What mistakes do students make with Agricultural and social developments in the countryside:…?

Confusing kolkhozes with sovkhozes. Kolkhozes were collective farms where peasants shared profits, whereas sovkhozes were state-owned farms where peasants received a fixed wage. Claiming collectivisation was an economic success for agriculture. State that while it secured grain for towns, agricultural production actually plummeted and livestock numbers collapsed. Ignoring the voluntary phase of collectivisation. Acknowledge that collectivisation began as a voluntary initiative before Stalin escalated it to a forced policy in late 1929.

AQA · A-Level · History

Course version: 7042 · Version from Sept 2017

Russia, 1917–1953 – Economy and society, 1929–1941 (A-level only):…

Full specification wording

2N Revolution and dictatorship: Russia, 1917–1953 – Economy and society, 1929–1941 (A-level only): Agricultural and social developments in the countryside: voluntary and forced collectivisation; state farms; mechanisation; the impact of collectivisation on the kulaks and other peasants; the famine of 1932–1934; the success of collectivisation

Stalin’s agricultural policies transformed the Soviet countryside, shifting from voluntary collectivisation in 1928 to forced collectivisation by 1929.

Checked against the AQA 7042 specification (opens in a new tab) on 27 September 2026.

Point 1 of 4

Study notes

From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.

The idea

What earns the marks

Distinguish between the initial voluntary phase and the rapid shift to forced collectivisation in 1929.
Explain the structural differences between kolkhozes (collective farms) and sovkhozes (state farms), and the role of MTS in mechanisation.
Analyse the social impact of dekulakisation on the kulaks, and the resistance and impoverishment of other peasants.
Evaluate the causes and scale of the 1932–1934 famine, linking it to state requisitioning quotas.
Assess the 'success' of collectivisation by contrasting ideological and industrial gains with agricultural decline.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

Confusing kolkhozes with sovkhozes.
Put it right: Kolkhozes were collective farms where peasants shared profits, whereas sovkhozes were state-owned farms where peasants received a fixed wage.
Claiming collectivisation was an economic success for agriculture.
Put it right: State that while it secured grain for towns, agricultural production actually plummeted and livestock numbers collapsed.
Ignoring the voluntary phase of collectivisation.
Put it right: Acknowledge that collectivisation began as a voluntary initiative before Stalin escalated it to a forced policy in late 1929.

Exam tips

When evaluating the success of collectivisation, explicitly separate political success (party control) from economic failure (falling yields).
Use specific statistics, such as the drop in livestock numbers or grain harvests, to substantiate arguments about the impact on peasants.
Note that while this topic often follows Stalin's rise to power, these agricultural developments specifically relate to the 1929–1941 period of economy and society.

Try the lesson

The start of the 2N Revolution and dictatorship: Russia, 1917–1953 – Economy and society, 1929–1941 (A-level only): Agricultural and social developments in the countryside: voluntary and forced collectivisation; state farms; mechanisation; the impact of collectivisation on the kulaks and other peasants; the famine of 1932–1934; the success of collectivisation lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.

Have a go first

What was the primary function of the Machine Tractor Stations (MTS) established during the collectivisation of Soviet agriculture?

Tip: press 1 to 4 to choose

Listen

Stalin’s agricultural policies transformed the Soviet countryside, shifting from voluntary collectivisation in 1928 to forced collectivisation by 1929. Peasants were pushed into collective farms (kolkhozes) or state farms (sovkhozes), supported by Machine Tractor Stations (MTS) for mechanisation. This triggered fierce resistance, leading to the brutal 'dekulakisation' campaign which devastated the kulaks and impoverished other peasants. State grain requisitioning directly caused the catastrophic 1932–1934 famine, killing millions. While collectivisation succeeded ideologically by establishing state control and securing grain for urban industrialisation, it was an economic and human disaster for agriculture. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Distinguish between the initial voluntary phase and the rapid shift to forced collectivisation in 1929. Explain the structural differences between kolkhozes (collective farms) and sovkhozes (state farms), and the role of MTS in mechanisation. Analyse the social impact of dekulakisation on the kulaks, and the resistance and impoverishment of other peasants. Evaluate the causes and scale of the 1932–1934 famine, linking it to state requisitioning quotas. A common slip: Confusing kolkhozes with sovkhozes. Instead, kolkhozes were collective farms where peasants shared profits, whereas sovkhozes were state-owned farms where peasants received a fixed wage. Exam tip: When evaluating the success of collectivisation, explicitly separate political success (party control) from economic failure (falling yields).

See it

A top-down flowchart. The first node, voluntary collectivisation in 1928, leads to forced collectivisation in 1929. From forced collectivisation, arrows lead to four nodes: kolkhozes (collective farms), sovkhozes (state farms), dekulakisation, and state grain requisitioning, plus a fifth node for success, state control and grain for urban industrialisation. Both kolkhozes and sovkhozes lead to a node for mechanisation via MTS. Dekulakisation leads to two nodes: kulaks devastated, and other peasants impoverished. State grain requisitioning leads to a node for the famine of 1932-1934. — It shows how collectivisation moved from a voluntary phase in 1928 to forced collectivisation in 1929, and the resulting farms, mechanisation, impact on peasants, famine and claimed success.

Put the events in order

Put these events in the order they happened, earliest first.

1. Voluntary collectivisation begins in the Soviet countryside
2. Catastrophic famine caused by state grain requisitioning
3. Rapid shift to forced collectivisation

Label the diagram

Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.

The diagram again, with 3 boxes numbered instead of named. A top-down flowchart. The first node, voluntary collectivisation in 1928, leads to forced collectivisation in 1929. From forced collectivisation, arrows lead to four nodes: kolkhozes (collective farms), sovkhozes (state farms), dekulakisation, and state grain requisitioning, plus a fifth node for success, state control and grain for urban industrialisation. Both kolkhozes and sovkhozes lead to a node for mechanisation via MTS. Dekulakisation leads to two nodes: kulaks devastated, and other peasants impoverished. State grain requisitioning leads to a node for the famine of 1932-1934.

1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3

0 of 3 labelled

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