Collectivisation was Stalin's answer to his belief that Russia's agriculture was in a terrible state. In a speech in 1928 he said, "Agriculture is developing slowly, comrades. This is because we have about 25 million individually owned farms. They are the most primitive and undeveloped form of economy. We must do our utmost to develop large farms and to convert them into grain factories for the country organised on a modem scientific basis." This statement was correct, Russia's agriculture was very backward: it had barely any mechanisation such as tractors and the use of scientific measures was minimal.
Economically with collectivisation Stalin aimed to increase production, boost industry and sale abroad.
By 1941, collectivisation had not achieved its aims economically as although grain production had in creased in the years 1928-40 from 73.3 to 97.4 million tonnes, there had been disaster years in the middle where peasant had refused to hand grain over and would not co-operate. …
