17639. RUSSIAN PEASANT LIFE, 1900-1940. This paper examines peasant life in Russia from the end of the Romanov Dynasty to the start of the Second World War (approximately 1900-1940). The paper discusses post-Emancipation conditions and the role of the peasantry in the 1905 and 1917 revolutions; the impact of Lenin’s New Economic Policy (NEP); and the negative consequences of the forced collectivization of agriculture occurring under Stalin from 1929-39. Argues that notwithstanding the important role that peasants played in Russian society, economy and even politics (given their importance to the Revolution), they were ultimately betrayed by the Soviet leaders during the early part of Stalin’s reign. KEYWORDS: Russia peasantry soviet union peasants role revolution Lenin stalin. Written 2005. Turabian/Chicago Bottom-of-the-Page Footnotes with separate bibliography. 11 pages, 42 footnotes, 7 bibliographic sources. 2,615 words.