The most important famine throughout history

Throughout its history, humanity has known many disasters: epidemics, wars, earthquakes and hurricanes. Famine is one of the most serious and severe disasters that have claimed the lives of millions of people, both ancient and modern.
The causes of famine did not stop at natural factors, such as drought and floods, but the human factor (mainly political) played the role of the main cause, such as wars or tyranny.

Britain's starvation policies
The first major famines of the modern age date back to the mid-19th century, when the scourge of potato crops in Ireland, the staple of which at the time one-third of the Irish people relied on as a major source of livelihood, became known as "potato famine" 1845 - 1847).

The causes of famine did not stop at natural factors, but the human factor played a major role

The British authorities have played a key role in the continuation and aggravation of the famine. The British fleet prevented the arrival of foreign aid to Irish territory. The famine killed some 1.5 million Irish people and the emigration of some 2 million people to North America. 25% in less than three years.

Statues in Ireland depicting farmers carrying rotten potato crops

Britain also caused a series of famines during the 18th and 19th centuries, in the Indian subcontinent, beginning with the Bengal famine of 1770, in which Indo-India was the first culprit; it refused to reduce taxes on farmers, Farmers have the ability to do their work, and the number of victims of famine reached 10 million Bengali, which was equivalent to one third of the population at the time.

The first major famines of the modern era date back to the mid-19th century, causing 1.5 million deaths and 2 million Irish emigration

During the 19th century, several famines occurred in various parts of British India, such as the Bihar famine (1873-1874) and the Agra famine (1837-1838), but the great famine of 1876-1878 led to the death of 5.5 And the main reason for the export of Britain most of the flour produced in India to Britain.
By the end of the century another major famine had occurred in the years 1899-1900, with an estimated 1.25 million victims. The reason for this was the British government's insistence on cultivating large tracts of agricultural land in cotton needed by the British textile industry rather than cultivating food resources .

Of the Great Indian Famine (1876 - 1878) .. waiting for food aid

About 10 years later, in Ukraine, the largest republic of the Soviet Union, the second major famine of the 20th century occurred in 1932-33, famine known as the "holodomor" (the plague of hunger, in Ukrainian) The main reason behind it was political. Ukraine was besieged during the years of famine by the Soviet authorities in order to suppress the Ukrainian nationalist movement that was seeking secession from the Soviet Union. Before the famine, Ukraine was an agricultural country characterized as the breadbasket of Europe , And today insists the government and Barrel Ukrainian people consider this famine to be a deliberate genocide.

Ukrainian victims of the "Holodomor"

World War II Famine
World War II carried out severe famines, most notably the 1943 Bengal famine, which killed some 7 million Bengali people and came before the end of British rule four years ago. The famine was caused by the Japanese empire and its occupation of the so-called "Dutch East Indies" Bangladesh has relied on most of its food resources, but Japan has suspended trade and exports from Burma, leading to a deterioration in Bangladeshi food stocks. Things worsened in 1943 after the typhoon struck the country, Followed by devastating floods wiped out agricultural crops, it has also led decline in Japan and the feeling of imminent defeat in the war to resort millions fleeing from Burma towards Bangladesh, which is exacerbated by the severity of the famine, and doubled the number of victims.

Britain caused a series of famines during the 18th and 19th centuries in the Indian sub-continent beginning in 1770

The second major famine of war was in Vietnam, and in 1944 it had 2 million victims. Japan was also the main culprit, and France, where the two empires occupied Vietnam and controlled the resources and used them to meet the requirements of the then- In addition, Japan has forced Vietnamese farmers to produce resources needed by the Japanese military, such as rubber, instead of food.

Victims of the Bengali Famine in 1943