THE 1925 DROUGHT IN BESSARABIA: THE FOOD CRISIS AND THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE CARAVASILE AND CRĂCIUNESCU FAMILIES

The summer drought of 1925 triggered a major agricultural and food crisis in southern Bessarabia, severely affecting the counties of Cahul, Cetatea Albă, Ismail and Tighina, where harvests were almost entirely lost. Faced with the threat of widespread famine, the Romanian government intervened through an emergency program, allocating 100 million lei for the purchase and distribution of food in the affected regions. In the following years, this initiative was complemented by an extensive agronomic program through which 1,250 wagons of wheat seed were distributed, 100 of which were allocated to Cahul County. This study examines the essential contribution of local elites—particularly the Caravasile and Crăciunescu families—in managing the crisis, highlighting how they actively collaborated with the county administration, rural cooperatives, parish networks, and the local branch of the Red Cross to ensure the supply of rural communities. In a context of climatic instability and economic vulnerability, the example of Cahul County emerges as a relevant model of local solidarity and interinstitutional resilience in the face of interwar agro-food crises.