Kollektivizálás

Kollektivizálás, or collectivization, refers to the process of consolidating individual landholdings and other means of production into collective farms or communities. This policy was most notably implemented in the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin's leadership, beginning in the late 1920s. The stated goal was to increase agricultural output and modernize farming practices by replacing private ownership with state-controlled or cooperative enterprises.

The collectivization drive involved forcibly merging small, individually owned farms into large collective farms (kolkhozes) or state farms (sovkhozes). Peasants were compelled to surrender their land, livestock, and equipment. Resistance was met with severe repression, including the deportation and execution of those deemed "kulaks," a term used to describe wealthier peasants.

The economic consequences of collectivization were largely negative in the short term. Disruption of traditional farming methods, peasant resistance, and the forced requisition of grain led to widespread famine, most notably the Holodomor in Ukraine. While the Soviet government aimed to boost agricultural production, the initial years were marked by significant declines.

Over time, collective farms became the dominant form of agricultural organization in the Soviet Union and other socialist states. While the system aimed for efficiency and centralized control, it often suffered from lack of incentive for individual workers, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and a persistent inability to match the productivity of more market-oriented agricultural systems. The legacy of collectivization remains a sensitive topic, often associated with widespread suffering and economic hardship.