The Ukranian Famine: Starvation (1932-33)

Figure 1.--

One of the greatest crimes of the Stalinist era was horific famine in the Ukraine. The famine area included both the Ukraine and the Soviet northern Caucasus, as well as Russian areas in the lower Volga River basin. Famines are historically primarily the results of natural events such as drought, heat, diseases, insect infestations, and other natural causes. The Ukranian famine was primarily caused by Stalin's program of collectiving Soviet agriulture, especially the forced collectivization of the Ukraine. Stalin decided to raise the Ukraine's grain procurement quotas by 45 percent (1932). Here we do not know precisely why. Perhaps he thought the Ukranian Kulaks were attempting to sabatoge collevtivization. Perhaps he wanted to destroy a center of resistance to his authority. What ever the reasons, raising quotas so significantly at a time when production was declining meant thsat the Ukraine despite its productive agriculture woukd not be able to feed its own population. Soviet law required that a collective's production first be provided to the state to meet the quota set before any grain was provided to the collective workers. Here Party officils led by Lazar Kaganovich, the NKVD, as well as Red Army troops as well as Comosol youth were deployed to ensure the harvested grain was delivered to the state and no grain was held back. This meant that millions of peasant workers were thus condemned to starve. Collectives who duid not deliver their quota, which meant virtually all, were visited by the security forces. The grain was consfiscated. Home and other possible hiding plces were searched. The farmers were not even allowed to keep seed grain. Any one found taking grain, even small amounts, were executed or deported. Authorites often arrested those who did not appearing to be starving, assuming that they were stealing and hording grain. Peasants from villages without food were not allowed to leave. The NKVD and a system of internal passports prevented starning peasants from seeking food elsewhere. As people starved they often became insane or delusional before finally sucuming. Nor were there any efforts on the part of the Soviet Government to said those affected by the famine. Millions of Ukranians, many of them children, died in the famine. No one knows how many died. Historians estimate the death toll during 1932-33 at 6-7 million people. Some estimtes are as high as 10 million. The range of the estimates here are very large. There is no real way of knowing. The only source of statistics is the Soviet Government, the very same Government which engineered the famine in the first place. It would be like asking the NAZIs to publically reveal how many Jews they killed

Soviet Agricultural Quotas (1932)

Stalin's policy of all-out collectivization was design to gain control over the agricultural sector to finance industrialization (1929). Stalin achieved much of the cintrol he sought, bu the resuklt wwas a disastrous decline in agricultural productivity. This was not what was susposed to happen. Collectivizatuon was susposed to increase production. Both Marxist ideology and steps toward mechanjization made possible by colldctivization was expected to increase productivity. As neither Marxist ideologyb orc Stalin's policies could be questioned, blame had to be found elsewhere. And the blame was placed on the peasant, especially the Ukranian peasants. They were a convient target because they were already seen as a susoectv population. Despite the harvest short falls, Stalin raised Ukraine's grain procurement quotas by an astonishing 44 percentv (1932). his meant that there would not be enough grain to feed the peasants, since Soviet law required that no grain from a collective farm could be allocated to the collective members the offical quota was fully met. Stalin's quota decision and the methods he used to implement it condemned millions of Ukranian and other peasants to death by starvation.

Geographic Area

The deadly famine area included the richest agricultural lands of the Soviet Union both the Ukraine and the Soviet northern Caucasus, as well as Russian areas in the lower Volga River basin. The heaviest production losses occurred in Ukraine, which had been the most productive agricultural area of the Soviet Union. We are not sure why this was. It could be that collectivization was pursue with great severity here or the Ukranian farmers resisted collectivization more.

Stalinist Policy

Famines are historically primarily the results of natural events such as drought, heat, diseases, insect infestations, and other natural causes. The Ukranian famine was primarily caused by Stalin's program of collectiving Soviet agriulture, especially the forced collectivization of the Ukraine. Here we do not know precisely why. Perhaps he thought the Ukranian Kulaks were attempting to sabatoge collevtivization. Perhaps he wanted to destroy a center of resistance to his authority. What ever the reasons, raising quotas so significantly at a time when production was declining meant that the Ukraine despite its productive agriculture would not be able to feed its own population.

Soviet Law

Soviet law required that a collective's production first be provided to the state to meet the quota set before any grain was provided to the collective workers.

Enforcement

Here Party officils led by Lazar Kaganovich, the NKVD, as well as Red Army troops as well as Comosol youth were deployed to ensure the harvested grain was delivered to the state and no grain was held back. Party officials waged a merciless war of grain seizures against the now collectivized peasantry. And collectivuztion meantv that it was easier to monitor and control their behavior. This meant that millions of peasant workers were thus condemned to starve. Collectives who did not deliver their quota, which meant virtually all, were visited by the security forces. The grain was consfiscated. Home and other possible hiding plces were searched. The farmers were not even allowed to keep seed grain. Anyone found taking grain, even small amounts, were executed or deported. This included children, women, and the eldeely. Authorites often arrested those who did not appearing to be starving, assuming that they were stealing and hording grain.

Internal Passports

Not only were peasants not allowed to consume the grain they grew abd havested, they were not allowed to leave thec farms to seek food. easants from villages without food were not allowed to leave. The NKVD and a system of internal passports prevented starning peasants from seeking food elsewhere.
Starving

As people starved they often became insane or delusional before finally sucuming. According to a Soviet author, "Before they died, people often lost their senses and ceased to be human beings."

Relief

Nor were there any efforts on the part of the Soviet Government to said those affected by the famine.

Death Toll

One of the greatest crimes of the Stalinist era was horific famine in the Ukraine. Millions of Ukranians, many of them children, died in the famine. No one knows how many died. Historians estimate the death toll during 1932-33 at 6-7 million people. Some estimtes are as high as 10 million. The range of the estimates here are very large. There is no real way of knowing. The only source of statistics is the Soviet Government, the very same Government which engineered the famine in the first place. It would be like asking the NAZIs to publically reveal how many Jews they killed. One of Stalin's slavish lieutenants in Ukraine stated in 1933 that the famine was a great success. It showed the peasants "who is the master here. It cost millions of lives, but the collective farm system is here to stay."

Created: 12:03 AM 7/10/2013
12:03 AM 7/10/20135:59 PM 7/9/2013