Figure 1.--Here we see Chinese children on a buffalo after working in the fields. The caption read, :These Chinese younsters ride hime on a buffalo after doing a man's work in the fields. Nearly all farm work is now being done by China's women and children. The photogreaph was taken May 12, 1943. The location is not indicated, but it was taken in the area controlled by the Nationalists.

The Chinese home front is a very difficult topic because it is such a complicated one. Our information is still very limited. There was no one China. The Japanese occupied much of China, including the costal areas and major cities. Japanese control was only nominal once one move inland. So called Free (unoccupied China) included the Nationalists in the southwest and the Communists in the northwest. The Japanese converted Manchuria into the puppet state of Manchukuo--essentially a colony. Here they promoted Japanese colonization with only limited syccess. In China proper the Japanese attempted to negotiate arrangements with military warlords in areas they occupied. Some of these war lords also had relations with Chiang creating quite a complicated situation. At this time we do not have much information on living conditions in the various regions. The War affected the Chinese economy. Many men were killed or conscripted into the various armies which affected farm production. The Japanese could be very brutal and conducted an especially dreadful repriasal campaign agains Chinese civilians after the Doolittle Raid (April 1942). Their RiceOffensives also disrupted the rural economy.

Japanese Occupied China

The Chinese home front is a very difficult topic because it is such a complicated one. Our information is still very limited. There was no one China. The Japanese occupied much of China, including the costal areas and major cities. Japanese control was only nominal once one move inland. The Japanese converted Manchuria into the puppet state of Manchukuo--essentially a colony. Here they promoted Japanese colonization with only limited syccess. In China proper the Japanese attempted to negotiate arrangements with military warlords in areas they occupied. The Japanese could be very brutal and conducted an especially dreadful repriasal campaign agains Chinese civilians after the Doolittle Raid (April 1942). The Japanese occupied some of the richest agricultural areas of China. Their Rice Offensives also disrupted the rural economy. At this time we do not have much information on living conditions in the various regions. The War affected the Chinese economy. Many men were killed or conscripted into the various armies which affected farm production.

Free China

So called Free (unoccupied China) included the Nationalists in the southwest and the Communists in the northwest. The two groups persued very different policies in their areas of control. The Communist areawas particularly remote.

War Lords

Some of these war lords also had relations with Chiang creating quite a complicated situation.

Created: 4:11 AM 4/24/2007
Last updated: 4:11 AM 4/24/2007