Causes and Consequences of Famine in Kermanshah During World War I

The famine during World War I in 1336-1338 HC/1296-1298 SH had very destructive consequences for social and economic domains of Kermanshah. This research is based on the hypothesis that World War I in Kermanshah and the occupation of Kermanshah by Ottoman, Russia and England armies left damaging effects such as cereal shortage and the outbreak of famine. This shortage together with drought, hording and epidemic diseases took the lives of many residents of Kermanshah. Using unpublished archived documents and authentic library references, this descriptive-analytical study tried to identify the factors effective in the outbreak of famine as well as its social and economic consequences. The results show that besides drought, the long presence of axis and allied forces in Kermanshah, plundering of public and state granaries, looting of livestock and destroying houses, hoarding of grain by domestic and foreign agents, the structural weakness of the central government and the inefficiency of local officials to manage the crisis, played the main role in the outbreak and continuation of famine in this region.