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World War II China: Refugees


Figure 1.--The Japanese invasion of China was a disaster for the Chinese people. Refugees in huge numbers fled Japanese occupied areas. And a huge number of others were displaced in Japanese occupied areas. And the peasantry ws not safe even in the unoccupiedareas. Both the nationalist and Communists seized food from the peasatry as well as forcefully conscripted young men. The Nationalists as the War dragged on became more and more severe in these actions. And as thrughout history, itwas the children and elderly most at risk.

One of the great tragedies of World War II are the displaced people often described as refugees. The story of refugees in Europe has been treated by historians in great detail. The story of refugees in Asia, especually China, has been the subject of much less historical study, despite the huge numbers of people involved. Ifone does an internet search for Chinese World War II refugees, much more information comes up about the Jewish refugees in Shaghai rather than Chinese refugees. And the term refugee or even dispaced persons does not begin to capture what occured in China. There were indeed large numbers of what we would consider as traditional regugees as well as homeless. And here the number was larger than any other beligerent country, including the Soviet Union. There were three reasons for this. First, the Japanese offensive was not as rapid as the German military operations. And the Japanese were not as mechanized as the Germans. This meant that the Chinese had more time to flee than the people of the Captive Nations in Europe. Second, the Japanese never totally defeated the Chinese and occupied the whole country. This meant that the Chinese had somewhere to try to reach. In Europe, the Germans conquerd whole countries, except for the Soviet Union. Thus there was no wherefor Europeans to escape to, but Britain and Spain. The Channel and North Sea made it virtually impossible to reach Britain. Spain was easier, but had a Government linked to the Germans. Third, the Japanese were increadily brutal, creating an enormous refugee flow. In addition to the refugees, you have forced labor as well as war ophans and widows. There were also special groups particularly associatd with China that were not refugees or dispalced, but suffered in a simalar way to refugees. This included increased opium addiction (promoted by the Japanese), military concripts (ill-cared for and fed), amd civilian laborers. Chinese peasants were not safe just because they were not in a Japanese occupied area. The Japanese ruthlessly seized crops, but so did Chinese authorties (Nationalist and Communist) in the unoccupid zone. The Nationalists could be especially brutal as the War went on and the Japanese seized more and more of China's prime agricultural land. This meant that the Nationalists had access to less harvested food and with swelling refugee populations and a large army to feed, more and more demand for food. Unlike Britain and the Soviet Union, there was no way for America to get food through to the Nationalists. The Japanese seized all the Chinese ports (1937-38) and eveually closed off the remaining lifelines, French Indochina (1940) and British Burma (1942). The Nationalists not only seized food from the peasants but often their sons as well to serve in the military. These seizures were limted early in the War, but as the War progressed became more and more severe. Many peasants so affected might not be refugees or displaced, but after their food, livestock, and sons were seized were in very much the same sitution. The Communists did the same, but were more restrained. This was undoubtedly a factor in the Commiunist victory after the War. There are no definitive data for the numbers of people involved, refugees, other displced people, and the special Chinese categories.

Poor Documentation

One of the great tragedies of World War II are the displaced people often described as refugees. The story of refugees in Europe has been treated by historians in great detail. The story of refugees in Asia, especually China, has been the subject of much less historical study, despite the huge numbers of people involved. And details of their tragic experiences are generally poorly documented. If one does an internet search for Chinese World War II refugees, much more information comes up about the Jewish refugees in Shaghai rather than Chinese refugees.

Terminology

The term refugee or even dispaced persons does not begin to capture what occured in China. There were indeed large numbers of what we would consider as traditional regugees as well as homeless.

Numbers

The number of refugees and homeless in China was larger than any other World War II beligerent country, including the Soviet Union. There are no definitive data for the numbers of people involved, refugees, other displced people, and the special Chinese categories. There are various estimates of the dispossed. One 1947 study estimated the number of Chinese refugees and homeless at about 13 million. This is only an estimare, but clearly shows the order of magnitude of the problem. And this does not include those who remained in their home, but who were in desperate need of food. Large but unknown numbers of the refugees perished because of lack of food, safe water, shelter, and medical care. The American report stated that, "Starvation and sickness killed more children and then left the survivors nore enfeebled in China than in any other invaded country. Very young children and the elderly werespecially vulnerable among the rfugee population. In some cases families were able to stay together. In many cases they were separatd. Men and older boys were often targeted by the Japanese or conscripted by the Nationalists and Chinese armies. Many children were separated from their mothers as well as orphaned. This study reports tht some 2 million orphans wandered the country after the War. [CSAA]

Causes

There were three reasons for the large number of refugees, dispaced, and other homeless people in China. this. First, the Japanese offensive was not as rapid as the German military operations. And the Japanese were not as mechanized as the Germans. This meant that the Chinese had more time to flee than the people of the Captive Nations in Europe. Second, the Japanese never totally defeated the Chinese and occupied the whole country. This meant that the Chinese had somewhere to try to reach. In Europe, the Germans conquerd whole countries, except for the Soviet Union. Thus there was no wherefor Europeans to escape to, but Britain and Spain. The Channel and North Sea made it virtually impossible to reach Britain. Spain was easier, but had a Government linked to the Germans. Third, the Japanese were increadily brutal, creating an enormous refugee flow.

Related Situations

In addition to the refugees, you have forced labor as well as war ophans and widows. There were also special groups particularly associatd with China that were not refugees or dispalced, but suffered in a simalar way to refugees. This included increased opium addiction (promoted by the Japanese), military concripts (ill-cared for and fed), amd civilian laborers.

Desperte Food Situation

Chinese peasants were not safe just because they were not in a Japanese occupied area. The Japanese ruthlessly seized crops, but so did Chinese authorties (Nationalist and Communist) in the unoccupid zone. The Nationalists could be especially brutal as the War went on and the Japanese seized more and more of China's prime agricultural land. This meant that the Nationalists had access to less harvested food and with swelling refugee populations and a large army to feed, more and more demand for food. Unlike Britain and the Soviet Union, there was no way for America to get food through to the Nationalists. The Japanese seized all the Chinese ports (1937-38) and eveually closed off the remaining lifelines, French Indochina (1940) and British Burma (1942).

Nationalist and Communist Actions

The Nationalists not only seized food from the peasants but often their sons as well to serve in the military. These seizures were limted early in the War, but as the War progressed became more and more severe. Many peasants so affected might not be refugees or displaced, but after their food, livestock, and sons were seized were in very much the same sitution. The Communists did the same, but were more restrained. This was undoubtedly a factor in the Commiunist victory after the War.

Sources

Child Study Association of America (CSAA). (1947). The Child Study Association of America was originally formed as the Society for the Study of Child Nature (1888) and then renamed the Federation for Child Study (1908). Tthe organization formally incorporated as the Child Study Association of America (1924).






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Created: 10:37 AM 5/26/2015
Last updated: 10:37 AM 5/26/2015