Explaining History - The War on the Peasantry: Stalin, the Grain Crisis, and the Road to Famine...

Episode Summary:
In the second part of our deep dive into the origins of the Soviet famine, Nick continues his exploration of 1928-1929, the critical years that sealed the fate of the Russian peasantry.
Drawing again on Robert Conquest’s The Harvest of Sorrow, we examine how Stalin’s "emergency measures"—intended to be temporary—became a permanent war on the countryside. Why did the Bolsheviks believe that the "middle peasant" was a capitalist hoarder? How did the regime’s reliance on bad data lead to a spiral of confiscation and violence that destroyed the incentives to produce food?
We uncover the tragic logic of a state that viewed market mechanisms as a threat and chose instead to loot its own people, setting the stage for the catastrophic famine of the early 1930s.
Plus: A reminder for history students! Tickets are selling fast for our Russian Revolution Masterclass (https://explaininghistory.org/masterc...) on Sunday, January 25th. Book your spot now to master exam technique and essay structure.
Key Topics:
The Emergency Measures of 1928: How temporary requisitioning became permanent policy.
The Destruction of the Market: Why peasants stopped producing grain once the state began seizing it.
Stalin's "Breathtaking Frankness": Admitting that the "tribute" levied on peasants was necessary for industrialization.
The Myth of Hoarding: How the regime chased a phantom surplus that didn't exist.
Books Mentioned:
The Harvest of Sorrow by Robert Conquest
Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder


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