The Great Famine was caused by British capitalists who, before and during the crisis, prioritized profits over the Irish people’s welfare. British landowners forced Irish farmers to rely on the potato, making them vulnerable to disease. High rents, taxes, and lack of investment left Irish farmers impoverished. During the famine, British merchants continued exporting food from Ireland to England, and the British government’s inadequate aid policies worsened the situation. This exploitation and neglect led to the deaths and emigration of millions of Irish people.
In both cases, the powers that be created a situation where the populace was very vulnerable, leaving them in a position where one bad harvest was all it took. In both cases, the elites then proceeded to make the situation worse because of a combination of immense incompetence and intentional imperialist shenanigans aimed at squeezing out wealth and putting down the rowdy colonized folk.