Joseph Stalin was the dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) from 1929-1953. He succeeded Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the Bolshevik Party, and was influenced largely by Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto. His primary objective was to rapidly industrialize Russia, and transform it into one of Europe's dominant powers; he sought to accomplish this by introducing the Five Year Plans.
"Five-Year Plan: Soviet economic practice of planning to augment agricultural and industrial output by designated quotas for a limited period of usually five years."
"It is sometimes asked whether it is not possible to slow down the tempo somewhat, to put a check on movement. No, comrades, it is not possible! The tempo must not be reduced! On the contrary, we must increase it as much as is within our powers and possibilities...To slacken the tempo would mean falling behind. And those who fall behind get beaten. But we do not want to be beaten. No, we refuse to be beaten! One feature of the history of old Russia was the continual beatings she suffered because of her backwardness...All beat her because of her backwardness, military backwardness, cultural backwardness, political backwardness, industrial backwardness, agricultural backwardness. They beat her because to do so was profitable and could be done with impunity... It is the jungle law of capitalism. You are backward, you are weak-therefore you are wrong; hence, you can be beaten and enslaved. You are mighty-therefore you are right; hence, we must be wary of you. That is why we must no longer lag behind...We are fifty or a hundred years behind the advanced countries. We must make good this distance in ten years. Either we do it, or we shall be crushed."
(1931, Stalin)
Ukraine was a fundamental component of Stalin's Five Year Plans. A vast, expansive region, Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union. As the "breadbasket of Europe", it is was revered for its' rich, fertile lands. Therefore, it was ideal for procuring the grains mandated to fulfill Stalin's demands.
"It is sometimes asked whether it is not possible to slow down the tempo somewhat, to put a check on movement. No, comrades, it is not possible! The tempo must not be reduced! On the contrary, we must increase it as much as is within our powers and possibilities...To slacken the tempo would mean falling behind. And those who fall behind get beaten. But we do not want to be beaten. No, we refuse to be beaten! One feature of the history of old Russia was the continual beatings she suffered because of her backwardness...All beat her because of her backwardness, military backwardness, cultural backwardness, political backwardness, industrial backwardness, agricultural backwardness. They beat her because to do so was profitable and could be done with impunity... It is the jungle law of capitalism. You are backward, you are weak-therefore you are wrong; hence, you can be beaten and enslaved. You are mighty-therefore you are right; hence, we must be wary of you. That is why we must no longer lag behind...We are fifty or a hundred years behind the advanced countries. We must make good this distance in ten years. Either we do it, or we shall be crushed."
(1931, Stalin)
Ukraine was a fundamental component of Stalin's Five Year Plans. A vast, expansive region, Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union. As the "breadbasket of Europe", it is was revered for its' rich, fertile lands. Therefore, it was ideal for procuring the grains mandated to fulfill Stalin's demands.