The Russian Famine of 1921-1922

Summary

The Russian Famine of 1921-1922 did not occur in isolation; it was the result of a complex set of conditions that had been building over several years, particularly following the immense strain caused by World War I and the subsequent Russian Revolution. In the years leading up to the famine, the Russian Empire had been subjected to a series of crises, both external and internal, that would lead to an agricultural disaster of unprecedented proportions.

World War I, which had raged from 1914 to 1918, devastated Russia. The country’s military and civilian populations were ravaged by the conflict, and the war placed immense pressure on the economy. Agriculture, which was the backbone of Russia’s economy, was particularly affected. Many of the country’s able-bodied men had been conscripted into the army, leaving the fields untended and the production of food drastically reduced. Additionally, the war led to widespread shortages of basic supplies such as fuel, equipment, and fertilizers. The agricultural sector, already fragile, was further crippled by the lack of resources, leaving the country’s population vulnerable to the consequences of famine.

The Russian Revolution of 1917, which brought the Bolsheviks to power, intensified the situation. The overthrow of the Romanov dynasty and the subsequent civil war between the Red and White factions created further instability. The Bolsheviks, under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin, implemented policies that would have significant implications for food production. War Communism, introduced as an emergency measure, included grain requisitioning from the peasantry to supply the Red Army and urban centers. However, these policies were deeply unpopular and led to widespread resentment. The forced seizure of grain and foodstuffs left many rural areas without enough resources to sustain their own populations, further exacerbating food shortages.