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The bulk of the Chinese War effort to resist the Japanese invasion was carried by the Nationalists. The Nationalist Government did a reasonably good job of managing food production and distribution in the immeciate afytermath of the Japanese invasion. And at first the Japanese primarily occupied northern China and coastal areas around Shanghai and the major ports. As the war dragged on, however, the situation worsened. The Japanese seized more and more inland areas, including important agricultural areas. They also seized food to feed their huge army in China. Shipments make to the Home Islands, one of the goals of invading China proved disappoining. The Germans would have the same experience in the Soviet Union. Their occupation policies adversely affected food production. The Japanese advances in China removed substantial important agricultural areas from Nationalist control. This meant that the Governmrnt had less food at its disposl at the same time that refugees fleeing the rapacious Japanese flooded into Nationlist areas increasing the mouths thatvneeded to be fed with declining harvests. The Nationalists were unable to even feed its armies properly, let alone the civilian population and refugees. The result in the last years of the war was famine and starvation. Unlike Britain, America had no way to get food into China. The Japanese had cut the Burma Road (1942). The Americans flew in military supplies over the Hump, but not what was needed by the Chinese Army. Most od the supplies flown in over the Hump. Most of the supplies delivered were for the american air campaign in China. There wa no way to even begin to deliver by air the massive quantities of food neeed. The Nationalists had to use draconian measures to seize food from the peasantry. The Comminists did too, but were somewhat more circumspect. The brutality of the Nationalist Army in the final years of the War is believed by many to have been a major factor in the Communist victory after the war. Some food arrived with the opening of the Ledo Road (January 1945). The quantities were, however, very limited. Only with the Japanese surrender (August 1945) and the subsequent opening of Chinese ports did American food shippmrnts begin to reach China in quantity. The retreat of the Japanese Army was another factor in the final year of the War.
Collingham, Lizzie. The Taste of War: World War II and the Battle for Food (Penguin Books: New York, 1962), 634p.
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