Near East relief’s aid campaign in occupied Constantinople (1918-1923): Aid and politic

Abstract

This thesis examines Near East Relief’s aid campaign in occupied Constantinople (1918-1923) in the post-war Near East. Taking advantage of long standing theoretical debates on the politics of aid, this thesis approaches the concept of foreign aid as a compulsory marriage between humanitarianism and self-interest. In this respect, it challenges broadly accepted views that either canonize or curse Near East Relief and its aid campaign. To explain why they provided aid and did aid work as well as the social and political effects of the campaign, this study considers a series of issues related to Near East Relief, the United States Department of State, private donors, and aid recipients in the context of the politics of aid. To evaluate the aid campaign in the most accurate, detailed way, this study does not confine itself to explaining what actually happened in the field but also takes into account the formation of American aid policies towards the Near East.