Dekulakisation

What was dekulakisation?

Dekulakisation is the name given to Stalin's attacks on the wealthiest peasants, known as 'kulaks'. Stalin called it 'the liquidation of the kulaks as a class'.

When did dekulakisation take place?

Dekulakisation mainly took place during the first Five Year Plan, between 1929 and 1932.

Why did dekulakisation take place?

There were 2 main reasons for the policy of dekulakisation:

• ❖ Stalin saw the kulaks as 'class enemies' of the communist ideal as they had made personal profits for themselves.
• ❖ He saw them as a potential threat, particularly to his collectivisation policy, so wanted to eliminate them as a class.

What methods were used during dekulakisation?

Thousands of Kulaks were arrested. Many were deported to gulags, and others were executed.

How many people died during dekulakisation?

Historians are unsure of the exact number of people affected by the dekulakisation policy. More than 1.8 million were deported, and the estimates of the number of people who died range from 530,000 to 5 million.

What was the impact of dekulakisation?

There were 2 main results of the policy of dekulakisation:

• ❖ For the kulaks, the impact was devastating, with many thousands losing their homes, or their lives.
• ❖ For Stalin, the policy enabled him to gain total control of the countryside and of agriculture, and helped him to achieve his collectivisation policy by eliminating opposition.