The Persian famine of 1917–1918 caused deaths by starvation, and cholera, of as much as one quarter of the population living in the north of homeland. Although the research of Mohammad Gholi Majd alleges as many as 8–10 million died, across the whole nation, based on an alternate pre-famine Persian population estimate of 19 million, and diplomatic cables.
At the time, Persia was politically weak and heavily influenced by foreign powers, particularly Britain, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire. Although neutral, Persian territory was occupied by foreign armies, which disrupted governance, agriculture, and trade. The famine resulted in millions of deaths. Estimates vary widely, but historians suggest that between 2 and 10 million people—up to one-quarter of Persia’s population at the time—may have died from starvation and disease.
