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=__Kulaks and Collectivization__=

In Russian, Kulak, means fist, this alludes to their hold on the poorer peasants. The Kulaks were the wealthy farmers of Soviet Russia. They owned several large farms and raised cattle and horses. Often times they would lend money and provide mortgages to other people. Also, they played a role in village affairs. During this period the Soviet government ordered the kulaks to organize committies for the poor peasants in the villages and to supervise the production of crops from the richer peasants. The New Economic Policy of 1921 was introduced to help make peasants equal. Under the Policy peasants were allowed to farm their own land, while paying taxes to Russia. This policy favored the kulaks. The most successful peasant farmers became kulaks, and took the traditional roles of wealthy farmers. Later on the Kulaks began to oppose the authority of Soviet Russia.

The idea of Collectivization was introduced as a way to get rid of the Kulaks who rivaled the government's power. Stalin believed that in order for Russia to advance the people had to be able to feed themselves, this meant that large farms had to established. Stalin wanted to combine the farms into two groups- the state farms and the collective farms. This way the government could control the farms easily. The poorer farmers land would go the Kulaks, who would be controlled by the government. Many people who did want to be controlled by the government, began killing their animals and grain. Collectivization and the Kulaks has a relationship with the book. The eggs that the hens produced and didn't want to sell was a symbol for collectivization and the Kulaks. Kulaks did not want to give up the land, and have joint farming, and they were being divided and attacked. Eventually they joined the people evacuating the country or were killed. This is related to the book because the hens did not want to give up their eggs. Those who fought were starved or killed until they gave in. The hens had lost and the pigs had won the, in the same way the Kulaks lost and the Soviet Government won.

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Works Cited "**collectivization**." __Encyclopædia Britannica__. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 06 Nov. 2009 <[|**http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/125592/collectivization**]>.

"**kulak**." __Encyclopædia Britannica__. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 05 Nov. 2009 <[|**http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/324575/kulak**]>.

"Kulaks." __Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity__. Ed. Dinah L. Shelton. Gale Cengage, 2005. __eNotes.com__. 2006. 5 Nov, 2009 

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"Russian Revolution- Collectivization." //Youtube//. Web. 9 Nov 2009.