Kulaks

~KULAKS~

__Kulaks: __ Is a prejorative term extensively used in Soviet propaganda, originally refering to the peasants in the Russian Empire who owned larger farms and used hired labor, as a result of the Stolypin reform introducted since 1906.

The peasants were divided into three broad categories: - **Bednyaks** poor peasants - **Seredniaks** medium prosperity - **Kulaks** the rich farmers __ HISTORICAL BACKROUND __ - During the [|Russian Revolutionary War] (1918-21), the Soviet government undermind the kulaks position by organizing committees of poor peasants to administer the villages and to supervise the requisitioning of grain from the richer peasants.

- But the introductionin 1921 of the new economic policy favoured the kulaks.

- Although the Soviet government considered the kulaks to be capitalists and, therefore, enemies of socialism, it adopted various incentives to encourage peasants to increase agricultural production and enrich themselves.

- In 1927 the Soviet government began to shift its peasant policy by increasing the kulaks taxes and restricting their right to lease land, in 1929 it began a drive for rapid collectivization of agriculture.

- The kulaks vigorously opposed the efforts to force the peasants to give up their small privately owned farms and join large cooperative agricultural establishments.

- At the end of 1929 a campaign to "liquidate the kulaks as a class" was launched by the government.

- By 1934, when approximately 75% of farms in Soviet Union had been collectivized, most kulaks as well as millions of ther peasants who had oppsed collectivization had been deported to remote regions of the Soviet Union or arrested and thier land and property confiscated.

- By 1936 the government had collectivized almost all the peasantry. But in the process millions of those who had offered resistance had been deported to prison camps and removed from productive activity in agriculture. furthermore, the absence of heavy agricultural machinery and of the horses and cattle that the peasants had killed seriously handicapped the new collective farms.media type="youtube" key="NJ4L8JEILNE" height="251" width="338" align="left" __​ Kulaks Househokd __

​ In may 1929 the Sovnarkom issues a decree that formalized the notion of "Kulak household". Any of the fallowing are characteristices defined a Kulak: - Regular usage if hired labor - Ownership of a mill, cemamery, or other complex equipment, or a complex machine with machanical motor. - Systematic letting of agricultural equipment of facilities for rent. - Involving in commerce, money-lending, commerical brokerage, or "other types of non-labor occupation".



__The Chickens & Kulaks __ Similarities
 * Both were treated as slaves
 * Had to give up there food for other peoples well being
 * Trapped and starved

__Work Sited __ Kulak. Nov. 12, 2009. []

"Kulak". Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. 12 Nov. 2009. 

"Collectivization." Encyclopeadia Britannica. 2009 Encyclopeadia Britannica Onlin. 12. Nov. 