collectivisation in USSR

Question 1

intro to collectivisation in the USSR

Answer 1

-stalin motivated by politics as much as econ
-wanted to use agricultural sector to find industrial expansion
-wanted to see and end to the kulaks
-richer class of peasantry who benefitted from NEP
-policy of collectivisation would also end large scale private ownership of land

Question 2

collectivisation- proper

Answer 2

-introduced in phases
-between 1928-36, pace of collectivisation vary in intensity
-e.g. following a period of high intensity collectivisation in 1930, stalin announced it would slow down
-famrs forcibly merged together
-those who worked on collectivise farms would be allowed to keep grain to survive on, rest would be taken to feed workers elsewhere in union

Question 3

state farms and mechanisation

Answer 3

-stalin made distinction between state and collective farms
-collective farms exist as co-operatives:
farm shared between all peasants who shared labour and wages
-state farms: farms where peasants worked directly for the state
-as soon as collectivisation became compulsory, distinction between both went away
-was coupled with mechanisation:
process of improving farm methods to boost production and productvity
if there was improved mech, it would ease up labour for industrial expansion
-government allowed farms to hire tractors from machine tractor stattions
-tractors had limited powers on soviet farming