Russian Famine Relief Act of 1921
The Russian Famine Relief Act of 1921 was a significant legislative measure in response to a devastating famine in the Soviet Union, which resulted in millions of deaths due to starvation. In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution and World War I, the United States, through the American Relief Administration (ARA), sought to provide humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of the Soviet population. This act authorized the allocation of $20 million in surplus American agricultural goods for distribution in the Soviet Union.
The famine relief efforts marked one of the early interactions between the United States and the Soviet government, reflecting a complex relationship influenced by political tensions and humanitarian needs. While the Soviet leadership initially viewed Western assistance with suspicion, the dire circumstances ultimately led to an agreement that permitted aid distribution with minimal interference from Soviet authorities. The initiative aimed to provide food, medicine, and support to those in need, regardless of their background or social status.
Despite some operational challenges, including interference from the Soviet secret police, the ARA succeeded in feeding approximately eleven million people over a span of twenty-two months. However, the event did not lead to improved diplomatic relations between the two nations, as underlying political tensions continued to overshadow potential collaboration.
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Subject Terms
Russian Famine Relief Act of 1921
The Law: Federal act providing funds to the American Relief Administration (ARA) to supply food to famine victims in the Soviet Union
Date: Enacted on December 22, 1921
This agreement allowed the European antifamine efforts of the American Relief Administration to include the Soviet Union. In one of the first major interactions between the United States and the Soviet Union following the Russian Revolution, Congress permitted the distribution of $20 million in surplus American agricultural goods to the Soviet Union to relieve the suffering caused by the famine of 1921.
After the United States entered World War I in 1917, President Woodrow Wilson appointed Herbert Hoover to oversee food supply and distribution for the United States and its European allies. This effort, known as the American Relief Administration (ARA), increased the available supply of food and encouraged domestic food conservation. After the war, the ARA was recreated as a private organization charged with European famine relief. Although it lacked stated political goals, the ARA is credited with helping prevent the spread of communism in Europe by providing material relief and thus a measure of social stability.
The Soviet Union did not benefit from the ARA’s postwar operations until 1921. Many Soviet leaders were concerned that Western famine relief efforts would provide an implicit critique of Soviet political and economic policies. Hoover’s elevation to the post of secretary of commerce in the Harding administration in 1921 further increased Soviet suspicion. However, as the famine intensified and deaths from starvation rose into the millions, the material suffering of the Soviet people overrode the political fears of the Bolshevik administration.
On August 20, 1921, the Riga agreement was signed between the ARA and the Soviet government, allowing the ARA to distribute food, medicine, and humanitarian aid to the Soviet people with minimal interference from Soviet authorities. This aid would be distributed without any distinction due to race, creed, or social status. In exchange, the Soviet government demanded a guarantee that no relief workers would be permitted to engage in political or social discussion in any way.
On December 22 of that year, Congress passed the Russian Famine Relief Act, which appropriated $20 million for the ARA to purchase food supplies from American farmers.
Impact
Although the Soviet secret police did interfere with food distribution operations, the ARA fed approximately eleven million people over the course of twenty-two months. Despite the use of American agriculture products in the relief effort, rapprochement between the United States and the Soviet Union remained out of reach, and the political potential of the relationship was not realized.
Bibliography
Childs, J. Rives, and Jamie H. Cockfield. Black Lebeda: The Russian Famine Diary of ARA Kazan District Supervisor J. Rives Childs, 1921–1923. Macon, Ga.: Mercer University Press, 2006.
Weissman, Benjamin M. Herbert Hoover and Famine Relief to Soviet Russia, 1921–1923. Stanford, Calif.: Hoover Institution Press, 1974.