Germany Recognizes Holodomor as Genocide

On December 1, the German parliament classified the Soviet’s murder by starvation campaign (Holodomor) in the 1930s as genocide. In this historic famine, an estimated 3 million to 8 million Ukrainians died. This history is especially poignant as we see Russia inflicting pain on Ukraine today. But a critical part of this history is ignored.

The mass deaths from starvation were not the result of failed harvests, but were the responsibility of the political leadership of the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin. The Holodomor thus represents a crime against humanity.
—The German parliamentary motion

• While the starvation is a historic reality, many have previously denied Stalin’s responsibility.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to Germany’s gesture with appreciation: “Germany has recognized the Holodomor of 1932–1933 as genocide. I thank the members of the Bundestag for this historic decision. The truth always wins. … This is a decision for justice, for truth. And this is a very important signal for many other countries in the world that Russian revanchism will not succeed in rewriting history.”

But has the truth been told? Few know, however, that German industrialists had made a deal with Stalin at the time. This deal not only enabled Stalin’s atrocities but also paved the way for another dictator. In “Germany and Russia’s Secret Genocide,” Trumpet writer Andrew Miiller wrote in 2018: “Just 90 years ago, German weapons manufacturer Gustav Krupp made a deal with Russian dictator Joseph Stalin. It led to the starvation of 7 million Ukrainians, the death of German democracy, and the rise of Adolf Hitler.”

• Failing to recognize Germany’s part in the atrocities may be worse than not recognizing Stalin’s responsibility. It gives the impression that the Holocaust and World War ii were unexceptional for the times rather than a calculated monstrosity.

Prophecy says: The Bible reveals that this history is prophecy for our day. The Bible speaks of the rise of two world powers—one centered around a remilitarized Germany (“the king of the north”—Daniel 11:40) the other around Russia (“the kings of the east”—Revelation 16:12). Just like historically, these two powers are cooperating before they clash. Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote in this context: “Germany’s leaders may have already agreed to a deal with Russia, a modern Hitler-Stalin pact where Germany and Russia divide countries and assets between themselves.”