ABSTRACT
From 1918–1923, in response to the Russian Revolution and its aftermath, the International Committee of the Red Cross expanded its work to repatriate prisoners of war, battle against epidemics, protect Russian refugees, and intervene on behalf of political prisoners. This essay provides an overview of these activities. It argues that this revolutionary disorder in Eastern Europe created a unique opportunity for the ICRC to expand its humanitarian activities. Support from Western European states for these programmes did not continue past 1923.
