holodomor 10m

before the famine… 1917 and 1922

•In 1917 after the fall of the Russian Empire, Ukraine briefly gained freedom and became known as the Ukrainian National Republic.

• 1922: Ukraine was forcefully integrated into the Soviet Union, becoming the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic.

• Ukraine's society: Largely rural, self-reliant, and composed mainly of villagers and farmers.

what was ukrainian known for

•Ukraine was (and is) known for its’ superior farmland.

•It has some of the most fertile soil in the world.

•Due to the huge amount of grain produced there the area became known as the ‘Breadbasket of the Soviet Union’.

what was stalin afraid for and what was his goal

•At the time Stalin rose to power a distinctively Ukrainian culture and national identity was growing.

•Soviet leaders saw this as a threat and feared revolution.

•began a widespread, violent purge of intellectuals, priests and religious figures.

•The aim was to decapitate the leadership of the country.

5 year plan

• Five-Year Plans: Stalin initiated plans to rapidly industrialize the Soviet Union.

• Collectivization: To fund this, Stalin implemented collectivization, consolidating farms into large state-run operations.

• Control over agriculture: This plan gave Stalin complete control over Ukrainian agriculture.

what was the point of kulaks

•Those who resisted collectivization were labeled “kulaks”---a Russian term for a wealthy peasant.

•Kulaks were depicted as greedy exploiters, enemies of the state.

•The goal of this was to drive a wedge in Ukrainian society.

the start of the famine what did stalin do

• Stalin engineered a famine to punish resistant farmers.

• Unrealistic quotas: In 1931, Stalin set grain production quotas far beyond farmers' capacity.

• Grain confiscation: When quotas were not met, Stalin's men confiscated all available grain from farms.

in January 1933…

• Blacklisted villages: Farms and entire villages in Ukraine were blacklisted for missing grain quotas, searched for food, and denied supplies.

• Border closure: In January 1933, Stalin closed Ukraine's borders to prevent migration in search of food.

• Punishing escapees: Tens of thousands of Ukrainians attempting to flee were caught and sent back to starve.

how many died

4 million

how did stalin cover this up

censored news, denied, used words to downlplay it like food shortages and banned the press to come in, kill anyonee in his way, changed cause of death on certifies