Collectivization in the USSR

Stalin is accused of intentionally starving several million people in the Ukraine starting in 1928, under the process of collectivization of agriculture. The INTENT of collectivization was to grow more food so that people wouldn't starve. The intent was to farm more efficiently, using more scientific methods and so forth. Collectivization was begun because there had already been several near-famines in the USSR, and because it was clear that the other European countries weren't going to help in case of an emergency. They had a system in place to help each other in case of famine, but when people in the Soviet Union began to starve, they said, Oh, that horrible monster Josef Stalin, starving his own people! and, amazingly the charge has stuck to this day.

The Ukraine was the biggest source of food for the USSR. Farmers in the Ukraine reacted to collectivization by burning whole fields of crops, and slaughtering livestock and letting the meat rot, by not growing food to begin with, etc. In short, collectivization was a huge failure. And as a result of this -- and as a result of other nations not helping, when they had food surpluses and could have helped -- several million people starved. Other European countries stood by and watched (and hypocritically blamed Stalin).

You can blame Stalin of lying about collectivization being a huge success, when it was failing. Yes, he did lie about that. But I don't see how you can blame him for famine, when he didn't have the food to feed people. And, again, other European countries DID have the food to feed them. And they did nothing to help. Because they preferred to take the opportunity to falsely accuse Stalin of intentionally starving millions of his own people. The INTENT of collectivization was to PREVENT famine.