Famine and Death in Occupied Greece, 1941–1944

A pioneering study of the impact of the Greek famine of 1941 and 1942, first published in 2006.

Violetta Hionidou (Author)

9781107405431, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 19 July 2012

282 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.5 cm, 0.38 kg

"Famine and Death epitomizes what scholarship should be."
Diana Gilliland Wright, Canadian Journal of History

Published in 2006, this is a pioneering study of the impact of the famine that occurred in Greece during its occupation by German, Italian and Bulgarian forces in 1941 and 1942. Violetta Hionidou examines the courses and politics of this food crisis, focussing on the demography of the famine and the effectiveness of the relief operations. Her interdisciplinary approach combines demographic, historical and anthropological methodologies to offer a comprehensive account of the famine. This book is the first to explore the International Red Cross Committee archives which offer new insights into the politics and practice of the relief operations. Dr Hionidou argues that food was used as a propaganda instrument by almost all of those involved including the British and Greek governments as well as the occupying forces. This important study makes a major contribution to current debates about mortality and its causes during famines.

List of illustrations
List of figures
List of tables
Acknowledgements
List of abbreviations
Prologue
1. Contexts
2. The chronology and geography of the food crisis, 1941–4
3. Central government and administration
4. Requisitioning of foodstuffs
5. Agricultural production
6. Economy and markets in occupied Greece
7. Welfare and relief
8. Population movement during the occupation
9. Short-term effects on mortality and fertility
10. Causes of famine mortality
11. Death and survival by occupation
Epilogue.

Subject Areas: Anthropology [JHM], Population & demography [JHBD], Second World War [HBWQ], Social & cultural history [HBTB], European history [HBJD]