Peasant Rebels Under Stalin : Collectivization and the Culture of Peasant Resistance

The first book to document the peasant rebellion against Soviet collectivization, Peasant Rebels Under Stalin retrieves a crucial lost chapter from the history of Stalinist Russia. The peasant revolt against collectivization, as reconstructed by author Lynne Viola, was the most violent and sustained resistance to the Soviet state after the Russian Civil War. Conservative estimates suggest that over the course of the 1020s and early 1930s, more than 1,100 people were assassinated, more than 13,000 villages rioted, and over 2.5 million people participated in this active struggle of resistance. This book is about the men and women who tried to preserve their families, communities, and beliefs from the depredations of Stalinism. Their acts were often heroic, but these heroes were homespun, ordinary people who were driven to acts of desperation by cruel and brutal state policies. This is a study of peasant community, culture, and politics through the prism of resistance. Based on newly declassified Soviet archives, including previously inaccessible OGPU (secret police) reports, Viola's work documents the manifestation in Stalin's Russia of universal strategies of peasant resistance in what amounted to a virtual civil war between state and peasantry. This book is must reading for scholars of Soviet history, Stalinism, popular resistance, and Russian peasant culture. Contents......Page 12 Introduction......Page 16 1. The Last and Most Decisive Battle: Collectivization as Civil War......Page 26 Primordial muzhik darkness......Page 27 Planting socialism......Page 32 The great turn......Page 37 Stalinist metaphysics......Page 42 The war on tradition......Page 51 Conclusion......Page 57 2. The Mark of Antichrist: Rumors and the Ideology of Peasant Resistance......Page 58 The world turned upside down......Page 60 The peasant nightmare......Page 68 "From the Lord God"......Page 74 Conclusion......Page 78 3. "We Have No Kulaks Here": Peasant Luddism, Evasion, and Self-Help......Page 80 "Destroy the horse as a class"......Page 82 "Now the kulak will have to be careful to liquidate his farm in time"......Page 92 "We have no kulaks here"......Page 99 "If we are kulaks, then all Siberia is kulak"......Page 104 Conclusion......Page 112 4. Sawed-Off Shotguns and the Red Rooster: Peasant Terror and Civil War......Page 113 The scale of terror......Page 114 The civil war within the civil war......Page 124 "Remember, you sons of bitches, we'll get even with you"......Page 129 "Fire!"......Page 134 "We will stand up to our knees in blood before we'll give up our land"......Page 137 Conclusion......Page 143 5. March Fever: Peasant Rebels and Kulak Insurrection......Page 145 The scale of rebellion......Page 146 "Down with Antichrist"......Page 158 "Meaningless and merciless"......Page 167 Brigandage......Page 189 Conclusion......Page 192 6. "We Let the Women Do the Talking": Bab'i Bunty and the Anatomy of Peasant Revolt......Page 194 "A little misunderstanding"......Page 196 Kulak agitprop and petit bourgeois instincts......Page 197 Bab'i bunty......Page 202 Conclusion......Page 216 7. On the Sly: Everyday Forms of Resistance in the Collective Farm, 1930 and Beyond......Page 218 The new moral economy......Page 219 In the collective farm......Page 223 "Self-seeking tendencies" and the grain struggle......Page 234 Postscript: self-defense and self-destruction......Page 239 Conclusion......Page 244 Conclusion......Page 247 Notes......Page 254 Glossary......Page 302 Select Bibliography......Page 304 C......Page 318 F......Page 319 L......Page 320 N......Page 321 P......Page 322 S......Page 323 U......Page 324 Z......Page 325 Contents 12 Introduction 16 1. The Last and Most Decisive Battle: Collectivization as Civil War 26 Primordial muzhik darkness 27 Planting socialism 32 The great turn 37 Stalinist metaphysics 42 The war on tradition 51 Conclusion 57 2. The Mark of Antichrist: Rumors and the Ideology of Peasant Resistance 58 The world turned upside down 60 The peasant nightmare 68 "From the Lord God" 74 Conclusion 78 3. "We Have No Kulaks Here": Peasant Luddism, Evasion, and Self-Help 80 "Destroy the horse as a class" 82 "Now the kulak will have to be careful to liquidate his farm in time" 92 "We have no kulaks here" 99 "If we are kulaks, then all Siberia is kulak" 104 Conclusion 112 4. Sawed-Off Shotguns and the Red Rooster: Peasant Terror and Civil War 113 The scale of terror 114 The civil war within the civil war 124 "Remember, you sons of bitches, we'll get even with you" 129 "Fire!" 134 "We will stand up to our knees in blood before we'll give up our land" 137 Conclusion 143 5. March Fever: Peasant Rebels and Kulak Insurrection 145 The scale of rebellion 146 "Down with Antichrist" 158 "Meaningless and merciless" 167 Brigandage 189 Conclusion 192 6. "We Let the Women Do the Talking": Bab'i Bunty and the Anatomy of Peasant Revolt 194 "A little misunderstanding" 196 Kulak agitprop and petit bourgeois instincts 197 Bab'i bunty 202 Conclusion 216 7. On the Sly: Everyday Forms of Resistance in the Collective Farm, 1930 and Beyond 218 The new moral economy 219 In the collective farm 223 "Self-seeking tendencies" and the grain struggle 234 Postscript: self-defense and self-destruction 239 Conclusion 244 Conclusion 247 Notes 254 Glossary 302 Select Bibliography 304 Index 318 A 318 B 318 C 318 D 319 E 319 F 319 G 320 H 320 I 320 K 320 L 320 M 321 N 321 O 322 P 322 R 323 S 323 T 324 U 324 V 325 W 325 Z 325

The first book to document the peasant rebellion against Soviet collectivization, Peasant Rebels Under Stalin retrieves a crucial lost chapter from the history of Stalinist Russia. The peasant revolt against collectivization, as reconstructed by author Lynne Viola, was the most violent and sustained resistance to the Soviet state after the Russian Civil War. Conservative estimates suggest that over the course of the 1020s and early 1930s, more than 1,100 people were assassinated, more than 13,000 villages rioted, and over 2.5 million people participated in this active struggle of resistance.

This book is about the men and women who tried to preserve their families, communities, and beliefs from the depredations of Stalinism. Their acts were often heroic, but these heroes were homespun, ordinary people who were driven to acts of desperation by cruel and brutal state policies.

This is a study of peasant community, culture, and politics through the prism of resistance. Based on newly declassified Soviet archives, including previously inaccessible OGPU (secret police) reports, Viola's work documents the manifestation in Stalin's Russia of universal strategies of peasant resistance in what amounted to a virtual civil war between state and peasantry. This book is must reading for scholars of Soviet history, Stalinism, popular resistance, and Russian peasant culture.

In This Pathbreaking Study, Lynne Viola Produces A Monumental History Of The Vast Peasant Rebellion Against Collectivization. Peasant Rebels Under Stalin Retrieves A Lost Chapter From The History Of Stalin's Russia. This Chapter Is Of Immense Significance Because The Peasant Revolt Against Collectivization Was The Most Violent And Sustained Resistance To The Soviet State After The Russian Civil War. This Book Presents The History Of A Peasantry On The Brink Of Destruction. It Is A Study In Peasant Culture, Politics, And Community Seen Through The Prism Of Resistance. Based On Newly Declassified Soviet Archives, Including Secret Police Reports, Peasant Rebels Under Stalin Documents The Manifestation In Stalin's Russia Of Universal Strategies Of Peasant Resistance In What Amounted To A Virtual Civil War Between State And Peasantry. The Last And Most Decisive Battle: Collectivization As Civil War -- The Mark Of Antichrist: Rumors And The Ideology Of Peasant Resistance -- We Have No Kulaks Here: Peasant Luddism, Evasion, And Self-help -- Sawed-off Shotguns And The Red Rooster: Peasant Terror And Civil War -- March Fever: Peasant Rebels And Kulak Insurrection -- We Let The Women Do The Talking: Bab'i Bunty And The Anatomy Of Peasant Revolt -- On The Sky: Everyday Forms Of Resistance In The Collective Farm, 1930 And Beyond. Lynne Viola. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Based on newly declassified Soviet archives, including secret police reports, Peasant Rebels Under Stalin documents the active history of the vast peasant rebellion against collectivization between 1928-1932. Lynn Viola reveals the manifestation in Stalin's Russia of universal strategies of peasant resistance in what amounted to virtual civil war between state and peasantry. When the Communist party formally introduced the policy of wholesale collectivization, it claimed that the nation was on the eve of a great transformation.