War Means No Food, No Food Means War
Russia was already in a food shortage leading up to 1917. World war one had left a major portion of the country hungry and poor. Russia’s grain harvest had left a large surplus in previous years, so there is no surprise that Russian officials estimated there would be plenty of grain to go around in years of war. They were very wrong however. By the end of the war nearly all food supplies were being redirected to the military, leaving civilians (especially peasents) to fend for themselves. This lead to even more civil unrest and conflict in 1917 and the following years. Similar to the unrest seen in the years leading up to the 1905 revolution
The russian government’s answer to the food shortage started with the creation of a State Committe of Food Supply. This committe attempted to regulate the grain that was produced and the price in which the grain was sold. Neither goal was reached and as a result grain and other food prices continued to skyrocket. As the people in russia grew increasingly hungry they resorted to stealing and ransacking stores. The unrest and need for food lead to the creation of the “Bagman.”
Bagmen were individuals who worked privately and sometimes for certain organizations, to bring food to the people. They pretty much formed a black market for food. As the government continued to attempt to regulate/ ration food supplys and distribution bagmen smuggled food from surplus areas to the hungry areas. The government went through extreme measures to stop these bagmen. If a bagman was caught, in almost all cases the grain they had was confiscated. A quote found on seventeen moments in soviet history shows the desperation these bagmen incountered on a daily basis. “I am a bagman,” said he, “but I do not understand why we are being called bad names … I never would have come two thousand versts if the land committees had given us what we need … We are hungry … You have no idea how we suffer. Famine is no respecter of paperlaws … give us bread!”
-http://soviethistory.macalester.edu/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1917food&Year=1917&navi=byYear
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Revolution
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/march_revolution_1917.htm
Freeze, Gregory. Russia a History. Vol. 3rd. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.
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This post complements Adam’s post well – http://blogs.lt.vt.edu/afoutz/2014/09/15/furious-for-food/. He included some interesting graphics while I think your quote is a helpful representation of how the bagmen (and many Russians in general) felt at this time.
It was fascinating to hear about the Bagmen– almost like the Robin Hoods of Soviet Russia! Were there any other punishments for the Bagmen if they were caught?
Yes, well, “Robin Hood” has a more positive connotation than “speculator” or “black marketeer,” right? The bagmen are interesting and important in the context of the radicalization and intensification of the revolutionary crisis over the course of 1917. How does the food crisis fit into the broader narrative of the Bolsheviks’ rise to power? Hint: They come to power on a slogan of “Bread, Land and Peace.”
In the case of the Russians, if provide them food they’ll be in your pocket. If I recall correctly, the Bolsheviks used kulaks (a derogatory term in itself) as scapegoats. They said the kulaks were responsible for the high prices and the lack of food.
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. People were starving in the USSR during WW2 as well.
I should have explained that kulaks were basically farmers that owned their land. They were a class above the peasantry.