Russian Red Cross Society and the Balkan Wars 1912—1913: the Test Before the Storm

Abstract

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Russian Red Cross Society (RRCS) was one of the largest national organisations of the international Red Cross movement. In addition to helping victims of various disasters in Russia, medics from the RRCS helped victims of armed conflicts abroad. Following the Russo-Japanese War, serious shortcomings were identified in the Society's activities and major organisational reforms were undertaken to increase the scale and effectiveness of its work. The first humanitarian operation of RRCS outside Russia, after its reorganization, was the sending of numerous medical missions to the theatre of the First Balkan War on September 25, 1912 — 17 May 1913. During the Second Balkan War from 29 June to 29 July 1913, RRCS missions operated on both sides of the front. The increased efficiency of RRCS, the dedication and professionalism of Russian doctors allowed the Society's missions in the warring countries to successfully cope with their tasks, making up for the shortcomings of the local military-medical services to a great extent, providing aid to tens of thousands of the wounded and sick. The Balkan campaign made it possible to introduce post-reform organisational innovations on the eve of the First World War.