The Peasantry of Eastern Europe (PDF)

The Peasantry of Eastern Europe, Volume II: 20th Century Developments reviews research findings concerning rural life and rural transformation in Eastern Europe during the 20th century. The economic and political problems of states where collectivization has been successful are examined, including Hungary and Romania. The social and societal aspects of rural transformation are also discussed. Case studies of peasants in Russia are presented, with emphasis on their response to the attraction of urban life and the imposed autocracy and tyranny of Soviet rule.

Comprised of 12 chapters, this volume begins with an analysis of the conditions and the minds of Russia's peasants during the period 1900-1917, followed by a detailed account of the peasantry under Soviet rule. The discussion then turns to private farming and the status of peasants in Poland since World War II; land reform in Yugoslavia; and agro mass production in Hungary. Subsequent chapters explore rural transformation in Romania; rural education in Bulgaria; the transformation of the Hungarian peasantry in the 20th century; peasantry in China; and the role of women in the transformation of rural life in post-revolution Yugoslavia. The book also considers the Third World experience with rural transformation before concluding with an assessment of the peasantry of Eastern Europe under communism.

This monograph is intended for students, academic specialists, economists, and agriculturists.