Figure 1.--America during and after World War II wound up feeding the cictims of Axis aggression, but the Axis countries as well in the aftermath of the war. This American wire service photo shows an Italian mother and her two children enjoying American relief food. Itatly was an Axis country, but the Allied invasion was more like a liberation than an occupation. The press caption read,"Hot Soup for Italian War Victims: Two hungry Italian children and their moher in the Italian war zone eat rice soup provided by the Italian Military Government ,which is caring for hundreds of refugees in that area. Note yoingster at right eating hearily, with a second bowl od soup awaiting his attention." The photograph was dated December 18, 1943.

As a result of Axis policies, vast quantities of food were needed to prevent starvation. During the war, American food aid was concentrated on Britain and the Soviet Union. Tragically it was not possible to get food aid into Axis occupied countries. This changed with the inasion of Sicily/Italy (July-September 1943). And then after D-Day (June 1944), it becne possible to get food to librated western Europe. For the most part, the United States did provide food ais to Axis-occupied coutrue. Some American food did reach Greece during the German occupation. And as the Germans withdrew from the Balkans, food aid flowed into Greece (Octiber 1944). China was a special problem because the Japanese controlled the ports and sized more and more of the best agricultural land. The American Army unlike the Axis armies brought its food with it. Here Australia was a major exception, primarily to reserve scare shipping to men and military equipment. Axis countries seized food from the countries they occupied, causing serious shortages. American GIs first were deployed in Britain where the local children soon recognized them as an exhaustable source of candy and a brand new sensation--bubble gum. As American Armies entered Europe they worked with civilian autorities in liberated countries to ensure the food supply. And soldiers not uncommonly shared food with civilians. Only after the War was the United States able to get food shipments to the countries occupied by the Axis countries. Here the occupied countries of Western Europe (France, Belgium, and the Netherlands) had strong agricultural sectors, but aid was needed until the farmers in these countries could get back to full production and the transport system restored. The United States did not just provide food aid to its allies and the people in liberated countries, it also fed the defeated Axis couhtries after the War: Italy, Germany, and Japan. Food aid to Germany went for both the Germans as well as the fisp;aced persons brought to the reich to work in he war factories. America shipped massive quantitie of food to the food-starved Soviet Union during the War. The Germams occupied much of the prime agricultural land of the Soviet Union (June 1941). The Red Army relied on Spam for a substantil portion of its meat ration. American food also helped feed hungary civilians. After the War as Stalin used the NKVD to establish Communist police states in Eastern Europe, the United States ended food relief shipments.

Africa

Asia

The food situation in Europe is bettern known than that of Asia. There were terrible famines in Asia during the War resulting from Japanese seizure of food producing areas and mismanagement of their expanding empire. The most serious famines were in China, India, and Indo-China (Vietnam) as well as serious regional food shortages in Burma. Most of these areas were occupied areas where it was not possivle to get food into until the end of the War. Perhaps the most trgic of all was India where American food aid could have precented the tragic Bengal Famine.

Europe

As a result of Axis policies, vast quantities of food were needed to prevent starvation. During the war, American food aid was concentrated on Britain and the Soviet Union. Tragically it was not possible to get food aid into Axis occupied countries. Some american food got to Greece indirectly through Turkey. This changed with the inasion of Sicily/Italy (July-September 1943). The Italians were the first Europeans were that america was avle to get food aid to after entering the War. Italy was not self sufficent in food and thus by 1943 there were serious food shortages. And then after D-Day (June 1944), it becne possible to get food to librated western Europe. For the most part, the United States did provide food ais to Axis-occupied coutrue. Some American food did reach Greece during the German occupation. And as the Germans withdrew from the Balkans, food aid flowed into Greece (Octiber 1944). China was a special problem because the Japanese controlled the ports and sized more and more of the best agricultural land. The American Army unlike the Axis armies brought its food with it. Here Australia was a major exception, primarily to reserve scare shipping to men and military equipment. Axis countries seized food from the countries they occupied, causing serious shortages. American GIs first were deployed in Britain where the local children soon recognized them as an exhaustable source of candy and a brand new sensation--bubble gum. As American Armies entered Europe they worked with civilian autorities in liberated countries to ensure the food supply. And soldiers not uncommonly shared food with civilians. Only after the War was the United States able to get food shipments to the countries occupied by the Axis countries. Here the occupied countries of Western Europe (France, Belgium, and the Netherlands) had strong agricultural sectors, but aid was needed until the farmers in these countries could get back to full production and the transport system restored. The United States did not just provide food aid to its allies and the people in liberated countries, it also fed the defeated Axis couhtries after the War: Italy, Germany, and Japan. Food aid to Germany went for both the Germans as well as the fisp;aced persons brought to the reich to work in he war factories. America shipped massive quantitie of food to the food-starved Soviet Union during the War. The Germams occupied much of the prime agricultural land of the Soviet Union (June 1941). The Red Army relied on Spam for a substantil portion of its meat ration. American food also helped feed hungary civilians. After the War as Stalin used the NKVD to establish Communist police states in Eastern Europe, the United States ended food relief shipments.

Middle-East and North Africa

The Middle East was not occupied by the Axis, but Iran and Iraq was sympathetic and Lebanon and Syria were controlled by Vichy France. Much of North Africa was controlled by the Axis. Libya was an Italian colony and the Afrik Korps occupied much of Egypt as well as Libya and most of Tunisia. Algeria and Morocco was controlled by Vichy France. We do not have much information on Americn food aid to the Middle East and North Africa. The food situation in the region was not as critical as other regions because there was intense fighting for only part of the War (March 1941-May 1943) and was mostly confined to non-food producing desert areas in a small part of the region. We know the United States was active because we notive American food containers in various countries. The United states had been active in the refion as a result of Near East Relief launched to save the Armenians being murdered by the Ottoman Turks (1910s-20s). The United states sparheaded the formation of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) (1943). UNRRA was active in the region and modst of the food it distribuuted was provided by the Americans. In addition to the local population, there was also camps set up European refugees. Some camps for Poles were set up in Iran. Most promently, the British set up several camps as part of thrir Middle East Relief and Refugee Administration (1942). The program was adminitered from offices in Cairo. The program assisted some 40,000 people (mostly Greeks, Poles, and Yugoslavs) who managed to escpe the NAZIs and Soviets. UNRRA took over the effort (1944). The refugees were cred for in camps located in Egypt, southern Palestine and Syria. Almost all of the food distribjuted by the British and UNRRA was provided by America.

Oceania

Created: 9:58 PM 1/6/2017
Last updated: 1:15 PM 2/1/2017