The Taste of War: World War II and the Battle for Food

by Lizzie Collingham

  and Hunger Plan 18, 30, 5, 36, 38, 42, 189, 196, 210–11, 216

  and Soviet Union 32, 34, 180, 182, 183, 463

  attempted assassination of 463

  attitude towards agricultural reform 29, 34, 40

  diet 377

  in First World War 25–6

  hoarding foodstuffs 4, 11, 131, 245, 252, 253, 356, 486

  Holland see Netherlands

  Holocaust 7, 33, 41, 204–13

  see also Jews

  Hoover, Herbert 77, 167, 480

  Hungary 22, 42, 69, 173, 217, 342, 481

  hunger 138, 192, 195, 218, 222, 318, 327, 331, 343, 344, 360, 380, 382, 467, 480, 482, 484, 485, 487, 495, 497, 500, 514n

  among prisoners 6, 161, 193–4, 206, 371, 372–3

  among soldiers 202, 292, 296, 297, 300, 302, 318, 323, 340, 341, 411, 442, 462

  and absence from work 306

  and First World War 24–5, 358, 380

  British never threatened with 103, 115, 464

  caused by lack of fat 13

  death from 1, 6–7, 11, 62, 124, 168, 176, 191, 193, 198, 199, 207, 214, 318, 327, 328, 331, 335, 360, 468

  exportation of 7, 37, 39, 52, 69, 124, 126, 153, 156, 165, 171, 179, 211, 247, 363, 471

  fear of danger to war effort 26, 345, 382

  impact on productivity 333, 371

  in British colonies 11–12, 123, 124, 127, 135, 136, 151, 156

  in China 255, 256

  in Japanese empire 230, 244, 299

  pre-war 20, 72, 221, 224, 325, 357–8, 388, 416

  survival and fighting despite 214, 216, 270, 345, 346, 462, 464

  hunger oedema 6, 207, 407, 468

  Hunger Plan 5, 32–9, 41, 46, 180, 182, 190–99, 204, 216, 317, 555n

  Hunger Winter see famine

  ‘Hump’ air route 252

  Iceland 101, 117, 396

  diet 351, 394

  fishing industry 96–7

  imperial army see Japanese armed forces

  Imphal, battle of 274, 300, 302

  income/wage levels 18, 122, 485

  farm 28, 75, 78, 89, 233, 234, 426, 427, 483, 491

  fixed 123, 148

  gap between rich and poor 393, 417, 494

  low 350, 362, 428

  percentage spent on food 53, 144, 171, 357, 469, 494

  rising 3, 143, 394, 474, 494, 498

  India 2, 3, 4, 18, 20, 67, 103, 121, 131, 141, 246, 274, 300, 301, 413, 437, 439, 476, 495, 500

  food crisis 1, 12, 141–54, 262, 263, 412, 469

  independence 145, 153–4, 488

  rationing in 144, 150

  war production in 122

  Indian Army 85, 120, 129, 149–50, 151, 152, 301, 385, 403

  food rations 412–14

  Indo-China 63, 251, 252, 285

  export of food to Japan 230, 237, 240, 243

  famine in 240–42

  Indonesia 2, 3, 500

  see also Dutch East Indies

  industrial labour

  productivity 88, 181, 203, 205, 207, 268, 306, 332, 333, 356, 369, 379, 395, 422, 424, 434, 483

  rations for 92, 329–30, 335, 340, 359, 363, 364, 367–9, 422

  industrialization 3, 21, 22, 33, 56, 353, 490, 501

  infant mortality 7, 54, 70, 131, 135, 166, 311, 397, 477, 481

  insecticides 81–2, 133, 491, 492

  Iraq 126, 127, 132, 152, 404

  Italy 16, 27, 63, 105, 126, 172, 270, 323, 381, 405, 437, 440, 442

  campaign for self-sufficiency 172–3

  desire for empire 16–17, 31

  Ethiopia invasion of 31

  export food to Germany 69, 173, 404

  rationing in 173–4, 469, 477, 481

  Iwo Jima, battle of 315

  Japan 2, 62, 142, 150, 270, 439, 443, 444, 489

  agricultural policy 57, 58, 233

  agriculture 51, 72, 73, 230–34, 310, 312

  and China 7, 8, 11, 31–2, 49–50, 50–51, 54–5, 58–62

  and Palau Islands 457–8

  and United States 2, 50, 62–3, 248, 252, 253, 257, 310, 314–16, 431, 474, 474–5

  attempts to reform diet 277–8, 384

  barter economy 306

  casualties 317

  conformism 57–8, 281, 463, 464

  conscription 228, 289

  decision to go to war 273

  dependence on imports 52, 228, 234

  diet 87, 228–9, 274, 276, 497–8

  difficulty with agricultural restructuring 229, 232, 262

  expansionism 49–50, 58, 63, 64, 69, 141, 230, 262

  feeding urban population 2, 49, 234, 266, 287

  feels disadvantaged by global economy 2, 16, 54, 55, 64

  fishing industry in 229

  food crisis 230, 235, 313

  food policy 280–81, 304–5, 308, 310, 420

  food shortages 234, 272, 278–9, 281, 284, 287–9, 304–5, 306, 310–11, 312, 343, 467

  gardening in 306

  Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere 54, 230, 266, 270

  government attitude to its citizens 270

  implications of occupation of south-east Asia 67, 81, 99, 124, 133, 143, 146

  increase in demand for food 51–2, 230, 287

  industrial policy 242, 309

  industrial workers in 13, 231, 233, 306–8

  militaristic nature of government 55–6, 311–12, 313–14

  plans for battle of Kyushu 315–16

  plunder of occupied territories 7, 69–70, 124, 230, 234–5, 240, 241–2, 244, 246–7, 263, 284

  post-war destruction 468, 474

  rationing in 229, 233, 246, 279–81, 287, 289, 306, 308, 310, 498

  rural crisis 16, 49, 52–4, 55, 64, 70

  Rural Revitalization campaign 56, 57, 58, 72, 231, 280

  Soviet threat 32, 60, 62, 64, 316

  surrender 64, 308–16, 458, 464, 478

  United States food relief 496–7

  war with China 58, 62, 248, 249–52, 253, 256–7, 258, 260, 261, 273, 278, 284, 469, 490

  see also aerial bombardment; black market; blockade; calorie consumption; blockade; forced labour

  Japanese armed forces 35, 234, 274, 406, 407

  and rural crisis 56

  bushido (fighting spirit) 10, 272, 274, 275, 300, 462

  casualties 10, 293, 302, 303

  campaign in Burma 141, 146, 149, 151, 152, 300–303

  campaign in Malaya 282–3

  campaign in Pacific 291–300, 406, 407, 452, 458

  focus on decisive battle 242, 273, 286

  food rations 10, 234, 272, 275–7, 281–2, 282–4, 294, 296–7, 301, 434, 437, 441, 461

  food policy 230, 282–3, 294, 301

  hunger among 283, 291, 294, 295, 296–7, 411, 458

  length of service tail 271

  in comparison with US armed forces 432, 452, 454, 457, 458, 461, 462

  new attitude to nutrition 10, 269, 275–7, 441, 495

  principle of self-sufficiency 271, 284–6, 290–91, 295–6, 303, 454

  starvation in 292–3, 298–9, 300, 301–2, 303, 304, 407, 462

  supply lines 217, 286, 290, 291–2, 293–4, 301, 30–33, 462, 464

  see also Kwantung army

  Java 214, 244, 299, 469

  Jews 11, 41–2, 45, 47, 154, 161, 183, 184, 190, 191, 193, 204, 205, 206, 208, 209, 211, 212, 217, 236, 359–60, 372, 373, 375, 428

  Polish 5, 7, 26, 33, 43, 47, 184, 204, 205, 206–9, 211–13, 218, 263, 264

  Soviet 7, 39, 189–90, 199, 205, 263

  see also concentration camps; Holocaust

  Kenya 8, 67, 81, 120, 130, 132–5, 137, 138

  Keitel, Field Marshal 38, 377

  Kharkov 5, 190, 196, 198–9, 213, 14, 323

  Kiev 5, 180, 188, 190, 196–7, 199, 213, 366, 471

  Kiyosawa, Kiyoshi 230, 233, 234, 284, 289, 304, 306, 307, 308, 311

  Klukowski, Zygmunt 43, 44, 45, 206, 208, 212

  Koch, Erich 187, 212

  Kohima, battle of 300, 301–2


  Kokoda Trail 293, 301, 406

  Konoe, Fumimaro 56, 312, 313

  Korea 49, 59, 60, 288, 309, 469

  exports of food to Japan 52, 228, 230, 234, 246, 278, 310

  Korean war 443, 498

  Kraut, Heinrich 181–2, 359, 368

  Kravchenko, Victor, 9, 222, 268, 317, 326, 333, 334, 345, 346

  Kwantung army 49, 54, 56, 58, 277, 284

  Labour Party 473

  Latin America 68, 87, 469, 480, 489

  League of Nations 36, 50, 126, 249, 483, 494

  food surveys 72, 350–52, 401

  Japanese withdrawal from 54, 58

  Lebensraum 30, 32, 59, 266

  lend-lease 76, 91, 96, 104, 108, 112, 114, 121, 133, 331, 334, 339–41, 344, 396, 419, 445, 372, 488

  Leningrad 39, 199, 321, 329

  siege of 1, 5, 6, 194–6, 197, 263–4, 265, 317, 323, 335, 338, 344

  lentils 18, 125, 379, 380, 381, 412, 413

  Levi, Primo 6, 372

  Libya 31, 42, 105, 126, 167

  Linlithgow, Viscount 142, 145

  livestock 3, 4, 9, 19, 22, 26, 54, 60, 67, 70, 90, 91, 93, 98, 100, 106, 109, 136, 169, 175, 185, 186, 188, 190, 214, 221, 223, 229, 319, 374, 389, 432, 470, 479, 480, 487, 491

  selective breeding 81, 82, 92, 132, 158

  Lloyd George, David 26

  London 85, 133, 275, 349, 365, 372, 386, 387, 397, 487

  luxury food 9, 20, 68, 106, 171, 232, 334, 376, 418, 491, 499

  Lyttelton, Oliver 127, 128, 129, 153, 167

  McCance, R. A., 350, 386, 388–9

  maize 4, 19, 68, 81, 99, 124, 125, 128, 130, 132–7, 470

  Malaya 6, 7, 141, 230, 225, 240, 243, 244

  food situation in 228, 245

  Grow More Food Campaign 237–9, 284

  Japanese invasion 271, 282–3

  massacre of Chinese in (sook ching) 235–6

  prisoners of war in 245–6

  rationing in 238

  malnutrition 1, 7, 11, 12, 20, 25, 59, 72, 125, 135, 142, 171, 172, 179, 181, 239, 244, 264, 290, 292, 295, 298, 303, 311, 318, 346, 350, 352, 358, 372, 384, 395, 396, 397, 406, 411–13, 460, 464, 468, 469, 471, 484, 496

  Manchukuo 54, 59

  see also Manchuria

  Manchuria 7, 50, 54, 55, 56, 58, 85, 228, 230, 249, 288, 316

  exports food to Japan 246–7, 287, 310

  Japanese Plan for the Settlement of One Million Households 7, 17, 31, 42, 49, 59–62, 233

  Mao Zedong 249, 259, 490, 499

  margarine 67, 85, 87, 99, 140, 156–7, 177, 202, 347, 351, 355, 356, 361, 366, 373, 380, 388, 389, 392, 403, 404, 405, 421, 423, 433, 468

  Mariana Islands 298, 439, 453

  Marshall, General George C. 110, 111, 314, 435, 438, 449, 487

  Marshall Islands 298, 453

  Marshall Plan 87, 487–8

  Mauritius 67, 121, 124–5, 497, 529n

  meat 8, 12, 20, 22, 51, 83, 85, 87, 90, 99, 106, 133, 136, 144, 169, 174, 175, 176, 178, 189, 196, 206–7, 221, 269, 294, 333, 334, 338, 342, 343, 347, 348, 365, 372, 393, 421, 423, 376, 490–93

  black market in 374–5, 432

  condensed 99, 100

  consumption in the United States 109, 112, 116, 431–2

  conversion of grains into 3, 70

  exports to Britain from United States 77, 96, 98, 107–16, 125, 145, 449

  exports from occupied countries to Germany 165, 171, 175, 186, 211, 214, 217, 218

  exports to Soviet Union from United States 339–41

  frozen 19, 96, 98, 106, 107, 111, 112, 113, 114, 387, 444, 449

  increase in working-class consumption 394–5, 418, 419

  military consumption 173, 180, 186, 188, 202, 203, 216, 275–7, 282, 284, 285, 286, 290, 301, 321, 367–8, 400, 404–5, 410, 412–13, 414, 435, 446, 450

  pre-war consumption 351, 357

  production 9, 19, 29, 35, 98, 99, 112, 219, 341, 478

  rationing 98, 107, 108, 111, 114, 115, 116, 157, 173, 175, 182, 193, 203, 210, 217, 276, 328, 330–31, 359, 361, 376, 380, 431–2, 447, 449, 478, 480

  rise in demand for 51, 66, 483, 487, 499–500

  shortages 25, 93, 106–7, 157–8, 164, 170, 173, 180, 182, 203, 210, 224, 225, 279, 287, 325, 331, 337, 341, 356, 367, 379, 380–81, 382, 383, 384, 435–6, 447, 448, 449, 472, 478, 382

  stocks 97, 99, 106, 118, 125, 128

  switch to wheat-based diets 2–4, 13, 16, 18–19, 21, 176, 262

  tinned/canned 77, 96, 113, 178, 282, 340, 341, 365, 377, 387, 404, 405, 407, 419, 441, 444, 447, 449–50, 455, 457, 460, 472, 480, 496

  Meyer, Konrad 40, 46, 47

  Middle East Supply Centre (MESC) 123, 126–32, 153

  migration 22, 31, 40, 42, 50, 58–9, 61, 135, 459

  millet 3, 53, 61, 130, 135, 136, 145, 149, 197, 277, 310, 334, 497, 498

  Ministry of Agriculture

  British 89, 90, 91, 98, 351

  Japanese 58, 59

  United States 77, 357

  Ministry of Food

  British 93, 95, 97, 100, 105, 107, 109, 110, 113, 115, 118, 125, 347, 348, 352, 353, 361, 363, 365, 366, 375, 376, 387, 390, 391, 392, 393, 396, 397, 472, 473

  German 40, 182, 193, 368, 379, 380

  morale 4, 195, 261, 264, 345, 348, 358, 389, 417, 463, 464

  civilian 5, 8, 25, 96, 183, 211, 361, 367, 379, 382, 449, 472

  military 295, 319, 384, 385, 399, 400, 411, 436

  Morocco 92, 113, 126, 440

  Moscow 9, 39, 112, 182, 183, 202, 224, 226, 272, 318, 320, 321, 326, 327, 329, 335, 337, 338, 344, 471

  Mussolini, Benito 31, 172, 173

  mutton 14, 19, 97–8, 99, 118, 157, 351, 413, 414, 440, 446, 450, 533n

  Nagasaki 275, 316

  Nanjing 50, 62, 250

  National Socialists (NSDAP: National socialistische deutsch Arbeiterpartei) 42, 49, 64, 156, 172, 216, 218, 270, 298, 353, 463, 472

  agricultural policy 28, 29–31, 32, 33, 40, 69, 158, 160, 162, 347, 374–5, 486

  and Holocaust 189, 204–5, 209

  anxiety about food crisis 35–6, 164, 180–82, 210, 269

  attitude to Soviet prisoners of war 193, 263, 345

  belief in the importance of the wartime food supply 4, 5, 16, 26, 29, 32, 34, 155, 348

  corruption within 376–8

  foods 354–5

  opposition to 382

  policy of extermination by starvation 5, 7, 36–7, 39, 41–2, 161, 263–4, 370

  policy of plunder 164, 165, 173, 174, 178–9, 203, 204, 217, 247, 485

  preparation for war 353–4, 355–8

  racial ideology 29, 30, 160–61, 263, 353

  radicalization 7, 26, 32, 40, 183

  rationing policy 359, 361

  response to manpower shortage 371–4

  Netherlands 34, 46, 62, 248, 358

  food exports to Germany 165, 175

  food situation 7, 152, 175–6

  New Deal 72, 82, 426, 427

  New Guinea 121, 274, 439, 443, 459, 460

  food situation for Allied soldiers on 402–3, 406–11, 437, 447, 450–51

  food situation for Japanese soldiers on 14, 290, 293–98, 303, 451

  New Zealand 8, 19, 98–99, 111, 118, 120, 121, 289, 443, 444, 453, 459

  Nigeria 19, 120, 121, 122, 124, 139–41

  North Africa 92, 133, 437, 439

  military campaign 111, 125, 126, 127, 129, 145, 167, 381, 443

  rations in 68, 385, 403–5, 415, 440–41

  see also Operation Torch

  Norway 34, 35, 164, 493

  nutrition, science of 10, 269, 276, 351, 369–70, 385

  nutritional dystrophy 6

  nutritionists 347, 351, 394, 484

  and fortification of foods 86, 421

  and productivity studies 268, 386

  and worried about food shortages 139, 181, 182, 203

  and Recommended Daily Allowances 421

  campaign to improve diet 348, 350–54, 414, 481–2, 484

  influence eating habits 281, 420

>   influence on government policies 10, 269, 385, 386–9, 391–7, 420–22, 427–8

  invent substitute foods 305, 310, 337

  oats/oatmeal 107, 213, 366, 405, 410, 471, 540n

  occupied territories see under individual countries

  oilseeds 4, 19, 29, 69, 70, 99, 118, 156

  Okinawa, battle of 315

  onions 18, 176, 239, 306, 323, 366, 405, 412, 427, 435, 473

  cultivation 390–91

  dehydrated 14, 84, 411, 441, 451

  shortages 64, 106, 107, 362, 309, 392

  oranges 165, 290, 305, 366, 394, 403, 437

  glut 67–8

  juice 108, 396

  non-autarkic fruits 28, 353

  shortages 67, 106

  Orr, John Boyd 102, 352, 387, 398, 482, 483, 489, 501

  Palau Islands 452, 457–9

  Palestine 67, 92, 126, 129, 130, 404

  palm oil 4, 67, 139–40

  partisans

  Greek 168

  Soviet 45, 46, 159, 189, 192, 200, 205, 216, 555n

  Pearl Harbor 64, 80, 248, 280, 430

  Philippines, the 4, 230, 235, 243, 299, 303, 452, 461, 462

  ploughing-up campaign 73, 89, 90, 91–2, 95

  Poland 7, 34, 42, 47, 66, 103, 133, 158, 160, 173, 181, 194, 359, 372, 380, 480, 481

  food supplies in 5, 211, 212, 217

  implementation of the General Plan for the East in 17, 40, 42–6

  Holocaust in 7, 26, 183–4, 204–9, 263–5

  pork 12, 85, 96, 99, 185, 276, 281, 334, 337, 340, 375, 413, 431, 440, 450, 490, 492

  consumption 19, 51, 157, 573n

  shortages 158, 288, 356, 369, 450, 478, 217

  production 85, 93, 98, 157–8, 161, 163, 175, 225, 391

  Port Moresby 293, 294, 295, 406, 447, 450, 451

  potatoes 12, 28, 83, 102, 163, 196, 197, 202, 213, 226, 277, 297, 316, 319, 323, 339, 360, 364, 366, 367, 378, 380, 389, 393, 399, 412, 464, 473, 475

  basis of diet 13, 14, 70, 94, 96, 106, 224, 225, 310, 337, 347, 348, 363, 379, 380, 386, 392, 470, 472, 501

  competition with pigs for 157–8

  consumption 157, 197, 334, 341, 373, 377, 400, 415, 420, 435, 436, 437, 438, 471

  cultivation 9, 29, 89, 90, 93, 95–6, 108, 160, 174, 232, 251, 290, 334, 337, 340, 341, 369, 391, 404, 540n

  dehydrated 84, 137, 322, 441, 450, 451, 493

  exports for Germany 175, 186, 211, 213, 217

  nutritional value 14, 90, 193, 391

  prices 115, 338, 356

  rationing 157, 217, 363, 472

  rotten/frozen 54, 55, 225, 308, 320, 323, 470

  shortages 25, 158, 170, 202, 203, 224, 327, 379, 381, 382, 431, 468

  substitute for bread 93, 337

  sweet 124, 232, 246, 280, 305, 308, 403