2025/02/24 by Siobhán Hearne · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Communism, Protests, Social Movements #Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics #Italian Fascism and Post-war Society
paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/s1740022824000184
openalex publication_date 2025/02/24 · openalex created_date 2025/02/25 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
Abstract In the decades after the death of Iosif Stalin in 1953, Soviet foreign policy shifted away from isolationism to knowledge transfer and competition with the West, as well as robust engagement with the decolonising and non-aligned world. A core component of this reorientation was the reversal of the USSR’s temporary withdrawal from international organisations. This article explores the Soviet Red Cross’s involvement in the League of Red Cross Societies and argues that the two organisations engaged in a mutually beneficial partnership that was built upon shared visions of humanitarianism and development. In this period, the Soviet Red Cross co-hosted major international seminars and conferences with the League, helped to channel humanitarian relief to conflict zones, and supported the League’s development initiatives in the Global South. In return, the League offered the Soviets opportunities to forge links with newly independent countries of the decolonising world and advance narratives about Soviet superiority to international and domestic audiences.