8 stages of genocide (continued)
4. Organization
Stalin's "dekulakization" policy was formally launched in 1930. From that point on, Ukrainian villages were to be torn apart and peace could not be stored for centuries. More than 10 million Ukrainian farmers, being classified as the Kulaks, would see their life and existence come to a complete end.
Stalin's "dekulakization" policy was formally launched in 1930. From that point on, Ukrainian villages were to be torn apart and peace could not be stored for centuries. More than 10 million Ukrainian farmers, being classified as the Kulaks, would see their life and existence come to a complete end.
In mid-January 1930, a Politburo commission led by V. M. Molotov was assigned the task of planning a detailed nation-wide campaign against the Kulaks. They reviewed all of the documents from the previous year and the first group of Holodomor victims, referred to as the "counter-revolutionary kulak activ", were highlighted. On the 30th day of this month, the commission passed out a secret decree called "Concerning Measures for the Liquidation of Kulak Farms in Districts of Wholesale Collectivization" to its branches in cities, towns, and villages. This order from government took away the mobility rights of the suspects and prohibited them from selling any property. This was the first organized attack on the Kulaks. In order to not bring the entire public into chaos, the decree limited the action to only 3 to 5 percent of the local Kulak population. The entire mission affected more than 60,000 families country-wide, with around 1/4 of them being Ukrainians.
It took approximately another half year for a second decree to be passed. The "kulak activ" was the group being targeted this time. More than 50,000 families throughout the U.S.S.R. were forced to leave their homes and deported to the Northern Territory, Siberia, the Urals or Kazakhstan within three months. Approximately 35,000 households were from Soviet Ukraine. These families were only allowed to take few household items with them along with no more than 500 Russian Ruble (approximately 970 USD at the time).
It took approximately another half year for a second decree to be passed. The "kulak activ" was the group being targeted this time. More than 50,000 families throughout the U.S.S.R. were forced to leave their homes and deported to the Northern Territory, Siberia, the Urals or Kazakhstan within three months. Approximately 35,000 households were from Soviet Ukraine. These families were only allowed to take few household items with them along with no more than 500 Russian Ruble (approximately 970 USD at the time).
Shortly after this incident, the commission organized another suppression against the third group of successful farmers- the "non-hostile kulaks". Properties of the third group were confiscated and individuals were to be relocated into concentrated settlement sites located far away from collective farms but still in reach of the districts. At there, the victims were forced to work on local construction sites (i.e. building roadways) and forestry.
More groups were classified in the following decades, Stalin used more and more brutal measures to safeguard his communist fortress. |
5. Polarization
Between the year of 1932 and 1933, the Soviet government introduced a law which exponentially increased Ukrainian production quotas. The margin line was purposefully set so that none of the families could meet the expectation. Consequently, starvation was at a rise. Furthermore, the government enforced another devastating, discriminatory policy. Military blockades, like barbed wires, were set up around many Ukrainian villages intentionally interfering food transportation and preventing starving residents from flooding to other towns for food.
Between the year of 1932 and 1933, the Soviet government introduced a law which exponentially increased Ukrainian production quotas. The margin line was purposefully set so that none of the families could meet the expectation. Consequently, starvation was at a rise. Furthermore, the government enforced another devastating, discriminatory policy. Military blockades, like barbed wires, were set up around many Ukrainian villages intentionally interfering food transportation and preventing starving residents from flooding to other towns for food.
Nina Poppvych, a genocide survivor, said the following lines during an interview.
"They were horrible years! Mothers were slicing their children and sticking them in pots to cook them, and then ate them. My mother went into the field where some horses were dying and brought back a horse's head. About five women bit into this horse's head...". In the fall of 1932 and the early winter of 1933, the Russian Communist government had taken away the entire agricultural production from the Ukrainian farmers in order to teach them a "meaningful" lesson on obedience and collectivization. |
6. Preparation
In the Summer of 1933, the U.S.S.R exported more than 1.7 million tons of grain produced by the Ukrainians to European countries. These food were in fact being dumped into the western market at a fire-sale, bargain price. The profits generated from these sales were funneled into Stalin's Five Year Plan to completely instill communism ideas and beliefs into the country. When the news of famine spread across the oceans and reached Ukrainian communities in countries like USA and Canada, international efforts had sent grain supplies to support the starving population. Nonetheless, all food shipments were stopped by Stalin before entering the Russian border. U.S.S.R also formally announced that the country was not experiencing any sort of famine and therefore foreign aid was not required at the moment. Journalists were also banned from Soviet Ukraine and individuals who helped to spread the "rumor" of starvation were immediately put to death.
Despite of oppositions from Ukrainian government officials, Stalin once again raised the quotas. Totalitarian methods of governing eventually caused resistance among Ukrainian independent farmers. For instance, more than 4098 riots involving over 1.2 million people took place in Ukraine in 1930. In the North Caucasus, where Ukrainians made up the majority of the population, 1061 cases of riots including approximately 250 thousand participants were recorded. However, the U.S.S.R. had done an exceptional job sealing information from leaking to the outside world. These statistics were finally revealed after Ukraine gained independence in 1991. Ultimately, the public and the world had little or almost no awareness on this artificial famine during the time. Stalin followers genuinely believed that poor weather was responsible for causing deaths among Ukrainian territories and the government had put in a lot of effort in keeping this region alive.
At the same time, local activist groups- known as the "brigades"- were formed in Ukrainian villages and towns. These "specialists" went from house to house, day after day, searching for hidden food. Homes, attics, cellars and all farm buildings, barns, stables, pens and stacks had all became their targets. A pamphlet including detailed instructions on finding grains out of hidden places was distributed to each and every member. For example, brigades would measure the thickness of the wall to find if there was grain concealed in between. They were even allowed to disassemble the entire structure if necessary and they were not responsible for any damages made. Individuals who were proven guilty were immediately imprisoned and subjected to non-stopping interrogations with beatings, burning, and semi-naked confinement in windowless, cold cells. Eventually, even a rumor or finger-pointing could throw someone into jail. Most of the victims were beaten directly to death and would never have a chance to see the outside world again.
In the Summer of 1933, the U.S.S.R exported more than 1.7 million tons of grain produced by the Ukrainians to European countries. These food were in fact being dumped into the western market at a fire-sale, bargain price. The profits generated from these sales were funneled into Stalin's Five Year Plan to completely instill communism ideas and beliefs into the country. When the news of famine spread across the oceans and reached Ukrainian communities in countries like USA and Canada, international efforts had sent grain supplies to support the starving population. Nonetheless, all food shipments were stopped by Stalin before entering the Russian border. U.S.S.R also formally announced that the country was not experiencing any sort of famine and therefore foreign aid was not required at the moment. Journalists were also banned from Soviet Ukraine and individuals who helped to spread the "rumor" of starvation were immediately put to death.
Despite of oppositions from Ukrainian government officials, Stalin once again raised the quotas. Totalitarian methods of governing eventually caused resistance among Ukrainian independent farmers. For instance, more than 4098 riots involving over 1.2 million people took place in Ukraine in 1930. In the North Caucasus, where Ukrainians made up the majority of the population, 1061 cases of riots including approximately 250 thousand participants were recorded. However, the U.S.S.R. had done an exceptional job sealing information from leaking to the outside world. These statistics were finally revealed after Ukraine gained independence in 1991. Ultimately, the public and the world had little or almost no awareness on this artificial famine during the time. Stalin followers genuinely believed that poor weather was responsible for causing deaths among Ukrainian territories and the government had put in a lot of effort in keeping this region alive.
At the same time, local activist groups- known as the "brigades"- were formed in Ukrainian villages and towns. These "specialists" went from house to house, day after day, searching for hidden food. Homes, attics, cellars and all farm buildings, barns, stables, pens and stacks had all became their targets. A pamphlet including detailed instructions on finding grains out of hidden places was distributed to each and every member. For example, brigades would measure the thickness of the wall to find if there was grain concealed in between. They were even allowed to disassemble the entire structure if necessary and they were not responsible for any damages made. Individuals who were proven guilty were immediately imprisoned and subjected to non-stopping interrogations with beatings, burning, and semi-naked confinement in windowless, cold cells. Eventually, even a rumor or finger-pointing could throw someone into jail. Most of the victims were beaten directly to death and would never have a chance to see the outside world again.