The Dekulakization campaign was a significant policy of the Soviet Union aimed at eliminating the class of Kulaks, regarded by the communist government as a primary obstacle to agricultural collectivization. Following the Bolshevik Revolution, the Soviet leadership, under Joseph Stalin, sought to restructure agriculture by consolidating individual landholdings into collective farms. The Politburo's resolution escalated this initiative into a brutal campaign against Kulaks, who were often depicted as class enemies hindering socialist progress.

As part of the campaign, which formally began in 1929, millions of Kulaks experienced aggressive repression. Decrees were issued that labeled Kulaks as all landowners and prosperous peasants, often without consideration for the nuances of individual circumstances. This process involved confiscation of lands and properties, violent detentions, and executions. Many were sent to remote areas in Siberia or other inhospitable regions, where they faced severe conditions.

The strategy behind the campaign was also rooted in a desire to increase agricultural output and control food production through collectivization. Stalin's government viewed the elimination of the Kulak class as vital for establishing a more egalitarian agrarian society, which they believed would lead to increased efficiency and productivity in the farming sector. However, the results of this initiative were catastrophic, leading to widespread famine, particularly in Ukraine, and resulting in the deaths of millions.