Collective Agriculture in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union

Abstract

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Communist states of Eastern Europe, there have been few attempts to decollectivize agriculture in these regions except where forces originating outside agriculture have tried to destroy the collective system, and resistance has sprung up whenever the idea has been raised. This absence of pressure for decollectivization has been puzzling to Western readers nurtured on "worst case" depictions of Soviet agriculture. But after the death of Stalin and the reversal of the agricultural management policies of his period, the collective farm became relatively successful both as an economic and as a social institution in Eastern Europe.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.