Food Scarcity and Women’s Collective Action during the First World War: The Case of Greece, 1915-1916

Published

1 December 2023

Issue

Volume 1 – Number 12

How to cite

Vassilis T. Georgakis

DOI

ABSTRACT

The period 1912-1922 was a turning point in the history of the Greek state. The three consecutive wars it participated in (Balkan Wars 1912-1913, First World War 1917-1918, Greek-Turkish War 1919-1922), the National Schism which divided Greek society, the disastrous end of the Asia Minor campaign (known as the Catastrophe) and the exodus of 1.5 million Christians from Anatolia, completely changed the character of Greek society compared to the 19th century. As the country entered the Interwar period, new motifs emerged: statism, the intensification of the conflict between labour and capital, and the entrance of women into the public sphere. In this article we will examine women’s collective action during the period 1915-1916 on the issue of the cost of living and food shortages, and the way in which they contributed to the shaping of the Greek Interwar period.

KEYWORDS

Greece, First World War, Food riots, Popular movements