THE DROUGHT OF 1924-1925 AND ITS CONSEQUENCES IN THE AKTOBE REGION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26577/JH20251193Keywords:
drought, food crisis, famine, assistance to the hungry, special commissions.Abstract
This article examines the drought that occurred in 1924–1925 in the Kazakh ASSR, including the Aktobe region, and its impact on the economic situation and lives of the population. During this period, previously understudied in Soviet and Russian historiography, the people again found themselves in dire straits. Residents, still recovering from the famine of 1921–1922, faced a new challenge.
The author notes that during the years when the situation was considered a mere drought, food shortages led residents to resort to various substitutes, plant roots, and the like. As a result, poor nutrition and hunger led to the spread of various infectious diseases, and there were several deaths among the population. Archival materials document instances of entire families dying from starvation.
The authorities made every effort to address the dire situation. However, their approach to providing various aid packages and distributing funds was flawed.
This article aims to use archival data to reveal the causes and consequences of the famine that occurred in the Aktobe region, as well as the measures taken by the government and the party to address it, and their results.
This article utilizes comparative research methods, as well as principles of objectivity and historicism.
As a result of this research, the author concludes that the drought of 1924–1925, considered minor in scale, brought enormous suffering to the residents of the Aktobe region.
