Political control of the collective-farm peasantry during the Great Patriotic war (materials to Siberia)

Under Soviet one-party political system rural organizations of the ruling party were responsible for political state of collective farms. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War military mobilization of communists made the influence of the party in rural areas significantly weaker, on the other hand, leaders of AUCP(b) (VKP(b)) were highly suspecious towards collective farm peasants and believed that revival of antI-soviet actions was possible among peasants. In autumn of 1941 emergency party bodies (political departments of Machine and Tractor Stations (MTS) and Soviet farms (sovkhoz)) were created. They were supposed to control political situation in the countryisde, counteract possible actios against authorities, mobilize peasantry to implement all tasks and provide agricultural supplies to the state. Political departments were mobilization-type emergency bodies. They had political, administrative, economic functions. Concentrating the power at soviet farms and MTS, they were a classic example of party and state institutions coalescence under soviet political system. These structures were financed from the budget. Emergency party instititutuins kept close watch on polical spirit of the countryside and, acting in a constant contact with People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD) stopped all doubts that the enemy would be defeated. According to their directives criminal and administrative proceedings were brought against hundreds of heads of soviet farms in Siberia in relation to their "propaganda against the state". Thousands of farmers were punished for not accomplishing the obligatory minimum of working days. Emergency party bodies were abolished in May, 1943.

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