History Reaction Paper : the Holodomor the Ukrainian Famine of 1932
Consider:
As we discussed in class, the state of Ukraine was established following the 1918 Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, when Ukrainian people located within Russian territory found themselves exiting the Great War. This interval of statehood was brief, and by 1922 Ukraine was incorporated into the Soviet Union or USSR. Many Ukrainian people situated in Austria-Hungary found themselves in the newly re-established Polish state after 1919, which later came under Soviet influence. Soviet Ukrainians were brought into the state collectivization efforts of Joseph Stalin, leading to a famine that took place from 1932-1933.
Eyewitness accounts preserved through oral histories recorded in Canada tell of an “artificial famine” imposed upon Ukrainians. Documents recovered in the 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, reveal a party line with a different take on the famine and the actions of Ukrainians.
Consider the realities documented by each side, Soviet and Ukrainian.
Reflect upon the text and links to video clips (and their transcripts) included below. Based upon these primary sources, our textbook readings, class meetings, Perusall activities, and any other assigned materials, create an argument about the famine in Soviet Ukraine.
Persuade your reader, through your thoughtful analysis of the assigned materials, that your argument is both historically accurate and critically thought-out.
In your paper, I recommend addressing some of the following:
• Context, including the political and economic situation in the USSR at the time, under Stalin’s leadership.
• What do the video clips of the interviews contribute to our understanding of the events?
2
• What are some of the challenges related to historical sources that these two types of content prompt us to consider?
• How did these survivors of the famine keep their bodies and spirits alive?
• Whatever path to analysis you follow, be sure to use examples from the primary sources!
You are welcome to choose from any of the videos, but the clips corresponding to the names listed below may be especially insightful.
Oleksandra Jamniuk
Aleksandra Brazhnyk
Luba Kachmarska
Mykola Latyshko
Halyna Onyskiw
Wasyl Wasko
When organizing your ideas and drafting your essay, follow these guidelines:
1. Sources: You are welcome to use any of the materials assigned for the course. However, DO NOT consult Internet or other outside sources.
2. Evidence: Choose several (approx. 3-5) examples from the primary sources that best allow you to persuade the reader that your argument is valid. While you want to show that you understand the larger trends in the material, take the time to explore these specific examples from the text in depth.
3. How to cite: When you refer to specific instances in the text (which should be something you do frequently throughout the essay), indicate, in parentheses, what item you are referring to. MLA or Chicago formatare not expected. A separate Works Cited page is not necessary.
4. When to cite:
You must give credit for others’ words AND ideas. If you will be quoting someone word for word, use quotation marks when to indicate that the exact words were written by someone else and indicate your source for the quotation in parentheses, as in the example above.
If you are referring to
someone else’s ideas, quotation marks are not needed, but the source should still appear in parenthesis.
There is no need to cite course lectures. Your papers will be scanned by software that detects text copied from Internet and other sources.
5. Quotation length: If you quote directly from the texts, keep these quotations brief. It is easy to spot when large quotes are used to bulk up a weak paper. I am interested in seeing the way you use evidence, but that evidence should always serve a purpose, supporting your argument.
6. Length: This reaction paper should address the prompt in roughly 550-750 words, about 3 pages double-spaced.
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