'5 By the summer of 1929 Stalin had decided on a policy of compulsion in the creation of collective farms, explaining that collectivisation had passed to 'a policy of liquidation of the kulaks as a class.'6 Entire villages were collectivised by Party officials when only 'a quarter to a third of villagers voted on the question.'7 Often, Party activists 'would produce a pistol, and say that any peasant who refused to join the kolkhoz would be sent to Siberia.'8 Stalin stated in March 1930, 'Can it be said that the line of the Party is being carried out without violation or distortion? No, it cannot, unfortunately.'9.
Opposition to Collectivisation.
'One of the main forms of resistance was to slaughter animals or eat or sell the meat rather than hand them over to the kolkhoz.'10 The effect of this was disastrous for the economy as between 1928 and 1930 the amount of cattle fell from 70 million to 52 million.11 The large-scale resistance was met with severity by local officials who 'imprisoned or executed many peasants' and 'forcibly relocated' 150,000 of them to poorer lands.12 Some rebellions took 'semi-insurrectionary character,' with one in North Caucasus only being stamped out following the intervention of 'the cavalry and armoured cars.'13 .
Outcome of Collectivisation.
On 1 March 1930, 14,264,300 farms were collectivised, compared to only 1,003,000 in June of the previous year, but in reality this was 'a complete failure as the countryside had been reduced to ruin.'14.
Soviet scholars have noted that in 1930 'the kolkhoz movement was on the verge of being discredited.'15SStalin affirmed that the 'unconscionable attitudes' within his party 'could have arisen only because some of [their] comrades have become dizzy with success.'17 The halt was 'only temporary', as 'pressure to collectivise resumed in 1932.
