ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the relationship between the Soviet government and the peasantry — predominantly in the central regions of Russia — before the emergence of full-scale civil war in May-June 1918. Some historians, however, have doubted whether Bolshevik legislation did accurately reflect peasant aspirations, citing as evidence contradictions between the peasant 'model' mandate and the Bolshevik land decree, chiefly in relation to which lands should be redivided. By labelling the division 'provisional' the Bolsheviks were partly appeasing their own consciences and partly answering the reproaches of their critics that the division was incomplete. Even if collectives had existed poor peasants were unlikely to have appreciated their superiority by the end of the eight months. The essence of the Bolshevik government's food policy between the October revolution and the passing of the so-called 'Food Dictatorship' decree of early May was an exchange of goods, though sporadic forced collections of grain were in evidence too.
