buzz
2
+ buzz
2
+ buzz
As I promised earlier today -- here is the famine list. Virtually all famines are caused by human actions, although nature can trigger the crisis.
Also notice the worst famines have taken place in communist countries -- so much for looking out for the common people, eh?In the 20th Century China managed to kill 43 millon people via famine. The Soviet Union killed 19 million.1China -- 1958-62
No one agrees on exactly how many died -- it was between 10 and 30 million. Say thanks to Mao and the Great Leap Forwar for this one.
This is generally considered the worst famine in human history and all the blame goes right to Mao and his policies.
This is generally considered the worst famine in human history and all the blame goes right to Mao and his policies.
2Soviet Union 1921-22
Nine milloin people died while Lenin paid attention to other matters.
3Soviet Union 1932-34
About 8 million people died as Stalin tried to instrialize and seized crops in order to export grain (for international trade).
Twenty years later, Mao would repeat this error -- almost down to letter during the Great Leap Forward and would create the worst famine in moderns times. Unbelievable.
Twenty years later, Mao would repeat this error -- almost down to letter during the Great Leap Forward and would create the worst famine in moderns times. Unbelievable.
4Northwest China 1927
This was a pre-communist famine -- China has always been good at killing peasants. Somewhere between 3 and 6 million died.
5China 1943
The Japanese invaded then both the Chinese and Japanese started seizing grain to feed their armies. Five million peasants died.
6North Korea 1995-1999
As many as 3.5 million died after flooding and Kim Jong-Il's mad policies left peasants without food.
7Bengal, India 1943
About 3 million died. Weak crops and the British forcing India to export grain to soldiers fighting in World War Two where to blame.
8Hunan, China 1929
This was largely natural -- brought on by drought -- and two milloin died.
However, Mao used this to help rally people to the cause against Chiang Kai-Shek (who was certainly a horror in his own right...)
What people didn't know was that while Mao used a famine to help his cause, he would later deliver the worst famine in human history.
However, Mao used this to help rally people to the cause against Chiang Kai-Shek (who was certainly a horror in his own right...)
What people didn't know was that while Mao used a famine to help his cause, he would later deliver the worst famine in human history.
9Ukraine and Belorussia, Soviet Union 1946-47
Two millon people died, again as a result of collectivation policies in the Soviet Union.
In his memoirs, Nikita Khrushchev said there was widespread cannibalism during this famine that was ignored in the west.
In his memoirs, Nikita Khrushchev said there was widespread cannibalism during this famine that was ignored in the west.
10Cambodia 1979
About 1.5 milloin died first because of disruptions brought on by civil war and then the terrors of the Kmer Rouge.
Note that the link is to a 1979 Time Magazine article -- I LOVE that Time Warner has started putting important historical coverage online!
Note that the link is to a 1979 Time Magazine article -- I LOVE that Time Warner has started putting important historical coverage online!
