On the Problems of the History Famine of 1931–1933 in Kazakhstan in Western Historiography

Abstract

In this article, based on the published studies of Western scientists, the authors revealed the degree of study of the problem of hunger in Kazakhstan in 1931-1933. The historiographical material was divided by the authors into three groups on a chronological basis. The first group includes works related to the first half of the 1930s; the second group – the beginning of the 1980s – the end of the 1990s; the third group – the end of the 1990s - 2000s. The article provides a brief analysis of the source base of European researchers, the problems of coverage of their works. In the works of Western researchers, attention was paid to the problems of collectivization, settling, meat and grain harvesting. Such aspects as the causes, scale and consequences of famine, demographic losses have been highlighted. According to Western scientists, the famine in the USSR was not a planned event, but was the result of an ill-conceived policy of the leadership of the Soviet government. The state policy was aimed at obtaining sources of economic resources from the rural population.