Profile

Email

cristianodebrum@gmail.com

ORCID

Unity

Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Scientific area

History

Project title

"For the health of allied and friendly countries”: Brazilian philanthropy during the First World War (1914-1918)

Abstract

The First World War (1914-1918), or Great War, became known not only as a “world war,” but as the first “total war,” affecting all sectors of society: soldiers and civilians, men and women, adults and children, public and private spaces. Beyond the war context, there were the so-called “invisible fronts,” dedicated to feeding, supplying, and caring for the countries at war. These dynamics of support from civil society transcended national borders, mobilizing civilians from other countries in aid campaigns. In Brazil, immigrant communities and “Allied-sympathizing” Brazilians, identified with France and its allies, promoted fundraising campaigns. The objective of this project is to analyze, through an investigation of the social and welfare dynamics during the First World War, the profile of Brazilian benefactors and how they were organized, as well as to investigate the nationalities of those affected by the conflict who received these benefits (Portuguese, French, etc.). The initial hypothesis of the research is that civilian wartime assistance, from a transnational perspective, stands as one of the important invisible fronts for assisting belligerent countries and their needy, as well as a tool for strengthening local identity and the prestige of elites in the country of origin of the support. The research is situated within the domains of the history of assistance during the Great War (1914-1918). The aim here is to expand the perception of the world conflict and use the notion of invisible fronts (Canini, 1984) to guide the research. Regarding sources, special attention will be given to various archives that allow us to track donations from Brazilian benefactors who provided benefits to the wounded, soldiers, orphans, and others during the Great War.

Keywords

World War I; History of aid; Scientific and philanthropic elites; Humanitarian support

Supervision

Alexandra Esteves

Scientific framework

PIPD-Exterior Fellow (Institutional Postdoctoral Program), CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel), Brazil

Starting and Ending Date

21/10/2026 - 31/03/2027