Holodomor

Historical Outline

Russian Empire late to industrialization late to democratic reform citizens lacked rights enjoyed by most Europeans

Czar Nicholas II Russia not prepared for WWI problems on the front food riots broke out in the cities forced to abdicate in early 1917

Bolsheviks and Lenin overthrow provisional government and take control in November 1917

Civil War fighting takes place across the country against many groups opposed to Bolsheviks Bolsheviks ultimately win and consolidate power

War Communism and Famine no private property, nationalization of all industry, rationing of food government monopoly on foreign trade. War Communism & severe drought lead to 10 million deaths

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) created in 1922 Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (Ukrainian SSR) was one of the founding Republics

New Economic Policy introduced by Lenin to rejuvenate the economy embraced by many in Ukraine

Joseph Stalin ruled the Soviet Union rejected the NEP Stalinism was characterized by terror and totalitarian rule

Five Year Plans organized the economy peasants forced to give up land and join collective farms goal was to quickly industrialize needed to sell grain to buy parts

Peasants Reject Collectivization many burn their crops and livestock rather than hand them over

Kulaks Kulaks were the most successful farmers under the New Economic Policy Bolsheviks knew they would be the strongest opponents of collectivization They were 'eliminated' as a social class

Attack on Peasants those resisting collectivization are persecuted Kulaks are arrested, exiled, sent to prison, tortured or killed

Great Depression 1930s hardship around the world wheat prices to drop lower prices affected the first Five Year Plan government increased quotas

Food Becomes State Property On August 7, 1932 a law came into force that stipulated that all food was state property peasants unable to meet quotas were stripped of all foodstuffs

Starving Peasants forbidden to take food from the field forbidden to flee the region or leave the country shot for looking for food

Ukrainian Cities also saw famine as rations were cut off to many parts of the country urban workers were encouraged to see themselves as the leaders the revolution

Death By Famine By 1933, 25,000 were starving to death per day. Diseases were spreading incidents of cannibalism almost no one outside Ukrainian SSR knew