The socio-political activity of the peasantry during the Ukrainian revolution of 1917-1921: speeches, insurgency or banditry?

Introduction. Given the role of the peasantry in therevolutionary processes of Ukraine in 1917-1921, thereis a scientific need to find out the conceptual andcategorical support that is used to refer to peasant activityduring the period. The accuracy and precision of theapplication of concepts and categories is not only a signof the researcher’s professionalism but also a guaranteeof an adequate reflection of the historical past, itsqualitative interpretation, the validity of theoreticalgeneralizations and judgments.Purpose. Basing on current studies of the socio-political activity of the peasantry during the UkrainianRevolution and on the latest assessments of the peasant’shistorical  actions, the  authors aim  to study  theestablished terminology, to examine the relevance of itsapplication to the designation of events that occurred inhistory.Results. During the Ukrainian Revolution, thepeasantry was an active participant in the social andpolitical life of the state in the struggle for agrarianchange. If in early 1917 the government did not set itselfthe task of solving the agrarian problems of the village,then after the declaration of the peasantry as a full memberof public life, the authorities resorted to various formsand methods not only to solve agrarian problems butalso to curb peasant resistance. Political requirementswere added to the agrarian demands of the peasantry asearly as 1918. Confirmation of the change in the socio-political activity of the peasantry is its slogan: from “Earthand freedom” in 1917 to “Independence of the state” inearly 1920. In historiography, the terminology clearlydefined to denote such actions of the peasantry: from“speeches” and “riots” in 1917 and the “uprising” in1918 — 1919 to “banditry” in 1920 — 1921.Conclusion. According to the results of the study,we offer the following criteria for determining the socio-political activity of the peasantry during the UkrainianRevolution of 1917-1921: the organization; the intensityof the course; the number of participants; rationality/irrationality of participants’ actions; the activity ofactions; the focus on solving the problem.

Source: Pasichna Y., Kyryliuk Ye., Berestovyy A. (2019) The socio-political activity of the peasantry during the Ukrainian revolution of 1917-1921: speeches, insurgency or banditry? Ukrainian Peasant. №21: 101-108

Source web-site: http://ukr-selianyn-ejournal.cdu.edu.ua/article/view/3424/3640