CHAPTER  II
THE CATASTROPHE
in undertaking a description of the catastrophe with all its
attendant phenomena—a description based on the accounts of
reliable eyewitnesses, of journalists of standing, of Soviet
newspaper reports and of the victims themselves—we should
distinguish between three different phases: the year 1933,
down to the new harvest in the autumn; from then onward to
the harvest of 1934; and the period beginning in the autumn of
1934, which had not drawn to a close when this book was
written.
THE FIRST PHASE. UNTIL THE AUTUMN OF 1933
The first phase of the famine, which embraces more partic-
ularly the first seven months of 1933* was undoubtedly a
human tragedy of far greater magnitude even than the famine
of the years 1921-2.1 propose to begin by explaining in detail
the course of events during this first phase in the Ukraine, in
the Northern Caucasus, etc.
There was a shortage of food among the peasants of these
regions as early as the beginning of the winter of 1932-3,
and then a famine which grew more acute daily. Appeals for
help were beginning to make themselves heard from various
parts of the Soviet Union even at this early period. The relief
organization at Geneva, the German relief organization, the
Jewish Aid for Russia organization, etc., were then fully
informed of the growing danger. It should be mentioned that
in almost all the letters containing appeals for help to Russians
living abroad the terrible situation of the writers is described
with the utmost frankness. The explanation is given by the
American journalist, Harry Lang,1 who agrees with many other
1 Of the New York Jewish paper Forward.