The First World War resulted in major economic and agricultural strains to neutral and belligerent countries alike, including shifts in trading patterns, blockades, and extensive physical destruction on a unique scale. The resulting hunger crises transformed relationships between the state, citizens, and civil society and had a profound and lasting impact on the twentieth century. As civilians across Europe and the Middle East struggled to survive, new emphasis was placed on the state's responsibility to provide food for its citizens, leading to emerging concerns about 'nutritional sovereignty', the viability of new states, and a huge expansion of international humanitarianism. This innovative history utilises both contemporary and modern maps to analyse food shortages and responses to them across Europe and the Ottoman Empire from 1914 to 1923. Through a comparative approach, the authors demonstrate the consequences of civilian hunger in its military, international, political, social, economic, and cultural dimensions.

‘This volume brings together experts who move beyond other studies of humanitarian regimes and food insecurity to offer a richer, more comprehensive look at the global nuances of the question of hunger in the First World War era.’

Tammy M. Proctor - Utah State University

‘A pioneering collection that reveals the centrality of hunger during the First World War and its transformative impact on citizens, civil societies, states, and the post-war international order. An essential read for anyone interested in the modern history of war.’

Ingrid de Zwarte - Wageningen University