In 1921, Ukraine, parts of Russia and the Caucasus suffered a severe famine which resulted in millions of deaths. The Russian government was forced to recognise the seriousness of the situation, accepting aid from the US. Fridtjof Nansen shortly afterwards became involved in famine relief, travelling to the region. As part of his project, Nansen approached authors and artists for contributions to a fund-raising book, which appeared as the present work. The contributors included Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Arthur Schnitzler, Stefan Zweig, Heinrich Mann, Hernann Hesse, Romain Rolland and other writers, and the artists included Käte Kollwitz and Frans Masereel.