Agriculture played a fundamental role in the success and failure of many social policies implemented during the 20th century, such as the five-year plans and collectivization. The importance of the countryside is due to the need to provide for the growth of the urban population and the fact that a large part of Soviet society, mostly women, resided in this area. This meant that women were a key part in all aspects of agriculture in the Soviet countryside. The government realized this and promoted women in the workplace as heroes and role models, as well as enacted progressive family codes to improve women's position in society. However, this has not changed society's attitude, especially in more rural areas. This was evident in the fact that women were expected to continue doing household chores if they worked and in the amount of discrimination women faced at home and in the workplace. Rural women were limited to the lowest-paying jobs that usually required the heaviest manual labor. High positions in the workforce were extremely difficult for women to achieve, except during wartime. The position of rural women in Soviet society was extremely important, thanks to their hard work and perseverance the Soviet Union managed to survive especially during the devastating wars, so it is important to understand their role in the countryside. After the October Revolution of 1917, Soviet society was radically changed in the countryside. Before the revolution, the countryside was made up of family plots that allowed them to sustain themselves. On these family farms, women worked alongside men from a young age. The self-sufficient family plot was one in which each family member had his share of the work. However… half the card… it would not be possible to replace or repair it because all resources were redirected to the war effort. The 1941 harvest was carried out entirely by hand. (Denisova 2010, 18) Women were a major factor in keeping the country afloat during World War II, without their selfless efforts to provide for the nation, the USSR would not have been able to come out of the war doing much better than the countries such as France and Italy. Despite being seen as inferior to men in the countryside, women were able to work in harsh conditions to support their families. Even through radical changes, women played a central role in agriculture and therefore in the progress of industrialization. Especially in wartime and during the Five Year Plans, women were able to demonstrate their ability to exceed the expectations of their male colleagues and work tirelessly..