The political transformation of peasant Russia : peasant Soviets in the Middle Volga, 1917-1920
This study gives an account of village politics and social relations during the Russian Revolution and Civil War. It uses local archival materials and government publications from the middle Volga region (Samara, Saratov and Simbirsk provinces), which allows it to describe the events of these years from the viewpoint of the village and the <i>volost</i> (rural district). Section I examines the agrarian revolution of 1917 and, in particular, its peasant organisations, which, it is argued, emerged (in the form of peasant soviets) as the central political authorities in the countryside, once the old state structure had been destroyed. Left to themselves by the Bolshevik government in its first months of rule, the peasant soviets carried out the smallholding and egalitarian social ideals of the peasantry through vernacular forms of village democracy. Section II looks at these forms and their activities in the fields of trade control, property redistribution and land reform. The section also examines the relationship between the farming peasantry and other rural classes (eg. craftsmen, priests, immigrants).
Figes, Orlando
Russian politics and society
The political transformation of peasant Russia : peasant Soviets in the Middle Volga, 1917-1920. This study gives an account of village politics and social relations during the Russian Revolution and Civil War. It uses local archival materials and government publications from the middle Volga region (Samara, Saratov and Simbirsk provinces), which allows it to describe the events of these years from the viewpoint of the village and the <i>volost</i> (rural district). Section I examines the agrarian revolution of 1917 and, in particular, its peasant organisations, which, it is argued, emerged (in the form of peasant soviets) as the central political authorities in the countryside, once the old state structure had been destroyed. Left to themselves by the Bolshevik government in its first months of rule, the peasant soviets carried out the smallholding and egalitarian social ideals of the peasantry through vernacular forms of village democracy. Section II looks at these forms and their activities in the fields of trade control, property redistribution and land reform. The section also examines the relationship between the farming peasantry and other rural classes (eg. craftsmen, priests, immigrants).
political_transformation peasant russia peasant soviets middle study give_account village politics social_relation russian revolution civil_war use local archival_material government publication middle region province allow describe event year viewpoint village rural district section_examines agrarian revolution particular peasant organisation argue emerge form peasant soviet central political_authority countryside old state structure destroy left bolshevik government rule peasant soviet carry egalitarian social ideal peasantry vernacular form village democracy section_ii look forms activity field trade control property redistribution land reform section also_examine relationship farm peasantry rural class craftsman priest immigrant