THE DEMOGRAPHIC SITUATION IN THE CITIES OF WESTERN SIBERIA IN 1914-1917
E.E. Shumilova
Institute of History, SB RAS, 8, Nikolaev St., Novosibirsk, 630090 e-shumilova@yandex.ru
Keywords: World War I, demography, Siberia, Novonikolaevsk, Barnaul, Tomsk, Omsk, mortality, birth-rate, nuptiality, sex and age composition
Abstract
The article attempts to provide comprehensive analysis of the demographic situation in the cities of Western Siberia such as Omsk, Tomsk, Barnaul and Novonikolaevsk under conditions of the First World War. Special attention is paid to the analysis of population size, nuptiality, birth-rate, mortality, as well as age and sex composition. The conclusion is made that there was no uniform trend of population growth or decline in the large cities of Western Siberia during the war. The pre-war dominance of males no longer existed. It was replaced either by smoothing the numerical difference between sexes, or by skewing toward females. A significant reduction in the nuptiality among the citizens due to males being off at the front caused a drop in the birth-rate, while deterioration of the epidemiological situation in the cities led to mortality growth. The number of the elderly and children increased due to the influx of refugees.
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