When Stalin Starved 4 Million Ukrainians

TL;DR

The man-made famine known as Holodomor was a deliberate attack on the Ukrainian population by Joseph Stalin, resulting in the death of millions of people.

Transcript

the truth of hollow demore the starvation started in the spring of 33 sometime near the end of February a terrible starvation started because they were putting the squeeze on us even if someone went to get something they'd then take it all right away even if someone scrounged up a handful of millet tossed it in water and boiled it in a pot they'd s... Read More

Key Insights

• 👊 Holodomor was a deliberate attack on the Ukrainian population by Joseph Stalin to bring them under his control.
• 🥺 Collectivization stripped Ukrainian farmers of their autonomy and property, leading to mass confiscation and starvation.
• 🦻 Stalin's policies, including deportation, blockades, and misinformation, prevented aid from reaching the famine-stricken regions.
• 👯 Holodomor resulted in absolute starvation, forcing people to resort to desperate measures such as cannibalism.

Questions & Answers

Q: Was the Holodomor famine deliberate or an unfortunate consequence of Stalin's policy?

Initially, historians debated this issue due to limited information, but as more evidence came to light, it became clear that Holodomor was a deliberate attack by Stalin to bring Ukraine under his control.

Q: What was collectivization, and how did it contribute to the famine?

Collectivization was the removal of individual ownership of farms and property, assimilating them into a larger collective. This policy deprived Ukrainian farmers of their autonomy and led to the seizure of grain, livestock, and property.

Q: How did Stalin alienate and differentiate the farmers?

Stalin used the term "kulak" to refer to the farmers, separating them from the rest of society. He divided the kulaks into three categories and worked toward eliminating them as a class through deportation, confiscation of property, and imposing harsh quotas.

Q: How did Stalin prevent aid from reaching the famine-stricken regions?

Stalin implemented a blockade that prevented peasants from leaving Ukraine and blacklisted entire regions, denying them aid from within and outside the USSR. This campaign of misinformation concealed the true devastation of Holodomor.

Key Insights:

• Holodomor was a deliberate attack on the Ukrainian population by Joseph Stalin to bring them under his control.
• Collectivization stripped Ukrainian farmers of their autonomy and property, leading to mass confiscation and starvation.
• Stalin's policies, including deportation, blockades, and misinformation, prevented aid from reaching the famine-stricken regions.
• Holodomor resulted in absolute starvation, forcing people to resort to desperate measures such as cannibalism.
• The strict propaganda machine of the USSR and the banning of the word "famine" have made it difficult to determine the exact number of deaths, but estimates range from 5 to 11 million people.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Holodomor, the man-made famine of 1932-1933, resulted in millions of deaths in Ukraine due to Stalin's policies.

• Stalin implemented collectivization, stripping Ukrainian farmers of their autonomy and using the word "kulak" to refer to them.

• Through grain appropriation, deportation, and blockades, Stalin caused absolute starvation, leaving Ukrainians with nothing.