Got Food?
In genocides there is almost always resistance, someone standing up to leaders, the victims fighting the perpetrators, or riots. But what if you're too weak to do so, and no one can help you? In the Holodomor, there was no retaliation or resistance to the Russian government. People were literally starving to death in the streets, but no one fought back. When you're starving, you don't have the strength to fight back. Your only fight is the fight for survival.
At the beginning of the Holodomor, Stalin sent armies into Ukraine to take all of the possessions from Ukrainians, down to every grain of wheat: "The authorities have confiscated it, removed from the villages, loaded grain into the railway coaches….All the vegetable gardens, all the cellars were raked out and everything was taken away." (Rafalsk) The Ukrainians were left with nothing. The fields were watched over by soldiers, and anyone caught trying to steal grain was shot on the spot.
The Kulaks, a richer class of farmers, were accused by Stalin, of organizing the sabotage of grain collection. Stalin required the "Expropriation and eviction subject all firmly established kulaks and kulak individuals from rural and urban areas edges, and fists, breaking into collective farms and state farms, industrial enterprises and the Soviet-cooperative institutions." (Liquidation of Kulaks as a Class) Stalin believed the Kulaks were a threat to his ideal Russia and that they were organizing rebellions against him. He ordered the class to be liquidated, and for all of their possessions to be taken.
Ukraine was made into a giant concentration camp; no one was allowed in and no one could leave. Stalin introduced, "A system of internal passports prevented Ukrainians from leaving their towns and villages. Thus villagers were not able to cross the border and escape the torment by fleeing to other countries." (United Human Rights Council) People who attempted to leave were executed. Stalin was so systematic in his killing; he killed over 8 million people while he was back behind his desk in Russia.
People were so hungry in Ukraine they would eat anything they could find: "We collected grass, goose-foot, burdocks, rotten potatoes and made pancakes, soups from putrid beans or nettles… Collected gley from the trees and ate it, ate sparrows, pigeons, cats, dead and live dogs." (Rafalsk) People didn't care, they only wanted to survive, some people even resorted to cannibalism, eating their own children. Of course those who resorted to cannibalism were arrested or executed. People were not interested in fighting back, only with finding the littlest amount of food.
Stalin was using the Ukrainians as part of his five year plan. He planned for Russia to become one of the biggest world super powers. One step towards this plan was to take the grain that was produced and then sell it in Europe. He was able to sell it at an unreasonably low price because he got free labor. Russia harvested "…a grand and overflowing total of 89,800,000 metric tons (3,323,000.000 bushels). In wheat, again according to Izvestia, Russian production was nearly double that of the U. S. in 1933," (Russia: Starvation and Surplus) All of the other countries believed that it was impossible for the Ukrainians to be starving when there was such a surplus of food in the market. Because of this the Ukrainians continued to starve without any outside help.
Once the US and other countries caught wind of the man-made famine they attempted to send grain to Ukraine. But every time they sent food over, "…all food shipments were denied at the border by Soviet authorities. Following the Soviet Union’s policy of denying any allegations having to do with the Famine, all outside assistance was refused." (United Human Rights Council) When the countries kept trying he threatened to stop buying goods from them. The countries stopped trying, believing that Stalin was telling the truth.
When looking for resistance in the Holodomor, the closest you'll get is finding something about someone not killing others, but still talking about how Kulaks were to be abolished. Stalin was so systematic in his killing of the Ukrainians, that they were not able to rebel. Stalin was able to turn one of our greatest resources into a weapon. Food is an essential part of sustaining life; you wouldn't think that it could be a weapon used against others. If taken away it can turn into just that, a weapon that can destroy millions of people in one winter. When you're starving, you only care about finding food; a bird or a grain of wheat hidden by a mouse. That is your only fight.
Bibliography-
"Eyewitness Accounts:." Holodomor Eyewitness Accounts. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2013.
"Russia: Starvation & Surplus." Time Magazine 22 Jan. 1934: 1-2. Time Magazine. Time Magazine. Web. 24 Jan. 2013.
"Ukraine Famine." United Human Rights Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.
United Soviet Socialist Republic. West Siberian Regional Executive Committee. On Liquidation of the Kulaks as a Class. N.p.: n.p., 1931. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.
"Ukraine Famine." United Human Rights Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.
At the beginning of the Holodomor, Stalin sent armies into Ukraine to take all of the possessions from Ukrainians, down to every grain of wheat: "The authorities have confiscated it, removed from the villages, loaded grain into the railway coaches….All the vegetable gardens, all the cellars were raked out and everything was taken away." (Rafalsk) The Ukrainians were left with nothing. The fields were watched over by soldiers, and anyone caught trying to steal grain was shot on the spot.
The Kulaks, a richer class of farmers, were accused by Stalin, of organizing the sabotage of grain collection. Stalin required the "Expropriation and eviction subject all firmly established kulaks and kulak individuals from rural and urban areas edges, and fists, breaking into collective farms and state farms, industrial enterprises and the Soviet-cooperative institutions." (Liquidation of Kulaks as a Class) Stalin believed the Kulaks were a threat to his ideal Russia and that they were organizing rebellions against him. He ordered the class to be liquidated, and for all of their possessions to be taken.
Ukraine was made into a giant concentration camp; no one was allowed in and no one could leave. Stalin introduced, "A system of internal passports prevented Ukrainians from leaving their towns and villages. Thus villagers were not able to cross the border and escape the torment by fleeing to other countries." (United Human Rights Council) People who attempted to leave were executed. Stalin was so systematic in his killing; he killed over 8 million people while he was back behind his desk in Russia.
People were so hungry in Ukraine they would eat anything they could find: "We collected grass, goose-foot, burdocks, rotten potatoes and made pancakes, soups from putrid beans or nettles… Collected gley from the trees and ate it, ate sparrows, pigeons, cats, dead and live dogs." (Rafalsk) People didn't care, they only wanted to survive, some people even resorted to cannibalism, eating their own children. Of course those who resorted to cannibalism were arrested or executed. People were not interested in fighting back, only with finding the littlest amount of food.
Stalin was using the Ukrainians as part of his five year plan. He planned for Russia to become one of the biggest world super powers. One step towards this plan was to take the grain that was produced and then sell it in Europe. He was able to sell it at an unreasonably low price because he got free labor. Russia harvested "…a grand and overflowing total of 89,800,000 metric tons (3,323,000.000 bushels). In wheat, again according to Izvestia, Russian production was nearly double that of the U. S. in 1933," (Russia: Starvation and Surplus) All of the other countries believed that it was impossible for the Ukrainians to be starving when there was such a surplus of food in the market. Because of this the Ukrainians continued to starve without any outside help.
Once the US and other countries caught wind of the man-made famine they attempted to send grain to Ukraine. But every time they sent food over, "…all food shipments were denied at the border by Soviet authorities. Following the Soviet Union’s policy of denying any allegations having to do with the Famine, all outside assistance was refused." (United Human Rights Council) When the countries kept trying he threatened to stop buying goods from them. The countries stopped trying, believing that Stalin was telling the truth.
When looking for resistance in the Holodomor, the closest you'll get is finding something about someone not killing others, but still talking about how Kulaks were to be abolished. Stalin was so systematic in his killing of the Ukrainians, that they were not able to rebel. Stalin was able to turn one of our greatest resources into a weapon. Food is an essential part of sustaining life; you wouldn't think that it could be a weapon used against others. If taken away it can turn into just that, a weapon that can destroy millions of people in one winter. When you're starving, you only care about finding food; a bird or a grain of wheat hidden by a mouse. That is your only fight.
Bibliography-
"Eyewitness Accounts:." Holodomor Eyewitness Accounts. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2013.
"Russia: Starvation & Surplus." Time Magazine 22 Jan. 1934: 1-2. Time Magazine. Time Magazine. Web. 24 Jan. 2013.
"Ukraine Famine." United Human Rights Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.
United Soviet Socialist Republic. West Siberian Regional Executive Committee. On Liquidation of the Kulaks as a Class. N.p.: n.p., 1931. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.
"Ukraine Famine." United Human Rights Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.