Before Stalin’s rule, Ukraine had already fought for its independence from the 200- year rule of the Czar. The Czar fell in 1917, but by the end of the year, Vladimir Lenin had the motive to reclaim all previously Czar-ruled land. He began the decline into four years …show more content…
Lenin was less interested in the dehumanization of these people, and more so focused on the actual task of ruling them. “To lessen the deepening resentment, Lenin relaxed his grip… stopped taking out so much grain… encouraged a free-market exchange of goods. This breath of fresh air renewed the people's interest in independence and resulted in… celebrating their unique folk customs, language, poetry, music, arts, and Ukrainian orthodox religion.” (The History Place, 1) In comparison to Lenin’s tactics, Stalin kept a stronghold on the country, which included its imports, exports, as well as their manner of cultivation. He began something called collectivization. This meant that he forced peasant households together to make big farms. The main goal of this plan was to eliminate a social class called the Kulaks as a whole. He claimed that their output in cultivation could be replaced as well as increased by the concept of collectivization. “In reality, the destruction of kulaks had little to do with economic considerations. By Stalin's own admission, kulaks supplied only a fifth of the Soviet Union's marketable grain surplus…” (Krawchenko, 1). In all actuality- despite Stalin’s accusations- the peasantry and poor people made up about three quarters of the output. Due to his need to exterminate and rid Ukraine of kulaks, the entire lower class