The Best Sons of the Fatherland : Workers in the Vanguard of Soviet Collectivization

In this ground-breaking study Lynne Viola--the first Western scholar to gain access to the Soviet state archives on collectivization--brilliantly examines a lost chapter in the history of the Stalin revolution. Looking in detail at the backgrounds, motivations, and mentalities of the 25,000ers, Viola embarks on the first Western investigation of the everyday activities of Stalin's rank-and-file shock troops, the "leading cadres" of socialist construction. In the process, Viola sheds new light on how the state mobilized working-class support for collectivization and reveals that, contrary to popular belief, the 25,000ers went into the countryside as willing recruits. This unique social history uses an "on the scene" line of vision to offer a new understanding of the workings, times, and cadres of Stalin's revolution.

In this ground-breaking study, Lynne Viola—the first Western scholar to gain access to the Soviet state archives on collectivization—brilliantly excavates a lost chapter in the history of the Stalin revolution. This book affords an intimate look at the campaign of the 25,000ers, the industrial workers who were sent into the Soviet countryside to implement collectivization during the 1930s. Examining the backgrounds, motivations, and mentalities of these workers, Viola embarks on the first Western investigation of the everyday activities of Stalin's rank-and-file shock troops as they strove to realize the First Five-Year Plan revolution and who, in doing so, enacted the final chapter in the Russian revolution. In the process, Viola sheds light on how the state mobilized working-class support for collectivization and shows that, contrary to common belief, the 25,000ers went into the countryside as willing recruits. The first social history to present an on the scene line of vision, this book brings readers one step closer to penetrating the elusive Soviet mind at a critical historical moment.

Contents......Page 12 Introduction......Page 16 1. Workers to the Countryside: From Revolution to Revolution......Page 21 2. The Recruitment of the 25,000ers......Page 49 3. Setting the Campaign in Motion......Page 87 4. The Drive to Collectivize Soviet Agriculture: Winter 1930......Page 103 5. The 25,000ers and the Cadres of Collectivization: The Offensive on Rural Officialdom......Page 134 6. The 25,000ers at Work on the Collective Farms......Page 165 7. The Denouement of the Campaign......Page 192 Conclusion......Page 223 Notes......Page 232 Glossary......Page 270 A Note on Sources......Page 272 Bibliography......Page 276 C......Page 294 F......Page 295 N......Page 296 T......Page 297 Z......Page 298 Contents 12 Introduction 16 1. Workers to the Countryside: From Revolution to Revolution 21 2. The Recruitment of the 25,000ers 49 3. Setting the Campaign in Motion 87 4. The Drive to Collectivize Soviet Agriculture: Winter 1930 103 5. The 25,000ers and the Cadres of Collectivization: The Offensive on Rural Officialdom 134 6. The 25,000ers at Work on the Collective Farms 165 7. The Denouement of the Campaign 192 Conclusion 223 Notes 232 Glossary 270 A Note on Sources 272 Bibliography 276 Index 294 A 294 B 294 C 294 D 295 F 295 G 296 H 296 I 296 K 296 L 296 M 296 N 296 O 297 P 297 R 297 S 297 T 297 U 298 V 298 W 298 Z 298 019504262X,9780195042627,0195041348,9780195041347 Oxford University Press, USA Workers To The Countryside: From Revolution To Revolution -- The Recruitment Of The 25,000ers -- Setting The Campaign In Motion -- The Drive To Collectivize Soviet Agriculture: Winter 1930 -- The 25,000ers And The Cadres Of Collectivization: The Offensive On Rural Officialdom -- The 25,000ers At Work On The Collective Farms -- The Denouement Of The Campaign. Lynne Viola. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. 263-280. Based on archival material on the collectivization of agriculture in the 1930s, this book investigates the effects of Stalin's recruitment of industrial workers into the agricultural sector