Stalin and Russia, 1929-41.
Background - The New Economic Policy (NEP) 1921-28.
- Communists take their ideas from the writings of Karl Marx (1818-83) see page 4 of Nichol & Shephard. Marx argued that private ownership led to exploitation. Instead, Marx wanted all shops, businesses and farms to be owned by the community and the profits spent on schools, hospitals and roads. This was also the view of Lenin and the Bolsheviks in Russia.
- However, the Civil War (1918-21) brought starvation and disease in Russia. In 1921, Trotsky had to put down a serious mutiny at the Kronstadt Naval Base where the sailors were angry at the cruel treatment of workers and peasants under War Communism.
- Lenin introduced the NEP (New Economic Policy) so that Russia could have a breathing space in which to recover from the war. Farmers were able to pay their tax in grain and not have it seized. They were allowed to sell for profit. Private trading of food and livestock was allowed.
- From 1925, the rich peasants, the Kulaks, were allowed to employ others.
- The NEP saved Russia from economic disaster. There were more markets, shops, cafes and restaurants. However, the government still owned the banks and the oil, railway, steel and electricity industries.
- From 1923, Russia was renamed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR or Soviet Union).
Collectivisation (1929-37).
- Farming in Russia was a big problem. After the November Revolution of 1917, large estates were broken up and given to the peasants. Although the NEP improved agricultural production, by 1926 it was clear that not enough food was getting to the towns and cities.
- Trotsky and his supporters wanted to set up state owned collective farms, giving them tractors, tools, seed and grain. His opponents said this was too ambitious. He lost the argument, was expelled from the Party and the NEP was allowed to continue
- Stalin wanted to modernise Russia by building more factories, developing better transport and making weapons in case of attack. Russia would need to sell surplus food abroad to pay for new machines and to employ foreign workers to train Russia's new factory workers. However, by 1929, the farms were growing less than they did before the First World War.
- Stalin's solution was the collectivisation of agriculture. This meant that peasants would pool their private land, animals and machinery. A committee of peasants and farming experts from the government was in charge of each collective (kolhoz). The peasants were allowed small private plots, little bigger than allotments, for their own use.
- By 1929 there were only 100 peasant farms in the entire country belonging to collectives. Stalin attacked the rich peasants, the Kulaks, who he blamed for stopping the poorer peasants from joining.
