Genocide in the Ukraine Famine, Essay Example

Introduction

The assertion put forward is that the “Artificial Famine/Genocide (Holodomor) in the Ukraine in 1932-33 was in fact an act of genocide by an oppressive Stalinist regime. This brutal period of oppression caused the death of millions of people, who in the  main were of ukranian  descent The international community accused Joseph Stalin  and Lazar Kaganovich as being the main drivers of  this act of genocide. The prime objective that resulted in this famine/genocide was to break the spirit of the Ukrainian farmer/peasant and force them into small groups.  The Communists wanted to both undermine and destroy the Ukranian culture  which they believed posed a threat to the Soviet State. They went about this in an extremely sadistic manner.  This was essentially a period of ethnic cleansing and the world was later to see similar events carried out in Rwanda and the Balkans.   Evidence is put forward that demonstrates that this was an act of ethnic cleansing in 132-33. On November 26th 2006 a large number of nations have formally accepted and acknowledged that the artificial famine (Holodomor) was in fact an act of premeditated mass murder (genocide).

The Build Up To Holodomor

The build-up leading to the artificial famine was instigated by the Stalinist regime in Russia.  The intention was to demoralize the largely peasant workforce  and as such push them into collectivization. This would essentially destroy the Ukrainian culture  and place them under the direct rule of the Centralist Stalin government.  The Stalinist Government had long perceived the large population of unsettled peasants as threat to Russia-Centric  soviet rule.  The final and ultimate objective being that of  ethnic cleansing over a vast region.

During 1932 the Soviet regime was responsible for increasing the grain purchase quota by some 44%.  They understood that such a high tariff would result in the Ukrainian people being unable to feed themselves as a result of a grain shortage.  The Soviets even went further by invoking  secret police units into the community and arresting any people hiding grain stock piles.  The police further instigated an internal passport system that prevented freedom of movement around the country. All stock piles of grain were strictly guarded by the Russian military under a virtual martial law situation.

The Case for Genocide

It is asserted that the acts of the Stalinist regime in 1932-33 created an artificial famine (Holodomor) and in fact this was a brutal act of genocide against the Ukrainian people.  The main protagonists being that of the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and his assassin Lazar Kaganovich.  The two figures in question deliberately planned the act of ethnic cleansing in order to prevent an insurrection by the Ukrainian peasants. A pre-emptive strike to stave off a threat to Russian Soviet Centric rule.

The following evidence is cited in support of this argument:

• The increase of the Grain quota to 44% in 1932. The Soviets were fully aware that this would create an acute shortage of supply and lead to a widespread famine in the region.  The soviet legal system passing a law that no grain would be distributed to the peasants until the full quotas had been met.  This supported by military enforcement was a direct attack on the Ukrainian populace.
• Those people that opposed the regime were swiftly dealt with by the Soviet authorities and removed from the scene. Hundreds of thousands were sent to camps in the Forests or into the mines.
• The concept of “Collectivization” was aimed at wiping out the affluent element of the peasant class, the so termed Kurkas. This accounted for only a small minority, estimated at some 5% of the population. The Stalinist regime perceived them as a direct threat to communism and plotted a way to eradicate them.
• The famine itself was not caused by the restriction of grain distribution but the actual denial of food stocks to the population by the Russian grain collectors backed up by the military. They collected potatoes, beets and bread from the villagers.  This act of deprivation must have been approved by the central regime and as such a deliberate and pre-meditated act of murder

Conclusion

Most genocide has been caused by the act of a tyrannical leader who is involved in ethnic cleansing or elimination of troublesome minority groups. The current example of Col Gadhaffi in Libya turning his military on his own people or the ethnic cleansing in the Balkans by the Serb leadership are prime examples. Slobodan Miloševi? was brought to trial for war crimes in the Hague. Equally it looks like an international arrest warrant will be issued for Gadhafi for war crimes on his people.  It is clear that there is an international responsibility to bring such tyrants to justice through the international criminal courts like that established in the Hague.