What connections does the author draw between stalin's first five-year plan and the famines of the late 1920s and early 1930s?

The author likely draws a connection between Stalin's first Five-Year Plan and the famines of the late 1920s and early 1930s by demonstrating how the policies and goals of the Five-Year Plan contributed to the conditions that led to the famine. Here's a detailed breakdown:

1. Agriculture Collectivization: Stalin's first Five-Year Plan, initiated in 1928, aimed to rapidly industrialize the Soviet Union and included the collectivization of agriculture. Small, private farms were merged into large, state-controlled enterprises. Many wealthier farmers, or 'kulaks,' were targeted, and their properties were confiscated.

2. Resistance and Displacement: The forced collectivization was met with resistance from the peasants, leading to a reduction in agricultural productivity. In addition, the state's seizure of grain and other food products to meet industrial goals and for export left little for the rural populations. This led to widespread food shortages.

3. Severe Punishments: As the situation worsened, Stalin imposed even harsher measures to control the peasants and seize greater amounts of grain, exacerbating the food shortages. Any hoarding of grain was punishable by death or deportation to Siberia.

4. Severe Drought: During this time, a severe drought hit the country, mainly the major grain-producing areas, which further diminished the food supply.

5. Consequence - Famine: These factors contributed to the disastrous famine known as the Holodomor in Ukraine and other parts of the USSR, which resulted in millions of deaths from starvation.

The author might argue that while the Soviet government's aggressive push for industrialization under the Five-Year Plan did achieve some of its intended goals, it also led to disastrous unintended consequences in the form of widespread famine and human suffering.