3A

Building the New Countryside: The establishment of JZD

The establishment of the JZD during the collectivisation period was accompanied by a massive campaign emphasising the economic benefits of collective farming. The regime promoted an optimistic vision of progress and modernisation, suggesting that a higher standard of living could be achieved through collective effort. To persuade the rural population, propaganda used comparative charts and distorted statistics to demonstrate the superiority of the JZD over 'backward' individual farming. Joining a cooperative was presented as the only rational way to secure the future, enabling the state to exert pressure on farmers' moral and social responsibility.