Dekulakization was a campaign initiated by the Soviet government in the late 1920s and early 1930s aimed at eliminating the wealthier peasants, known as kulaks. The policy sought to redistribute land and resources to promote collective farming and support the goals of Joseph Stalin's industrialization efforts. The process involved the confiscation of land, property, and livestock from kulaks, often leading to their deportation or execution. This campaign resulted in widespread suffering, as many kulaks were left destitute, and it contributed to severe food shortages and famine in the Soviet Union during the early 1930s.