What is the Holodomor?
Q: What is the Holodomor?
A: The Holodomor was a man-made famine that happened in Ukraine in 1932 and 1933 when it was part of the Soviet Union. About seven million people starved to death during this time.
Q: Who was the leader of the Soviet Union at this time?
A: Joseph Stalin was the leader and dictator of the Soviet Union, which was a communist country, during this time.
Q: What did Stalin do to farmers in the Soviet Union?
A: Stalin made farmers change their farming methods and tried to make them work harder for government-owned farms for less money.
Q: How did Stalin respond to the famine in Ukraine?
A: Instead of helping people in Ukraine, Stalin's government took food away from them and made it illegal to pick up food from fields. They also tried to stop people from moving around looking for food.
Q: Is there debate over whether or not what happened during this time can be considered genocide?
A: Yes, some scholars argue that what happened during this time can be considered genocide due to its attack on Ukrainian nationalism while others say it was an unexpected consequence of rapid industrialization started by Stalin that brought radical economic changes but wasn't done on purpose.
