New Books Network Foreign Aid and State Building in Interwar Romania
Jul 4, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Dr. Doina Anca Cretu, an Assistant Professor at the University of Warwick, shares her insights on foreign aid in interwar Romania. She reveals how American philanthropic organizations shaped state-building efforts, along with the political challenges Romanian leaders faced when accepting conditional aid. Dr. Cretu also highlights the role of elite women in philanthropy amid economic crises and offers valuable advice for aspiring academic authors on developing their unique analytical voices.
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Civilian Aid Crystallized Post-WWI
- Aid for civilians fundamentally crystallized during and after World War I, shaping new ideas on nonprofit humanitarian aid.
- Foreign aid in interwar Romania showed surprising breadth, including child health and refugee assistance.
Research Pivot to Romania
- Doina Anca Cretu initially chose to research Yugoslavia but switched to Romania due to archival challenges and her native language advantage.
- She unexpectedly found Romania to be a rich case study of collaborative foreign aid and state building rather than rejection and nationalism.
Two Faces of Foreign Aid
- American Red Cross and American Relief Administration provided emergency humanitarian aid focused on crisis relief.
- Rockefeller Foundation focused on constructive aid as investment, promoting state-building and transferring expert knowledge.