Soviet famine of 1946–1947

A long time ago, many people were hungry.

This happened in a place called the Soviet Union. A big war had just ended. The war broke many tools used for farming.

Then, the summer was very dry. This dry weather meant less food grew. Many more babies were born at this time too. This made it even harder to find food. The leaders did not ask other lands for help. It was a very sad and hard time for families.

Between 1946 and 1947, a large famine hit the Soviet Union. This was a time when many people did not have enough food. Many people died during this time. One study says about 900,000 people died.

Several things caused this hard time. First, World War II had just ended. The war had destroyed many tools used for farming. There were fewer tractors and animals to work the land.

Second, a very bad drought happened in 1946. The summer was extremely dry. This meant the crops did not grow well.

At the same time, many new babies were born. This meant there were more people to feed. The Soviet government also made things harder. They raised food prices. They also sent food to other lands instead of helping their own people. They did not ask other countries for help.

The famine was most severe in early 1947. It began to fade after a good harvest in late 1947. By the start of 1948, the mass starvation was gone.

The Soviet famine of 1946–1947 was a very difficult time in the Soviet Union. During these years, many people did not have enough food to eat. This was the last major famine to happen in the history of the Soviet Union. Historians have different ideas about how many people died. Some estimates say the number was as high as 2 million people. However, a historian named Cormac Ó Gráda says about 900,000 people died.

Many different things caused this food shortage to happen at once. First, World War II had just ended, and the war was very hard on the land. The war destroyed many tools that farmers needed to grow food. For example, the number of tractors dropped from 435,000 to 327,000. There were also far fewer animals like cows and horses to help on farms.

Weather also played a big role in the trouble. In 1946, a very severe drought hit the country. This means there was not enough rain for the plants to grow. Because of this dry weather, the harvest was much smaller than the year before. The summer of 1946 was extremely dry for the farmers. This made it even harder to find enough food for everyone.

At the same time, the number of people to feed was growing quickly. Many soldiers were returning home from the war after it ended in 1945. This led to a large number of new babies being born. In 1946, there were 4.1 million births in the Soviet Union. In 1947, that number rose to 4.5 million births. This meant more people needed food just when there was less of it.

Government choices also made the famine worse for many families. The Soviet government raised the prices of food, making it too expensive. They also sent food to other countries instead of keeping it at home. They did not ask other nations for help during this time. The famine was at its worst in early 1947. Things began to get better after a good harvest later that year. By the start of 1948, the mass starvation had ended.

The Soviet famine of 1946–1947 was a period of extreme food shortages across the Soviet Union. It was the third and final major famine in the nation's history during the 20th century. While estimates of the death toll vary, some historians suggest up to 2 million people perished. The historian Cormac Ó Gráda provides a more specific estimate of 900,000 deaths. This crisis was not caused by a single event. Instead, it resulted from a combination of war damage, weather, and government decisions.

Several factors worked together to create this crisis. First, the Soviet Union was recovering from the massive destruction of World War II. The war had caused over 25 million deaths among Soviet citizens. It also ruined much of the agricultural infrastructure in the western parts of the country. Second, a severe drought hit in 1946. This drought was described as the most intense since 1891. The lack of rain meant the 1946 harvest was much smaller than the 1945 harvest.

Demographic changes also put pressure on the food supply. After World War II ended in 1945, many soldiers returned home. This caused a sudden spike in the birth rate. The number of births per 1,000 people rose from 15.9 in 1945 to 24.9 in 1946. In 1946 alone, there were 4.1 million births. In 1947, there were 4.5 million births. This meant the population was growing rapidly at the exact moment food was becoming scarce.

Agriculture was in a very weak state due to the war. Many farming tools and machines were missing. For example, the number of combines dropped to 81% of pre-war levels. The number of tractors at machine tractor stations fell from 435,000 to 327,000. There was also a massive loss of work animals. In Ukraine, the number of cows fell to 30% of pre-war levels. The number of pigs dropped to 27%. To help with farm work, the government used political prisoners.

Government policies significantly worsened the hunger. The Soviet government raised food prices, making it difficult for people to buy what they needed. They also reduced the number of people eligible for ration cards in late 1946. Despite the famine, the government continued to export food to other countries. They also declined to ask for international assistance. This was done to avoid making the Soviet Union look weak on the global stage.

The famine impacted different regions with varying levels of severity. The Ukrainian SSR was hit very hard, with 300,000 deaths reported. The Moldavian SSR also saw 100,000 deaths. In the Russian SFSR and the Byelorussian SSR, the death toll was approximately 500,000. While many areas faced widespread malnutrition, some regions managed to avoid full-scale famine. The crisis reached its peak in early 1947. It began to decline later that year following a more successful harvest.

By the beginning of 1948, mass starvation had disappeared. In response to the crisis, the government adopted the Great Plan for the Transformation of Nature in late 1948. For many years, this famine was overshadowed by the larger famine of 1930–1933. It was not until the 1990s that historians began to give this event significant attention. The famine remains a critical example of how war, weather, and policy can intersect to create a humanitarian disaster.