Research On The Agricultural Collectivization Movement In Democratic Germany(1952-1960)

In 1945,Germany declared unconditional surrender in World War II and was occupied by the United States,Britain,France,and the Soviet Union.The Soviet Occupied District established a people's democratic government in accordance with the Soviet model.The primary goal of reconstruction and planning of the occupied area in the early post-war period was to carry out socialist transformation of the area.In July1952,the German United Socialist Party convened the second congress of the party and adopted a resolution on establishing a socialist economic foundation in a democratic Germany,encouraging and supporting farmers to take the socialist road,and establishing production cooperatives in rural areas.The agricultural collectivization movement in Democratic Germany has thus begun,aiming to allow individual farmers to join the socialist agricultural production through the establishment of agricultural production cooperatives,thereby completing the socialist transformation of agriculture.The collectivization of agriculture in Democratic Germany is carried out by involving farmers in cooperatives to engage in agricultural work.As the carrier of the agricultural collectivization movement,agricultural production cooperatives are divided into three types: type I,type II,and type III.From type I to type III cooperatives,the degree of socialization of cultivated land and means of production has gradually transitioned from low to high.In type I cooperatives,in principle,only cultivated land,part of forest land and other green land are shared,and members jointly operate the plantation industry.Machinery equipment,livestock and poultry are privately owned by farmers.Compared with type I,type II cooperatives are more socialized and are considered a transitional stage.On the basis of type I cooperatives,production materials such as farming cattle,factory buildings,and machinery are also commonly used.Type III cooperatives have the highest degree of socialization,sharing all means of production,and concurrently operating plantation and animal husbandry.At the beginning of the agricultural collectivization movement,the state promoted the development of cooperatives through financial subsidies and various support measures.The main measures include: Tractor loan stations provide equipment rental services to cooperatives at lower rates,give preferential prices to fertilizers sold by cooperatives,reduce cooperative sales quotas for farmers,increase purchase prices,and give cooperatives two-year tax-free preferential treatment Provide loans for cooperative farmers and free training for children of cooperative members.While the United Socialist Party vigorously promotes the development of cooperatives,it has strengthened crackdowns on "big farmers" who own more than 20 hectares of land.They were regarded as "class enemies",were not allowed to join cooperatives,and were repeatedly pressured economically.In addition,the "big farmer" has an obligation to sell more than the members of the cooperative,so that it cannot complete the obligation to sell.However,due to the lack of means of production,small farmers have a very difficult living situation.Between 1952 and 1953,more than 10,000 democratic German farmers fled to Federal Germany.The coercive measures adopted by the authorities interfered with the farmers' economic activities,and even controlled the development by arrest.On June 17,1953,workers' uprising broke out in Berlin due to dissatisfaction with the government's policy of increasing labor quotas.Workers' protests quickly spread throughout the country into a large-scale popular uprising.Farmers also participated in one after another,resisting the movement of agricultural collectivization,which temporarily suspended agricultural collectivization.In view of the unfavorable development of the cooperative and the strong resistance of the farmers,the United Socialist Party began to adjust its line.The Central Committee and the Council of Ministers have adopted policy resolutions that adopt a "new course" in response to crisis situations.The United Socialist Party also revised its previous agricultural policy guidelines,proposed a resolution to cancel the suppression of farmers and will continue to reduce the cooperative delivery quota of cooperatives by 10% a few days ago.In 1954,the United Socialist Party stopped criticizing "big farmers." In the agricultural policy of 1954-1957,the component of compulsory intervention decreased and the voluntary component increased.The authorities encouraged farmers to join the cooperatives voluntarily through preferential policies.In the fall of 1957,the political and economic situation in Democratic Germany was generally stable.However,in agriculture,the lack of means of production has always made it impossible to achieve an increase in production.Many cooperatives operate poorly and face the risk of dissolution.Individual farmers still do not agree with the collective management model.Against this background,the government has once again consolidated and promoted the development of cooperatives by increasing agricultural investment.At the same time,many propagandists were sent to the countryside in an attempt to persuade the countryside to accept collective management ideologically.These measures have played a certain role.Some economically stable "peasants" have joined cooperatives,breaking the stagnation of cooperative development.By the end of 1959,the area of collectively-owned land had been growing steadily.The leadership of the United Socialist Party believes that the development of agricultural production that still lags behind the planned goals can only be fundamentally improved by eliminating the production methods of individual farmers.In addition,the economic growth rates in 1957 and 1958 were 7% and 12%,respectively.Democratic German political parties are optimistic about the economic situation.In 1960,the Politburo of the United Socialist Party decided to achieve the complete collectiveization of agriculture in the shortest time and achieve a "leap".But this forcible advancement method seriously violates the voluntary principle.Authorities even resorted to force measures against farmers who refused to join cooperatives,imprisoned them,imposed confiscation of property,and assigned their land to cooperatives.The production conditions of private farms are getting worse and worse,and farmers in distress have no other way but to "voluntarily" join agricultural production cooperatives.Since then,democratic German agriculture has achieved total collectivization.This article takes Democratic Germany's agricultural collectivization movement from 1952 to 1960 as the research object,and analyzes its development foundation,development path,ownership structure,agricultural policy,and its impact on agriculture and peasant life.Based on this,the impact of agricultural collectivization on democratic German agriculture and peasant output is examined,and the characteristics of democratic German agricultural collectivization development are summarized,that is,the developed industrialization foundation provides strong support for agricultural collectivization;The development path is generally gentle;the government uses flexible price policies to indirectly regulate agricultural development during collectivization.Finally,sum up the experience and lessons in the process of the development of democratic German agricultural collectivization,combined with China's national conditions,to provide some lessons for our current agriculture: further deepen the reform of China's agricultural land property rights system.