Why Did The American Red Cross World War

World War One proved to be a trying time for all nations. The Allied countries consisted of Britain, The United States, Russia and France versus the Central Powers which included Germany, Austria-Hungary and modern-day Turkey. Furthermore, many countries that were aligned with these major players were also drawn into the war. With so many different nations involved in the war effort and fighting, the number of deaths was incredible, and the number of men left wounded after the war was even more than that. In the end, 10 million soldiers were killed and an additional 21 million were injured (S. Mintz and S. McNeil). For many, the war did not end when the soldiers returned home; many would be haunted for the rest of their lives with unforgettable
In 1917 when the United State's SS Red Cross, nicknamed "The Mercy Ship" was deployed to Europe, America had just entered battle and both the Allied and Central Powers urgently needed medical help. 170 American surgeons as well as nurses were sent to facilitate, and back in the United States the demands placed on the Red Cross's national headquarters were increasing. Once the American Red Cross's War Council volunteer, Henry P. Davidson, was selected, he faced the problem that money to fund the medical effort was tight ("World"). Even powerful Allied countries like Britain and France struggled with money for their Red Cross associations. This is exemplified in the non-fiction book Elsie and Mairi go to War by Diane Atkinson which is about two young women from Europe who meet and become ambulance drivers in Belgium. These two women held positions that other women at the time were not permitted to hold, and they received lots of recognition during and after the war for saving thousands of lives. In the novel Atkinson narrates, "Money was tight. The Belgian Red Cross was grateful, but the corps received no official funding from either the British, French or Belgian authorities. The British Red Cross eventually donated two ambulances and sixteen pounds a week, but day-to-day running costs had to be met," (43). As a result of this deficit, back in America eight-million civilians volunteered to serve at one of the Red Cross chapters, and by the end of the war almost one-third of the citizens in the United States were either volunteering or donating to the organization ("World"). The Military Service Corps of the Red Cross consisted of six major branches. The first was Home Service, established in 1917, which supported families in America who had soldiers fighting in Europe. It is estimated that financial aid and assistance was provided to around 500,000