Until 1861 Russian peasants were serfs, almost slaves of the landowners. The abolition of serfdom did not end rural poverty, because the peasants could not afford to pay for the land. The Bolsheviks led by Lenin came to power in November 1917, promising "bread, peace and land". They tried to carry out their promises, but failed because of foreign military invasions and counter-revolutionaries. They were compelled to requisition food for the army and urban workers. This was called "War Communism". In 1921 peace was achieved and the New Economic Policy was introduced. This restored markets for food, subject to taxes and a monopoly of foreign trade, but the trust of the peasants for the Communists had been eroded. Agricultural production was restored and there was a degree of prosperity. Lenin died in 1924 and in 1929 Stalin introduced forced collectivisation and "Liquidation of the kulaks". "Kulak" literally means "fist" and referred to the richer peasants, who employed wage labour. Millions were killed or imprisoned. Widespread peasant strikes, refusing to transfer seed and livestock to the collective farms led to famine. This was gradually alleviated by mechanisation, but only very slowly, because even when tractors became available peasants did know how to use them. Khrushchev had two policies: allowing peasants to cultivate private plots and sell their produce; and cultivating "virgin lands" in Kazakhstan and adjacent areas of Russia.
2007-03-14 15:25:03
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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Stanislaus says look up czars prisonsand under Stalin its kulaks and gulag camps on solovotskey Is.
2007-03-14 02:13:58
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answer #2
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answered by marzmargs12 6
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