Pearson Edexcel · GCSE · History
Course version: 1HI0 · Version from Sept 2016
Key topic 4: Economic and social changes, 1924–41 - 1 Agriculture and…
Full specification wording
Option 30: Key topic 4: Economic and social changes, 1924–41 - 1 Agriculture and collectivisation: The successes and failures of collectivisation.
Evaluating collectivisation requires balancing its political achievements against its devastating economic and human costs.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 1HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 3 of 3
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Evaluating collectivisation requires balancing its political achievements against its devastating economic and human costs. As a political success, it extended Communist Party control over the countryside, eliminated the so-called 'kulak' class (wealthier peasants), and aligned agriculture with socialist ideology. Economically, the state successfully procured enough grain to feed the rapidly growing industrial workforce and fund industrialisation through exports. However, it was a failure for agricultural production; grain harvests fell modestly (from c.73m tonnes in 1928 to c.68m tonnes in 1933), while the mass slaughter of livestock caused a collapse that took decades to recover from. The most profound failure was the human tragedy, culminating in millions of deaths during the 1932-1933 famines.
What earns the marks
- Identify the political success of collectivisation in establishing strict Communist Party control over rural populations.
- Explain how the state successfully extracted grain to feed industrial workers and export for foreign machinery, supporting the Five-Year Plans.
- Detail the economic failures, specifically the modest fall in overall grain production and the catastrophic collapse of livestock numbers.
- Evaluate the human cost as a major failure, referencing the millions of deaths caused by famine and dekulakisation policies.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Stating that collectivisation increased overall food production.
Put it right by clarifying that while state procurement increased, actual agricultural production fell.
Ignoring the ideological goals.
Put it right by acknowledging that eliminating private land ownership was considered a major ideological success by the Communist Party.
Failing to distinguish between short-term and long-term impacts.
Put it right by noting that while livestock numbers collapsed immediately, the agricultural sector remained inefficient for decades.
Exam tips
- Structure evaluation answers by clearly separating political and ideological successes from economic and human failures.
- Use specific statistics, such as the modest drop in grain or the massive percentage drop in cattle numbers, to substantiate claims about agricultural failures.
- Always link the outcomes of collectivisation back to Stalin's broader goals of rapid industrialisation and consolidating personal power.
Try the lesson
The start of the Option 30: Key topic 4: Economic and social changes, 1924–41 - 1 Agriculture and collectivisation: The successes and failures of collectivisation. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which of the following was a major economic failure of the collectivisation policy in the early 1930s?
Listen
Evaluating collectivisation requires balancing its political achievements against its devastating economic and human costs. As a political success, it extended Communist Party control over the countryside, eliminated the so-called 'kulak' class (wealthier peasants), and aligned agriculture with socialist ideology. Economically, the state successfully procured enough grain to feed the rapidly growing industrial workforce and fund industrialisation through exports. However, it was a failure for agricultural production; grain harvests fell modestly (from c.73m tonnes in 1928 to c.68m tonnes in 1933), while the mass slaughter of livestock caused a collapse that took decades to recover from. The most profound failure was the human tragedy, culminating in millions of deaths during the 1932-1933 famines. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Identify the political success of collectivisation in establishing strict Communist Party control over rural populations. Explain how the state successfully extracted grain to feed industrial workers and export for foreign machinery, supporting the Five-Year Plans. Detail the economic failures, specifically the modest fall in overall grain production and the catastrophic collapse of livestock numbers. Evaluate the human cost as a major failure, referencing the millions of deaths caused by famine and dekulakisation policies. A common slip: Stating that collectivisation increased overall food production. Instead, clarifying that while state procurement increased, actual agricultural production fell. Exam tip: Structure evaluation answers by clearly separating political and ideological successes from economic and human failures.
See it
Put the events in order
Put these events in the order they happened, earliest first.
- 1. Grain harvests stood at a higher level before falling
- 2. Grain harvests had fallen to a lower level
- 3. Famines caused millions of deaths
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Political consolidation
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Human cost
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Ideological implementation
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Economic efficiency
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Political consolidation
- Extending Communist Party control over the countryside and eliminating the so-called 'kulak' class were political successes of collectivisation.
- Human cost
- The most profound failure was the human tragedy, culminating in millions of deaths during the 1932-1933 famines.
- Ideological implementation
- Aligning agriculture with socialist ideology and eliminating private land ownership was considered a major ideological success by the Communist Party.
- Economic efficiency
- It was a failure for agricultural production, as grain harvests fell modestly and the mass slaughter of livestock caused a collapse.
Label the diagram
Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.
1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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