The Red Cross Movement, with over 100 million members worldwide, is the largest humanitarian aid organisation in the world today. It was founded by Swiss business man, Henri Dunant, following the battle of Solferino, northern Italy, in 1859 which resulted in over 40,000 dead or wounded. Dunant found himself in the middle of the battle between the French forces of Emperor, Napoleon III and the Austro-Hungarian Empire which occupied parts of Italy at that time. Horrified by the anguished cries of the war-wounded left to suffer and die on the battlefield, many of whom pleaded for the coup de grace, Dunant organised help from the nearest village, Solferino. The wounded, from both sides were ferried to makeshift hospitals in people's homes and barns. Dunant returned to Geneva where he penned his account of the battle in: 'A Memory of Solferino', urging people to set-up voluntary relief societies to deal with the hardship of war. His book led to the foundation of the International Committe
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