insuperable obstacles in the way of the socialisation of agriculture. As regards the poor peasants, the proletarian and semi-proletarian strata of these have to a considerable extent, thanks to the revolution, been raised into the stratum of the middle peasants; nevertheless, the stratum of the poor peasants still constitutes a main prop of the proletarian dictatorship. It was owing to the alliance with the poor peasants that the Soviet Power was enabled to deal some sturdy blows against the rich peasants, and to detach the middle peasants from the rich peasants. The communist mentality of the poor peasants rendered it possible to create instruments of the Soviet Power in the rural regions, thereby bringing about the first important and decisive military mobilisation of the peasantry.3 Finally, up till now the poorer peasants have furnished most of the members of the communes and artels, and have actively assisted in the carrying out of the land decrees and of the other decrees of the Soviet Power.
The most important task of the Communist Party, as far as concerns the poor peasants, is to put an end to the disintegration that has affected this stratum since the dissolution of its committees. The best of all ways will be to unite the poor peasants upon the basis of production. Their influence in village life