Famines in HistoryBy Laura Faber

What is a Famine? Extreme scarcity or shortage of food

Worst on Record Lasted 3 years

1958-1961 Statistics of deaths

are disputed Between 15-43

million people were killed including lost births

One of the least understood events in human history Came at a time

when China thought it was ending its famine cycle

The Great Chinese Famine

Second worst in history

Brief but deadly 24 million people

were killed In a matter of

months Could be first-

worse since it exceeds the lowest reported death toll from the Great Chinese Famine

Chinese Famine of 1907

Lasted 6 years Between 1896-

1902 Worst famine in

Indian history Considered the

most disastrous famine of that time

19 million people killed

Caused by Shortage of food

grans Escalating prices

Indian Famine

Lasted 5 years 1769-1773

Famine was blamed on the British East India Company’s rule For greedy

principals Caused about 10

million deaths About 1/3 of the

population Affected the lower

portion of India

Bengal Famine of 1770

Believed to have been caused by the hard times during World War I

Between 5 – 10 million deaths

Russian Famine of 1921

Also known as the Irish Potato Famine

Took place between 1845-1852

Caused by potato disease that destroyed crops

One million people died Another million

emigrated

Great Irish Famine

Food Scarcity causes Increased food pricesDecrease in consumption of other

goods & services Increase in unemploymentDecrease in income Decrease in government income

Government makes decision Increase aid to starvingRemove tariffs on foreign goods

Famine Myths

Not enough food

Too many people

Bad weather

Not a result of a singular cause

Long series of social, political and economic processes and policies

Actual Causes

“It’s not the rains, it’s the rulers. … drought has not been as devastating to Ethiopians as their own autocratic governments.” – Bill Easterly on Ethiopia

Works CitedBird, D. [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.ranker.com/list/the-worst-droughts-and-famines-i n-history/drake-birdChang, G. H., & Wen, G. J. (1997). Communal dining and the Chinese Famine of 1958-1961. Chicago Journals, 61(1), 1. Retrieved fromhttp://www.jstor.org/discover/10.1086/452319?uid=3739640&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21101117304371Charles M, E. (1977). The politics of hunger: The soviet response to famine, 1921. Europe-Asia Studies, 29(4), 506. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/096681377084111 52Kte'pi, B. (n.d.). Chinese famine (1907). Retrieved from http://sageereference.com/abstract/disasterrelief/n31.xml Murphy. (2005, August 19). Underlying causes of famine. Retrieved from

http://blogcritics.org/politics/article/underlying-causes-of- famine/ The History Place. Irish potato famine. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/famine/begins .htm