Theme Society- Food And Famine Flashcards
food/famine under the tsars food shortages
Food shortages had always been a problem, hence the Zemstva was put in charge of famine relief, 1864, during Alexander II’s reign.
food/famine under the tsars, famine of 1891
approx. 350,000 died. Initially caused by poor weather but Vyshnegradsky’s policies of raising taxes on peasants and exporting grain made it worse. Alexander III reacted too late in banning exports of grain.
food/famine under the tsars. 1917 food shortages
Peasants hoarded grain or fed livestock, army was prioritised, and the transport system failed to supply towns. The ‘revolution stated in the bread queue’. The Russian people hoped that the toppling of the Tsars and the rise of the Communists would bring about the promise of greater food. Lenin promised ‘bread, peace and land’ in his famous slogan. Yet, this issue of food shortages largely continued.
food/famine under the communists, food crisis 1918
Peasants unwilling to release grain. Kulaks blamed by the Communists for self-interested hoarding. Requisitioning introduced.
food/famine under the communists, famine of 1921
Mainly caused by requisitioning and drought. Approx. 5 million died. Stories of cannibalism and bodysnatching. Lenin blamed for famine, like Stalin and Alexander III. Lenin refused to accept aid from American Relief Administration.
food/famine under the communists, famine of 1932-4
Collectivisation and poor harvests due to bad weather. The most disastrous famine. Harsh policies introduced to repress – death penalty for stealing grain, peasants who ate seed were shot, migration banned. Peasant reaction of slaughtering animals did not help. After 1935 harvests improved but production did not reach pre-1914 levels. By the late 1930s consumption of meat and fish had fallen to 30%
food/famine under the communists, famine of 1947
Collectivisation re-imposed after World War Two.
· Food still had to be imported in 1960s….
