Climate Dependence and Food Problems in Russia, 1900-1990: The Interaction of Climate and Agricultural Policy and Their Effect on Food Problems

Nikolai M. Dronin; Edward G. Bellinger

Published by Central European University Press 2006

Climate Dependence and Food Problems in Russia, 1900-1990

The Interaction of Climate and Agricultural Policy and Their Effect on Food Problems

Nikolai M. Dronin and Edward G. Bellinger

https://doi.org/10.1515/9786155053689

Overview
Contents

About this book

Between 1900 and 1990 there were several periods of grain and other food shortages in Russia and the former Soviet Union, some of which reached disaster proportions resulting in mass famine and death on an unprecedented scale. New stocks of information not previously accessible as well as traditional official and other sources have been used to explore the extent to which policy and vagaries in climate conspired to affect agricultural yields. Were the leaders' (Stalin, Krushchev, Brezhnev and Gorbachev) policies sound in theory but failed in practice because of unpredictable weather? How did the Soviet peasants react to these changes? What impact did Soviet agriculture have on the overall economy of the country? These are all questions that are taken into account. The book is arranged in chapters representing different time periods. In each the policy of the central government is discussed followed by the climate vagaries during that period. Crop yields are then analyzed in the light of policy and climate.

Author / Editor information

Dronin Nikolai M. :

Niklolai M. Dronin lectures at Moscow State University and is involved in a number of international projects concerning environmental problems in Russia. The current book evolved from work with Kassel University (Germany) on climate change and food security in Russia.

Bellinger Edward G. :

Edward G. Bellinger was Head of Environmental Sciences Department at the Central European University, Budapest,

Reviews

"The "intrusion" of two specialists in environmental policies into historical studies of Russia should only be welcomed. Commonly for each chapter, the section on "weather variations and agricultural production," is the most interesting and contains the most new information. In these sections the authors fully exploit their expertise, usually lacking among humanist historians, and uncover technical sources (typically reports published by the Hydrometeorological Service) which are almost destined to be ignored by historians. The authors carefully try to identify to what extent each case of agricultural and food crisis in Soviet history was caused by climatic or political reasons."

"The book's most important contribution is its thorough and systematic overview of climatic changes, year by year, and their impact on the performance of Russian and Soviet agriculture. Given the profound impact of food supply problems at so many critical junctures in Russian and Soviet history, this thorough and rigorous survey deserves to be welcomed by all historians of Russia and the Soviet Union."

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Table of Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
List of Figures Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
List of Tables Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	xv
CHAPTER 1. Introduction: climate and agriculture in Russia Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
CHAPTER 2. The availability and reliability of statistical agricultural data for Russia Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	15
CHAPTER 3. The pre-revolutionary period (1900–1916) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	31
CHAPTER 4. The post-revolutionary period (1917–1928) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	69
CHAPTER 5. The collectivization of Soviet agriculture (1929–1940) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	109
CHAPTER 6. The post-war recovery period (1945–1954) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	155
CHAPTER 7. The virgin lands campaign (1955–1964) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	171
CHAPTER 8. The period of agricultural intensification (1965–1975) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	219
CHAPTER 9. The period of agricultural stagnation (1976–1990) Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	267
Conclusion Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	335
Glossary Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	341
References Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	345
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	361

Language: English
Publisher: Central European University Press
Audience: Professional and scholarly;
Pages
- Main content: 386
Keywords: 20th century; Collectivization of agriculture; Economic conditions; Soviet Union

eBook

Published: June 20, 2006
ISBN: 9786155053689