy

Collectivization had a lasting impact on Soviet agriculture and society. It established the framework for state-controlled agriculture that persisted until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The policy is often cited as an example of the human cost of rapid industrialization and state control over the economy.

Also see

• Russian Revolution of 1917
• New Economic Policy
• Holodomor
• Joseph Stalin
• Soviet Union