Figure 1.--Here Belgrade children, probably at their school, are enthusisatically prepared for their daily cocoa and milk (April 1920). This was a part of the massive American Relief Administration's program to feed a hungry Europe after World War I. The program was largely carried out by American Red Cross volunteers in Europe. Notice the serious boy wityh the injured feet. Despite this he was not going to miss his cocoa and milk. Source: Library of Congress LC-DIG-anrc-10714.

Serbia had one of the worst refugee problems of the war. The Serbian Army was defeated (October 1915), but refused to surreber, they actually retrated out of the country. Many civliians tried to accomoany them into the Albanian mountains, but there were no provisions to care for them, and no way to feed them. There was a hoirific trek over the mountains in the dead of winter to awaiting Allied ships--the Great Serbian Retrerat. The casualties were horenbdous. As much as one-third of the Serbian population is believed to have been displaced for at least some time. With the defeat of the Serbian Army, the food situation in Serbia rapidly deteriorated. And the Central Powers occupation was very harsh. Not only was there repression, including summary execution, but also the occupation forces took as much food and resources out of Srbia as possible, creating near famine conditions during the 3 years of occupation. A Serbian author writes, "In this very year (1917) there was a drought that can never be forgotten. A frost and then a drought destroyed everything. Even had there not been a war, hunger would have invaded us. People ate wild herbs and sawdust made from beechwood .... It was then for the first time that we spoke of death. [Djilas, p. 101.] The Austrians and Germans quarled over the spoils. The German World War II Hungerplan was not entirely an innovation. The Austrisan commander, Gen. Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, ordered that Serbia's resources be 'squeezed dry' regardless of the consequences for the population. [Calic & Geyer, p. 157.] Reports of famine reached the international press, campaigns were mounted demanding relief for Serbia like the efforts for Belgium. The CRB expanded its efforts to northern France where both Belgian and French refugees were located. Other efforts to assist refuges and people suffering because of the war like the Serbs proved more difficult. Hoover wanted to expand the CRB to get relief supplies into occupied Poland and Serbia. Efforts to help the Poles during the war floundered on both British and German opposition, efforts to help the Serbs might have suceeded. The Serbs were fighting Allies and the British were more disposed to assisting them. Hoover decided, however, that getting relief supplies to the Serbs during the war was just too complicated. (It proved difficult enough asftr the War.) He was also disturbed by British efforts to tie Polish relief to Balkans relief. Relief shipments did not begin to reach the Serbs until the end of the War when the Allied offensuve from Salonika finally broke through the Bulgarian lines and the Bulgasrian Army collapsed (September 1918). Reserves from Germany were unable to stop the Allies leading to the liberation of Serbia (October 1918). We still have only limited information on the Serbian relief effort, but American food supplies finally began reachung the Serbs. The food and other supplies were part of the American Relief Administration (ARA)--a massive American effort to feed a devestated Europe after the War. Many volunteer groups were active, but the need was so great that only the resources of the United States with the vast plasins of the Midweest wwre going to feed a hungry Europe. It was largely carried out in Europe by the American Red Cross (ARC) voluntters. Here we see Serbian children getting cocoa and milk, probably at their school (figure 1). The ARC often worked through the schools to ensure that the children were fed on a priority basis.

Refugee Problem

Serbia had one of the worst refugee problems of the war. The refugee problem in Belgium and France is better publicized, but this was because America and Britain were oprimarily involved on the Western Front and conditions in Germn occupied areas on the East poorly refiorted. The Serbian Army was defeated (October 1915), but refused to surrender, the Army actually retrated out of the country. Many civliians tried to accomoany them into the Albanian mountains, but there were no provisions to care for them, and no way to feed them. There was a hoirific trek over the mountains in the dead of winter to awaiting Allied ships--the Great Serbian Retrerat.

Situation in Occupied Serbia

The casualties ssociated with the Great retreat were horenbdous. And condition s in Serbia itself were deadful. As much as one-third of the Serbian population is believed to have been displaced for at least some time. With the defeat of the Serbian Army, the food situation in Serbia rapidly deteriorated. And the Central Powers occupation was very harsh. Not only was there repression, including summary execution, but also the occupation forces took as much food and resources out of Srbia as possible, creating near famine conditions during the 3 years of occupation. A Serbian author writes, "In this very year (1917) there was a drought that can never be forgotten. A frost and then a drought destroyed everything. Even had there not been a war, hunger would have invaded us. People ate wild herbs and sawdust made from beechwood .... It was then for the first time that we spoke of death. [Djilas, p. 101.] The Austrians and Germans quarled over the spoils. The German World War II Hungerplan was not entirely an innovation. The Austrisan commander, Gen. Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, ordered that Serbia's resources be 'squeezed dry' regardless of the consequences for the population. [Calic & Geyer, p. 157.]

Efforts to Aid the Serbs during the War

Reports of famine reached the international press, campaigns were mounted demanding relief for Serbia like the efforts for Belgium. The CRB expanded its efforts to northern France where both Belgian and French refugees were located. Other efforts to assist refuges and people suffering because of the war like the Serbs proved more difficult. Hoover wanted to expand the CRB to get relief supplies into occupied Poland and Serbia. Efforts to help the Poles during the war floundered on both British and German opposition, efforts to help the Serbs might have suceeded. The Serbs were fighting Allies and the British were more disposed to assisting them. Hoover decided, however, that getting relief supplies to the Serbs during the war was just too complicated. (It proved difficult enough asftr the War.) He was also disturbed by British efforts to tie Polish relief to Balkans relief. Relief shipments did not begin to reach the Serbs until the end of the War.

Libertion

The Allied offensive from Salonika finally broke through the Bulgarian lines and the Bulgasrian Army collapsed (September 1918). Reserves from Germany were unable to stop the Allies leading to the liberation of Serbia (October 1918).

American Relief Effort

We still have only limited information on the Serbian relief effort, but American food supplies finally began reachung the Serbs. The food and other supplies were part of the American Relief Administration (ARA)--a massive American effort to feed a devestated Europe after the War. Many volunteer groups were active, but the need was so great that only the resources of the United States with the vast plasins of the Midweest wwre going to feed a hungry Europe. Expanded American production would adversely impact American farmers. The American food relief effort was carried out in Europe by American Red Cross (ARC) volunteers. Here we see Serbian children getting cocoa and milk, probably at their school (figure 1). The ARC often worked through the schools to ensure that the children were fed on a priority basis. The ARC landed supplies at Salonica, a Greek port close to Siuthern Serbia. Landlocked countries like Serbia were in a diffivult sitation after the War. The ARC was confronted with difficult to get relif shipments to them. Salonica became the initial center of the Serbian Red Cross Commission. were seven warehouse there used in the effort to feed Serbia. Bulgarian POWs were yused to unload ARC shipments. A major problem was hauling supplies over the Balkan mountains. The American Red Cross opened hispitals in Serbia. The hispital in souther Serbia was at Pricren. The Red Cross brought in trucks, still a rarity in Serbia. The convoys not only fced a primitive road infrastructyre, espcially seruious in the mountains. Bandits were also a problem, making convoy imprtive. The ARC opened the Treasure House in Belgrade. It was the largest ARC warehouse in the Balkans. Hundreds hundreds of thousands of tons of food, clothing, and medicines were stired there. America Red Cross chapters sent it to relieve the distress and suffering in this devestated n part of southeastern Europe.

Sources

Calic, M.J. and D. Geyer. A History of Yugoslavia Central European studies (Purdue University Press: 2019).

Djilas, Milovan. Land Without Justice.

Created: 8:01 PM 10/30/2021
Last updated: 7:41 PM 11/8/2022