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Holodomor Timeline Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by

Timeline of the Holodomor in Soviet Ukraine 1932-1933

This is a draft cheat sheet. It is a work in progress and is not finished yet.

1928–1931: Prelude to the Famine

1928
Introd­uction of the First Five-Year Plan: Joseph Stalin launches the First Five-Year Plan, aiming to rapidly indust­rialize the Soviet Union and collec­tivize agricu­lture. This plan emphasizes heavy industry and requires signif­icant grain exports to fund indust­ria­liz­ation.
1929
Forced Collec­tiv­ization Begins: The Soviet government accele­rates the process of collec­tiv­izing agricu­lture. Peasants are forced to surrender their land, livestock, and produce to collective farms (kolkh­ozes). This causes widespread resist­ance, especially in Ukraine, where many peasants destroy their own grain and livestock rather than give them up.
 
Dekula­kiz­ation Campaign: Stalin initiates a campaign to eliminate kulaks (wealthier peasants) as a class. Thousands of kulaks are arrested, exiled, or executed, leading to chaos in the agricu­ltural sector.
1930
2 March: Stalin publishes an article, "­Dizzy with Succes­s," blaming local officials for excessive zeal in collec­tiv­ization and tempor­arily halting the process. This is a tactical retreat to calm unrest.
 
Fall of 1930: Collec­tiv­ization resumes with renewed force, further disrupting agricu­ltural produc­tion.
1931
Severe Grain Requis­iti­oning: The Soviet government imposes severe grain requis­ition quotas on Ukraine, demanding unreal­istic amounts of grain from the collective farms. These quotas are enforced brutally, with any failure to meet them leading to harsh punish­ments.
 

1932: Onset of the Famine

Spring 1932
Worsening Grain Shortages: The effects of forced collec­tiv­iza­tion, coupled with bad weather, lead to a signif­icant drop in grain produc­tion. Despite this, the Soviet government continues to demand high grain quotas from Ukraine.
Summer 1932
Starvation Begins: As the grain requis­ition quotas are enforced, peasants begin to starve. In some areas, resistance to requis­iti­oning is met with violence, and local author­ities are replaced with more loyal Soviet officials.
7 August 1932
Law of "Five Ears of Grain": Stalin's government passes a decree known as the "Law of Five Ears of Grain,­" making it a criminal offense (punis­hable by death or 10 years impris­onment) to take even a small amount of grain from collective farms. This law is ruthlessly enforced in Ukraine, worsening the famine.
September 1932
Increased Grain Quotas: Despite the already dire situation, the Soviet government increases Ukraine's grain requis­ition quotas. This leaves little to no grain for the peasants themse­lves, sealing their fate.
October 1932
Political Repression Intens­ifies: Stalin sends his emissa­ries, including Vyacheslav Molotov and Lazar Kagano­vich, to Ukraine to ensure grain quotas are met. They implement draconian measures, such as blockading villages and confis­cating all food supplies, to force compli­ance.
November 1932
Blackl­isting of Villages: Entire villages are blackl­isted for failing to meet grain quotas, meaning they are cut off from receiving any goods, food, or seeds for the next planting season. This policy dooms these villages to starva­tion.

1933: Peak of the Famine

January 1933
Mass Starvation: By the beginning of 1933, starvation is widespread across Ukraine. Corpses begin to litter the streets, and reports of cannib­alism emerge as people desper­ately try to survive.
 
Stalin’s Directives: Stalin issues directives to prevent the mass exodus of starving peasants from Ukraine and other affected regions. Internal passports are required, and those caught fleeing are sent back to their villages or labor camps.
February 1933
Death Toll Mounts: The death toll continues to rise, with tens of thousands dying daily. The Soviet government maintains strict control over inform­ation, denying the existence of the famine to the outside world and within the Soviet Union.
Spring 1933
Peak Starvation: The famine reaches its peak in the spring. Entire villages are depopu­lated, with many areas in Ukraine reporting mortality rates as high as 80%.
 
April 1933: Ukrainian intell­ect­uals, writers, and artists are targeted for repression and execution, as Stalin seeks to suppress Ukrainian nation­alism and identity.
June 1933
The Toll is Apparent: By mid-1933, the full scale of the famine is undeni­able, with estimates of death ranging from 3 to 7 million people. The Soviet govern­ment, however, continues to deny the famine publicly.
August 1933
Gradual Easing: With the new harvest approa­ching and intern­ational pressure mounting, the Soviet government begins to relax the most severe requis­ition policies. However, the damage has already been done.
Fall 1933
Recovery Begins: As the harvest comes in, the immediate crisis begins to ease, but the long-term impacts on Ukrainian society, demogr­aphy, and culture are devast­ating.
 

Aftermath and Legacy

1934
Denial and Suppre­ssion: The Soviet Union continues to deny the famine, and any mention of it is forbidden. The government promotes propaganda suggesting that reports of famine are lies spread by enemies of the state.
 
Ukrainian Repression Continues: Repression of Ukrainian culture and nation­alism intens­ifies, with thousands of Ukrainian leaders, intell­ect­uals, and ordinary citizens arrested, exiled, or executed.
1940s-­1950s
Holodomor Suppressed: The memory of the Holodomor is suppressed within the Soviet Union, and any discussion of the famine is censored. Survivors are often reluctant to speak about their experi­ences due to fear of reprisal.
1980s
Renewed Interest and Research: During the period of Glasnost under Mikhail Gorbachev, there is renewed interest in the Holodomor, and Soviet citizens begin to speak out about the famine. Western historians also start to examine the event more closely.
1991
Ukraine’s Indepe­ndence: Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine gains indepe­ndence and begins to officially recognize the Holodomor as a national tragedy. Research and public discussion of the famine are encour­aged.
2006
Recogn­ition as Genocide: The Ukrainian Parliament officially recognizes the Holodomor as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people. This recogn­ition is supported by several other countries, though it remains a conten­tious issue intern­ati­onally, with Russia rejecting the genocide label.
2010s-­Present
Ongoing Commem­oration and Contro­versy: The Holodomor remains a central aspect of Ukrainian national identity and is commem­orated annually on the fourth Saturday of November. The debate over the classi­fic­ation of the Holodomor as genocide continues in the intern­ational community, but it is widely accepted as one of the most horrific tragedies of the 20th century.