The Stalinist Era: The Ukranian Famine (1932-33)

Figure 1.--Millions died of starvation during the Civil War which disrupted agriculture. The situation got much worse in 1921 when a drought further reduced harvests. Millions of Russians were saved when the Blosheviks after winning the Civil War allowed relief supplies to reach stseving peasants. Most of the relief supplies came from America. A decade later Stalin engineered a famine in the Ukraine in which millions died. Soviet officials attempted to keep the famine from the Western press and no relief effort was permitted.

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. The Ukraine had been the bread basket of Russia. It was the prize sought by the Germans in two world wars. The rich, well watered soil made the Ukraine the most productive agrivcultural area of the Soviet Union. Two issues merged which resulted in dissaster for the Ukranian people. Not only did the Ukranian peasantry resist collectivization, but there was a strong Ukranian national spirit, especially in the western Ukraine. Stalin was determined to both bring agicultural under central control, but to crush Ukrainian nationalism at the same time. Stalin not only used the famine to crush the spirit of the Ukranisn peole, but he also purged the Ukrainian intelligentsia. Stalin even purged the Ukrainian Communist party. At the cost of millions of lives, many of them children, the famine succeedded in breaking any organized redsistance on the part of the peasantry to collectivization. Stalin's purges also succeeded in smashing the Ukranian national movement. Stalin's actions in the Ukraine were not without costs beyond the deaths of Ukranians. Agricultural production plummeted. Soviet agricultural became one of the most inefficent agricultural operations in the world. Stalin bought Ukranian agricultural under his control through collectivization, he also signicantly reduced the output of Soviet agriculture.

Bread Basket

The Ukraine had been the bread basket of Russia. The rich, well watered soil made the Ukraine the most productive agrivcultural area of the Soviet Union. The Ukraine is drained by the Bug, Snipper, and Donets Rivers. The fertile steppe of the southern Ukraine is one of the most iportant wheat producing areas in the world.

Treaty of Breast-Litovsk (1918)

The Ukraine was the prize sought by the Germans in two world wars. In both wars the Germans temporaily achieved control of the Ukraine. The Bldheviks pledged peace as part of threir program. After seizing power (October 1917) they approached the Germans seeking terms. They were horrified with the German demands, one of which was the separation of the Ukraine from Russuia and the creation of a German protecorate. The deteriorating military situation forced the Bolshevivks to accept the humilisting treaty. Only German defeat on the Western Front forced the Germans out of the Ukraine. The Armistice forced the Germans to abrogate the Treaty (November 11, 1918).

Civil War (1918-22)

Ukranian nationalidsts following the outbreak of the Russian Revolution declared independence. German defeat on the Western Front, hoever, meant that the Germans were no longer a major foirce. The Civil War in the Ukrsain was a sometimes confused struggle between Ukranian nsationalists, the Red Srmy, the White Srmy under Deniken, and the Poles. This was also complicated by Germnan and French intervention. The Red Army eventually emerged victorious, although some of the Western Urkraine was annexed by the Poles. Millions died of starvation during the Civil War which disrupted agriculture. The situation got much worse in 1921 when a drought further reduced harvests. Millions of Russians were saved when the Blosheviks after winning the Civil War allowed relief supplies to reach stseving peasants. Most of the relief supplies came from America.

Soviet Agriculture

Agricultural production after impressive gains durng the NEP of the 1920s declined in the 1930s. This was in sharp contrast to rising industrial production and wholly the result of Stalin's decession to end individual peasant propretorship (1929-31). Some authors mauintain that all-out collectivization was instituted to finance industrialization. If this was the primary goal, it was one of thee buggest failures in Soviet history. Production plummeted meaning less income was available to finance industrislizatioin. We do not fully understand Stalin's thought processes here. Perhsps he thought that collectivization would increase production. There may have been an element of idelogical purity involved. The organization of the collective proved useful in fighting the NAZI invasion. The principal reason, however, appears to be that private proprietors were an independent interest group outside his control and he wanted total control of not only the Sovet state, but of Soviet society as well.

Brutal Methods

The mechanisms used were brutal. Successful peasants were vilified as Kulaks. Most were forced into collectives others were deported to Siberia where many died.

Resisistance

Resistance flared. Many peeasants slaughtered their livestock rather than turn it over to the collectives. [Wells, pp. 960-961] The Soviet livestock industry did not recover until well after World War II.

Ukranian Resistance

Resistance was espcially pronounced in the Ukraine. and was brutally supressed by the NKVD. The center of resistance was the Ukraine.

The Famine (1932-33)

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 precidsely 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 significantkly 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 proivided to the collective workers. Here Party officils led buy Lazar Kaganovich, the NKVD, as well as Red Army troops 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 workers were not even allowed to keep seed grain. Any one found tking 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.

Stalin's Goals

Two issues merged which resulted in dissaster for the Ukranian people. Not only did the Ukranian peasantry resist collectivization, but there was a strong Ukranian national spirit, especially in the western Ukraine. Stalin was determined to both bring agicultural under central control, but to crush Ukrainian nationalism at the same time.

Ukranian Intelligentsia

Stalin not only used the famine to crush the spirit of the Ukranisn peole, but he also purged the Ukrainian intelligentsia. Stalin even purged the Ukrainian Communist party.

Starvation

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 knowuing. The only source of statistics is the Soviet Government, the very same Government which ingineered the famine in the first place. It would be like asking the NAZIs how many Jews they killed.

Colectivization

The famine engineered by Stalin succeedded in breaking any organized resistance on the part of the peasantry to collectivization.

Ukranian Nationalism

Stalin's purges also succeeded in smashing the Ukranian national movement.

Agricultural Production

Stalin's actions in the Ukraine were not without costs beyond the deaths of Ukranians. Agricultural production plummeted. Soviet agricultural became one of the most inefficent agricultural operations in the world. Stalin bought Ukranian agricultural under his control through collectivization, he also signicantly reduced the output of Soviet agriculture. This was mnot only a costly economic shift. The Soviets aldo had diffuivulty explaining the falling production. Communism was susposed to be a more efficent economic system. The Sovierts maintained that Cmmunism was a more scientific economic system. The fact that agrivcultural production plumeted was difficult to explin.

Sources

Wells, H.G. The Outline of History: The Hole Story of Man (Doubleday & Company: Ne York, 1971), 1103p.

Created: 5:47 PM 7/20/2004
Last updated: 5:48 PM 7/20/2004