The Ripple Effect
Causes of the Ukrainian Famine 1932-1933
The Ripple Effect
Causes of the Ukrainian Famine 1932-1933

TABLE OF CONTENTS: * Introduction * Five Year Plan * Collectivization * The Human Factor * Conclusion

Introduction

Investigation into the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-33 should be closed due to a lack of evidence of criminal culpability. Every action and decision that a person or a government makes has a cause and effect. It is called the ripple effect. In any given society the ripple effect causes second and third order effects. Sacrifices were made in order to make Russia the superpower it is today. Unfortunately, in regards to the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933, people were the sacrifices. Investigating archives that have been made available since the collapse of the U.S.S.R in 1991, eyewitness accounts, and other sources evidence suggest that three main causes lead to the Ukrainian Famine. Joseph Stalins’ implementation of his proposed five year plan, beginning in 1927-1932, laid the foundation for what become known as the Ukrainian Famine. The implementation of the five year plan caused a ripple effect that was felt throughout Russia, especially in the Ukraine. The Ukrainian Famine took place prior to World War II happening. Another factor that led to the famine was the collectivization of farms and agriculture. Policies were implemented to ensure that Russia could produce and provide enough grain, crops, and meat to supply the urban areas. Finally the third factor is the human factor. Desperate times call for desperate matters. People will do what they need to do to survive. However, when those desperate matters contradict what the law states then there will once again be a ripple effect with second and third order effects.
Five Year Plan Joseph Stalin was the architect of the Five Year Plan. The plane was a set of economic goals that would not only benefit the economy, but also pave the the way for Russia to become more industrialized. Stalin believed that Russia needed to be self sufficient and strongly believed in ‘’Socialism in One Country.’’ Socialism in one countries main concept and belief was that building up the industrial base and military force prior to expanding Russian borders and communism. Stalin knew that in order to grow Russia into a superpower that a plan needed to be in place. The basic outline of the five year plan was to set goals in items such as steel, iron, machine tools, electric power, transportation, and farming equipment. Stalins belief was that with the rapid movement towards industrialization that Russia would be able to defend itself from the western countries or any other countries that may want to invade. One of the second order effects of this rapid increase in production however led to unforeseen punishments. Some workers who worked in the factories and farmland were unable to meet the increased demand. Those workers who did not meet the goals established at their place of employment were humiliated and criticized publicly by supervisors and employees. The third order effect from this form of reprimand ‘’led to even more repressive measures being introduced. Records were kept of workers' lateness, absenteeism and bad workmanship. If the worker's record was poor, he was accused of trying to sabotage the Five Year Plan and if found guilty could be shot or sent to work as forced labour on the Baltic Sea Canal or the Siberian Railway.’’ Stalin was a leader that believed in Russia and believed in making Russia a superpower. With any strong leader there are core beliefs that direct a persons actions, Stalin was no different. Stalin believed that the reason that Russia was always invaded and attacked was because Russia lacked a sense of urgency in comparison to the other superpowers of their time, especially the western powers. Stalin tried to motivate, or as some see it, force motivate its people into catching up with the rest of the world. One such quote from Stalin validates this belief. "No comrades... the pace must not be slackened! On the contrary, we must quicken it as much as is within our powers and possibilities. To slacken the pace would mean to lag behind; and those who lag behind are beaten.’’ This quote shows Stalin’s strong sense of nationalism and pride in Russia. Collectivization Collectivization was another key element in the five year plan and another reason that the Ukrainian Famine happened. Collectivization is the process of the government uniting all of the farmlands under the control of the state. The state then would dictate what type of animals were raised, how many animals were authorized based on acreage, the type of crops to be grown, and established goals for harvest. The state would also decide how much workers would be paid and how much their crops would be sold to a consumer. The second and third order effects from this discussion is what ultimately set in motion the Ukrainian Famine. Collectivization was established and authorized under Stalin to once again provide for his goal of industrialization. In 1929, year two of the five year plan, on about 4% of the farms were under the governments control. By 1931 over about 91% of the farms were now controlled by the government. Some of the effects of this rapid authorization by Stalin to gain control of the farmlands in order to establish goals once again led to unforeseen punishments. Farmers who resisted were thrown out of their homes, exiled, imprisoned, and even executed. Resistance to collectivization happened because of a few reasons. One reason is because in many cases farmers were given unrealistic goals to meet, unrealistic crops to grow in a particular region, and because of wages and profits that farmers were no longer getting from the production of their crops. The farmers had no say in how or what they grew. Based on Stalins beliefs though, sacrifices had to be made to ensure Russia could catch up with the rest of the world in regards to making Russia a super power. Prior to and during collectivization farmers and peasants who had more then their neighbors and were able to hire laborers were considered ‘’kulaks.’’ This group of people were treated the worse by Stalin and government officials. Kulaks were the rich and wealthy land owners who did not want to see their way of life disrupted. Many of the Kulaks were exiled, forced into laborer camps, or executed. Some Kulaks would rather kill their livestock, burn their homes, and do what ever it took to ensure Stalin did not get his way. Deportations was another way of getting rid of the Kulaks. Many were forced to leave and move to population controlled settlements. Once a month they would have to report to the central office of the settlement to be accounted for as well as their families. This dark period became known as the dekulakization. Some scholars argue that this was a form of punishment or a way to get rid of those who influence and oppose others to stand against Stalin and his plan, but with the Stalins character, beliefs, and vision as Russia as a super power those claims can be disputed. Once again it is demonstrated that sacrifices had to be made in order to revolutionize Russia.
The Human Factor The third and final factor in regards to the Ukrainian Famine was the human factor. Stalins plan, collectivization of farmland, mental stress put on laborers, and methods towards handling of issues that arose because of the ripple effect were the most influential of the three factors leading up to the Ukrainian Famine. Resistance grew towards the government and the peasants once the government started to seize control of the farmlands. Some acts that were carried out were theft, burning of equipment, killing of animals, and even attacks on government officials. Some people refused to work because they did not agree with the wages received versus the time spent working. In any society this could be labeled as a revolution or uprising. Stricter punishments had to be given out in order to neutralize the situation before it tore Russia apart from inside its own borders. One such provision was that all collectivization farms had to had first to settle with the State according to a quota issued from above’ and only after that would the workers be remunerated.’’ This caused many issues because by 1931areas such as the Ukraine were not meeting their quotas. The quotas were to high, work force was not properly nourished because of the food and grain shortages, and people as a whole were worn out. Local government officials believed that workers were hiding food and deliberately missing the state quotas so they took action. In some cases people were hiding food but that was out of desperation to survive. Borders were closed in order to regulate travel and mitigate the smuggling of food across borders. Passports were withheld by the government so people were unable to leave Ukraine and other territories in Russia. Special troops were also brought in to conduct searches of houses, land, and people for contraband, especially food.Those found in violation of trying to evade or smuggle food were dealt with by the courts and either imprisoned or executed. Once again many scholars say that Stalin was to blame but that can be disputed on grounds of interpretation of his orders. Such evidence exists that the Ukraine made their quota for 1930, by emptying all its grain reserves which left the workers weakened and malnourished. The government did not take this into account though and ‘’further increased the quota for the 1931 harvest to a quite impossibly high level. At the end of 1931, not a single village in the Ukraine had a chance to achieve the high grain quota set by the government.’’ This may or may not have been deliberate, but by 1932 the threat of famine was emerging. After a report by the agricultural commissioner outside aid and supplies, to include grain, were allowed back into the Ukraine. This evidence shows that the government was trying to avoid a famine. However, due to the demand and the ever growing goal of industrializing Russia, the supplies were again cut off from the Ukraine in order to maintain levels of effectiveness. By the fall of 1932 the Ukraine Famine was in full swing and the people began suffering and dying of starvation. From 1932 to 1933 the famine not only affected the Ukraine but also other parts of Russia. The Ukraine however had the most causalities from the famine. Stories of those that had survived the famine still live on to this day. Many people in the Ukraine and Russia as a whole were desperate. Desperate to survive and desperate for their families to survive many people lived in unbearable circumstances. People tried to go to neighboring cities to find food and work but starved and thin many died. There are stories of people lining the railways begging for food only they were not the only ones and many of those perished as well. The Ukraine was still able to provide food for the state instituted quotas but one major problem throughout Russia was the transportation system. The railways had not been efficient enough to import and export food to the territories and people that needed it most. Because of this much of the food harvested was left to rot and go bad while people waited desperately for it only to perish. Stories and eyewitness accounts from the Ukraine were grim and unbearable. One story told of how ‘’most peasant families had five or six children, and some mothers killed their weakest children in order to feed the others.’’ Others told of families going mad and not understanding what they were doing such as killing their children and loved ones so others could survive. As stated, desperate times call for desperate measures. The Ukraine thought they were being abandoned by their government and Stalin, but evidence shows that this famine was all over Russia and not just an isolated event. Human nature is to survive by any means available, even the unthinkable such as eating human flesh. Conclusion In conclusion, there are always two sides of a story. One side of the story points to Stalin starving the Ukraine as a political move to eliminate the opposition. The other side of the story is that the famine that had killed, somewhere between 3 million and 8 million people throughout the Ukraine and Russia in 1932-1933, was because they were part of a bigger vision that Stalin had had for Russia. As shown by his character and his policies he wanted Russia to become a superpower. As stated, Stalin felt that Russia was behind in the industrial revolution that so many other countries in the west thrived in. He want to ensure that he was able to provide the means necessary for Russia to survive at all cost. His plan of collectivization was to ensure that supplies and food were available to all in order to support that vision. Finally, the human factor and mind will always provide second and third order effects. The mind, depending on what side you were on, will either blame Stalin or make you think that there was a conspiracy. As evidence shows, the ripple effect, the second, and third order effects from policies had laid the foundation for the famine to occur and for so many people to perish.