Stalin's Forced Famine in the Ukraine
Joseph Stalin was a communist, who took over Russia after the death of the previous leader, Vladimir Lenin. Ukraine, located in Russia, was non-communist, and strongly did not want to become communists. In 1929, Ukraine was made up of 80 percent farmers who Stalin saw as a threat. He was afraid of the farmers planning an armed revolt, and thought it would be led by the Kulaks. Kulaks were a small group of farmers who were previously wealthy and owned 24 or more acres. Any Ukranians gathered in groups were either taken to death camps or shot by the Soviets, who believed they were part of an armed revolt. Death camps were usually located in the remote areas of Russia. Over the course of 4 years, around 70 percent of Ukraine's farms were taken over by Stalin and forced to become to become collective farms. By the spring of 1933, nearly 25,000 people were dying every day from starvation. Joseph Stalin was forcing the civilians of Ukraine to provide more food than they were allowed to eat, and people were stripped of all possessions and food. Soldiers would guard large piles of food, and shoot anyone they saw trying to take a potato or a handful of grain. Some parents would turn to cannibalism and eat their own children. Some mothers would put their children onto trains and hope that someone would have pity and help them. Stalin made it illegal to help any farmers or Kulaks in Ukraine, and anyone seen trying to help would be shot.