Books by Francesca Piana
At the end of WWI, millions of prisoners of war and civilians were displaced across Europe, the S... more At the end of WWI, millions of prisoners of war and civilians were displaced across Europe, the South Caucasus, and the Eastern Mediterranean. While many made their way home, genocide, revolution, and post-war instability delayed the repatriation of prisoners of war from Russia and the Central Powers, while Russian and Armenian refugees were forced into exile. In response to the inconsistent efforts of governments, a series of international organizations intervened. Three of these—the International Committee of the Red Cross, the League of Nations, and the International Labour Organization—designed and implemented humanitarian, political, and legal measures to protect prisoners of war and refugees. By examining together international officers, national representatives, relief workers, experts, local staff, prisoners of war, and refugees, the book sheds new light on the plurality of agencies and spaces that determined the contours of humanitarian protection and refugee politics. From international negotiations to the everyday practices of care, the book argues for the emergence of a plural, discordant, and gendered governance of refugee protection. This is a history of both failures and innovations, of compassion and cynicism, set against a complex and ever-changing political backdrop.
ARO, VIII, 2025, 2, URL https://aro-isig.fbk.eu/issues/2025/2/humanitarian-protection-for-prisoners-of-war-and-refugees-in-the-long-aftermath-of-the-first-world-war-mara-dissegna/, 2025
PDF: https://hdiplo.org/to/R648, 2025
In the early 1920s, the fate of Russian prostitutes in Constantinople came to the attention of in... more In the early 1920s, the fate of Russian prostitutes in Constantinople came to the attention of international organizations like the League of Nations (LoN) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). These women were refugees of the Russian Civil War (1919-1921) and their status generated divergent approaches to their cause: representatives of the LoN saw their case at the intersection of warinduced displacement and so-called "white slavery." The ICRC, however, interpreted their condition in terms of immorality and challenged their protection. This is one episode out of many that Francesca Piana presents in her exploration of ways Russian prisoners of war, Russian refugees, and Armenian displaced victims of genocide shaped the making of an international humanitarian ecosystem in the 1920s. This story highlights the multiple facets of displacement, the humanitarian mobilization on behalf of refugees, and perceptions of and biases towards possible recipients, as well as the meeting points and divergences between aid actors. In this sense, it is an indicative multifaceted anecdote of Piana's larger study.
The period after the end of the First World War marked a formative stage in the development of hu... more The period after the end of the First World War marked a formative stage in the development of humanitarian care for prisoners of war and refugees. Faced with hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals, most of them in the former Tsarist Empire and the new states of Central and Eastern Europe, international organizations-including as the League of Nations, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)-began to develop mechanisms and principles that would shape humanitarian action throughout the twentieth century. Francesca Piana's book uses three interconnected case studies to trace these developments and highlights the dynamics and tensions that shaped them. The first examines the repatriation of Russian prisoners of war (POWs) after 1918. This process was particularly complicated, as many former Russian soldiers were unwilling to return for political reasons or because they belonged to national minorities seeking independence from the former Tsarist Empire. Yet, the presence of approximately half a million former POWs put a significant economic strain on Germany and other former Central Powers, which they were increasingly unable to cope with. It was at this point that international organizations stepped in to facilitate humanitarian relief and orderly repatriation. The POW camp in the Estonian city of Narva became a key hub for these activities. As Piana highlights, neither military commanders nor humanitarian actors such as the Red Cross had sufficient experience in dealing with such large numbers of displaced people, many of whom were stuck in Narva. The situation was further aggravated by the outbreak of typhoid and cholera due to the abysmal hygiene in the camp. No European country was willing to offer permanent resettlement, yet the Russian Civil War also meant that there were no authorities on the Russian side that would be able to take responsibility for the POWs. Much of the actual relief work depended on prominent individuals who could often use their personal connections to facilitate aid deliveries to Narva. The most prominent among them was certainly the Norwegian Arctic explorer, Fridtjof Nansen, who was appointed High Commissioner for Refugees in 1921. As Piana explains, Nansen was a great public champion of refugee relief but proved difficult to work with on a day-today basis. Nansen often acted on his own initiative, which caused tensions with other humanitarian actors. Ultimately, however, some 427,886 former POWs were successfully repatriated, 406,091 through Narva alone. The second case study directly relates to the first. The Russian Civil War (1918-22) triggered several waves of refugees, in its later stages, particularly those of 'White' emigres and armed formations. The chaotic evacuation of the c. 150,000 troops and followers of General Denikin in March and April 1920 to Constantinople on British ships is just one case in point. The presence of such large numbers of refugees, with Denikin's troops still under arms, posed a significant challenge to the Allied powers who occupied Constantinople at the time. A key concern was feeding and caring for displaced civilians, who also faced hostility from the local population. Yet, there were also concerns about Russian refugees as a factor in geopolitical instability. As Piana argues, this helps to explain why, for instance, the ILO became involved in refugee work. Although ostensibly not within the organization's scope, the ILO provided expertise and support for the resettlement of Russian refugees, in some cases to Central and South America, by classifying them as displaced skilled workers seeking employment. These resettlement schemes were embraced by some national governments, yet often also had
Papers by Francesca Piana
This article examines the life and work of Dr. Ruth A. Parmelee, an American missionary obstetric... more This article examines the life and work of Dr. Ruth A. Parmelee, an American missionary obstetrician and gynecologist who was stationed in Ottoman Harpoot during the Great War era. Initially responsible for the child and maternal care of Ottoman women, both Christian and Muslim, Parmelee also treated men due to the unexpected demands of warfare. Once the Armenian Genocide began, she transitioned from reproductive to emergency medicine for surviving Armenians. The article analyzes Dr. Parmelee's daily activities, demonstrating how she negotiated her personal and professional gendered identity against the expectations of her family, American medical schools, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and Ottoman institutions. By tracing her movements between the various spaces she inhabited, from the mission buildings and hospital to private residences and the refugee camp, this article demonstrates how medical work served as a means of both segregation and inclusion.
Le mouvement social, 2025
Article de revue « Un amputé peut-il travailler normalement ? » L'internationalisme médical et le... more Article de revue « Un amputé peut-il travailler normalement ? » L'internationalisme médical et les personnes handicapées en Grèce, 1935-1955 Par Pages 57 à 79 Cet article retrace les idées, les pratiques et les représentations de l'internationalisme médical à destination des personnes handicapées en Grèce de 1935 à 1955 entre la période de paix, la Seconde Guerre mondiale et la guerre civile. Face à l'inaction des autorités grecques, qui privilégient les enfants et les anciens combattants handicapés, deux institutions, la Near East Foundation et l'United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, créent en 1945 le Centre hellénique de rééducation pour adultes civils handicapés. Ce centre a pour mission de soigner les patients, de leur fournir des prothèses, de leur apprendre un métier ou un sport, et vise ainsi une rééducation physique et morale dans le cadre de la reconstruction économique, politique et sociale de la société grecque. Dix ans plus tard, en 1955, après avoir soigné environ 7 000 personnes handicapées, la Near East Foundation négocie le transfert du centre à l'État grec, qui en prend la charge, non sans difficultés.
Revue du groupe de recherche en histoire du service social Nouvelle série n° 30 -juin 2025 Le SSI... more Revue du groupe de recherche en histoire du service social Nouvelle série n° 30 -juin 2025 Le SSI a 100 ans Edito Le 16 décembre 2024, le CEDIAS accueillait une journée d'études pour commémorer le centenaire de la création du SSI (Service social international) 1 . Après un rappel de la création du SSI, a été mis en avant le rôle essentiel joué par le SSAE (Service social d'aide aux émigrants) dans le développement du SSI en France. En 1921 est créé à Londres le département de la World's young women's christian association qui, dans un contexte de fortes migrations de familles de l'Europe vers les USA, s'engage dans la protection des femmes et des enfants dans leurs voyages et leurs exils. Le SSI est né d'un rêve de femmes, dans les 1 ères écoles de service social. Cet engagement, ce travail bénéficient alors autant aux femmes aidées qu'aux femmes qui se lancent dans la création de cet organisme car les femmes sont exclues de la citoyenneté. L'engagement social représente une alternative à la privation de droits. Le SSI se développera massivement dans l'entre-deux guerres, puis après la 2°g uerre mondiale. Les champs d'intervention sont l'aide à l'enfance, l'adoption internationale, l'assistance aux réfugiés, les mineurs non accompagnés, les enlèvement d'enfants, la recherche des origines. À l'heure de cette commémoration les problématiques traitées par le SSI -et le SSAE-continuent d'être dans l'actualité. Mais si le SSI continue son activité, le SSAE a lui cessé de fonctionner en 2005. Aujourd'hui son absence fait cruellement défaut pour accompagner les mineurs, les solliciteurs d'asile et autres populations exilées qui hantent nos rues 2 . Dans ce dossier, nous partageons avec vous ce retour sur la création du SSI et du SSAE avec les articles d'une chercheuse italienne, Francesca Piana et de Lucienne Chibrac autrice d'une histoire du SSAE 3 et, issu de sa thèse un entretien réalisé avec Melle Mourgues, assistante sociale du SSAE à Marseille pendant la 2° guerre mondiale. Enfin un article d'une revue juridique de 1949 où la présidente fondatrice du SSAE et sa directrice nous présentent les « perspectives d'avenir » pour le service. N. Blanchard 1 Une exposition retraçant l'histoire du SSI a été réalisée et présentée au siège à Genève. 2 Après la fermeture du SSAE, la branche française du SSI a été reprise par la Fondation Droit d'enfance 3 Lucienne Chibrac, Les pionnières du travail social auprès des étrangers. Le Service social d'aide aux émigrants, des origines à la Libération (Éditions de l'École nationale de la santé publique, 2005
| www.fondation-pierredubois.ch 1 Le Centenaire du service social international : points de vue h... more | www.fondation-pierredubois.ch 1 Le Centenaire du service social international : points de vue historiques L'année 2024 a marqué le centenaire du Service social international (SSI), une organisation non-gouvernementale dont le mandat porte sur la protection de l'enfance, l'assistance et la réunification des familles à travers les frontières internationales. Avec ses quartiers généraux à Genève et sa présence dans 120 pays dans le monde par des branches, des bureaux affiliés et des correspondant-e-s, le SSI met au coeur de son travail les principes de neutralité, de confidentialité, d'indépendance, de transparence et d'impartialité. L'organisation offre une assistance sociojuridique et un soutien psychologique aux enfants dans le besoin, plaide pour l'amélioration du droit national et international dans les domaines de l'enfance, de la migration et de la famille et s'engage pour la formation de professionnel-le-s de l'assistance sociale à travers l'organisation de conférences et des publications scientifiques i .
Il mestiere di storico, 2023
[Between social protection and the fight against unemployment. The negotiations and technical assistance of the BIT in favor of Russian refugees (1919-1925)]
[Estonia and the exchange of POWs between Germany and Russia, 1918-1922], 2020
* Cet article présente les principaux résultats de mon livre à paraître « The Global Governance o... more * Cet article présente les principaux résultats de mon livre à paraître « The Global Governance of Refugee Protection. Responses to Forced Displacements after WWI ». J'ai mené mes recherches dans le cadre d'une thèse de doctorat au sein du projet dirigé par le professeur Davide Rodogno, intitulé « Histoire des associations internationales et des organisations internationales non-gouvernementales humanitaires en Europe occidentale au 19 e et 20 e siècle (1800-1945) », financé par le Fonds national suisse de la recherche scientifique (PP0011_118875). Je remercie Sylvain Schirmann, Lena Radauer et Ségolène Plyer pour leurs commentaires. Merci à Andrea pour sa patience. Les traductions de l'anglais au français sont les miennes. ** Chercheuse indépendante. 1 Archives du Comité international de la Croix-Rouge (ACICR), MIS B 35.5/1123, Tõnisson à Ador, 2 octobre 1922. Italique ajouté dans la citation.
Gendering Global Humanitarianism in the Twentieth. Practice, Politics and the Power of Representation (Palgrave Macmillan), 2020
This article focuses on humanitarians by studying the interactions between the International Comm... more This article focuses on humanitarians by studying the interactions between the International Committee of the Red Cross and one of his delegates, George Montandon, between 1919 and 1922. Montandon was charged with a fact-finding mission in Siberia that set the basis for larger repatriation plans on behalf of prisoners of war from the Central Powers. This article explores the nature and circulation of expertise-formal and informal-in connection with Montandon's private and professional life before the mission, during the mission itself and once the mission was over. Being a delegate for the ICRC was not a profession but rather a break from established professions as doctors, military officers and scholars in Switzerland. However, experts associated with the work of the Geneva organisation at the headquarters and at the ground level brought a vast set of skills to international humanitarianism. Through a spectrum of transnational connections and networks, at the end of the First World War the ICRC experienced processes of specialisation and standardisation of tasks which had already started in wartime. This article argues that the impulse towards an increasing professionalisation of humanitarianism 'clashed'
2015. “Photography, cinema, and the quest for influence: the International Committee of the Red Cross in the wake of the First World War,” eds. Heide Fehrenbach and Davide Rodogno, Humanitarian photography: A History. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2015: 140-164.
Humanitarian Photography: A History (New York: Cambridge University Press), 2015
2014. “Shaping Poland: relief and rehabilitation programmes undertaken by foreign organizations, 1918–1922,” with D. Rodogno and S. Gauthier, Shaping the transnational sphere: the transnational networks of experts (1840-1930), eds. Struck, Vogel, and Rodogno. New York: Berghahn Books, 2014: 259-278.
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Books by Francesca Piana
Papers by Francesca Piana