INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO THE 1915 SERBIAN TYPHUS EPIDEMIC ADMINISTERING ANGELS Angela Bowen Potter IUPUI- WIMPS Presentation September 30, 2014

KATHLEEN BURKE SCOTTISH WOMEN'S HOSPITAL ADMINISTERING ANGELS

ADMINISTERING ANGEL

ANGELS OF MERCY

ORGANIZED WOMEN

TYPHUS EPIDEMIC 1915

ADMINISTERING ANGELS IN ACTION

INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE TO TYPHUS First Missions 3 Plans developed Typhus Defeated Retreat of Missions

SERBIA TYPHUS EPIDEMIC 1915 INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN RELIEF PROJECT Conference Paper Digital Map Digital Timeline

SERBIA 1914

THE BALKAN CAMPAIGNS nd Balkan Campaign December st Balkan Campaign July 1914

ALLIED VIEW OF SERBIA

SERBIAN RED CROSS

1914 EFFORTS

1914 BRITISH EFFORTS Flora Sandes British Volunteer with Mrs. Grujic 9/1914 First SRF Assistance 11/1914

SERBIAN RELIEF FUND

BRITISH RED CROSS IN SERBIA BRX in Skopje, 1915

AMERICAN RED CROSS

TYPHUS “RAISE IT’S UGLY HEAD” DECEMBER 1914

TYPHUS CASES JANUARY-MARCH 1915

TYPHUS EPIDEMIC New DiscoveriesTyphus

“THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION” JANUARY 1915

RUSSIAN IMAGES OF TYPHUS

S COTTISH WOMEN’S HOSPITALS: “SEND US WHERE WE ARE MOST NEEDED” JANUARY 1915 Telegraph, January 1915 Fundraising, January 1915

VALJEVO “SORT THE LIVING FROM THE DEAD” Emily Simmons, ARC

FRENCH MISSIONS

DEVELOPING A COORDINATED PLAN? 1. Skopje Plan- February 1915 British Red Cross, Serbian Relief Fund and Serbian Civilian Government Medical and Public Health Missions 2. RAMC Plan- February 1915 British Royal Army Medical Corps, British Government and Serbian Military Public Health & Education 3. Paris Plan- March 1915 French, American and British Red Crosses and government Divide Serbia into districts, with American and Brattish sectors

SKOPJE PLAN- FEBRUARY 1915 Dr. Katherine McPhail, SWH British Red Cross, Serbian Relief Fund and Serbian Civilian Government Medical and Public Health Missions

BERRY MISSION

RAMC PLAN- FEBRUARY 1915 BRITISH ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS, BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND SERBIAN MILITARY PUBLIC HEALTH & Education

RAMC PLAN- FEBRUARY 1915

SCOTTISH WOMEN’S HOSPITALS DR. ELISE INGLIS

SERBIAN RELIEF FUND MARCH 1915 Claire Stobart First Field Flying Hospital

SERBIAN SANITARY RELIEF COMMISSION AMERICAN RED CROSS AND ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION

FRENCH MEETING MARCH,

MARCH 30, 1915

APRIL 1915

SWH

SUMMER 1915

PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION

FALL 1915 BeforeAfter

FALL 1915

NOVEMBER & DECEMBER RETREAT

RETREAT

IN SERBIA REMEMBERING THE EPIDEMIC

SWHSRF

CONCLUSIONS 1.Early example of a large scale international humanitarian effort. 2.Mission advanced the state of medical research and type of response to epidemics. Used later in the war. 3.Missions developed a new format of combining medical missions with public health efforts. 4.Response built broader commitments to the Serbian Front. 5.Demonstrated that women could serve on the front lines as doctors and nurses. 6.Analysis of the administration of the efforts show the role of World War I in the way relief administered. Shows the need of a lead agency to coordinate the effort.

NEW ADMINISTERING ANGEL? ERNEST BICKNELL

ADMINISTERING ANGEL

NEXT STEPS…