What is "decossackization"

Decossackization ( Russian: Расказачивание, Raskazachivaniye) was the Bolshevik policy of systematic repressions against Cossacks of the Russian Empire, especially of the Don and the Kuban, between 1917 and 1933 aimed at the elimination of the Cossacks as a separate ethnic, political, and economic entity.

Many authors characterize decossackization as genocide of the Cossacks, while others reject this characterization. For example, Peter Holquist, a specialist of the conflict in the Don region, concludes that decossackization did not constitute an "open-ended program of genocide" but rather was a "ruthless" and "radical attempt to eliminate undesirable social groups," which showed the Soviet regime's "dedication to social engineering." On the other hand, Shane O' Rourke, a specialist in Cossack history, concludes that decossackization did constitute a genocide of the Cossack people.