Soviet Union's Rationing System

Rationing systems were a key component of most of the combatant powers’ answers to the hunger question. Some rationing systems—like those of the United States and Great Britain—relied heavily on the reduction of consumer choice. Germany had a rationing system, but relied much more on the idea of exporting hunger. The Soviet Union’s rationing system was disorganized, and so was Japan’s. Both nations reduced quality and choice for the consumer.
The basis of the American rationing system was to make all civilians unhappy by reducing consumer choice. As bleak as that may sound, higher ups in American military and government realized that is was the only way to keep the home front united. The United States could not afford to upset its lower class
Granted, that was the way it was designed. Those who benefitted most from this system were the working-class individuals. Under the British rationing system, all children received a carton of milk every day, the idea being that the government was nourishing the next generation of soldiers. However, this had another unintended effect also. It gave the appearance of lowering class barriers. All children received the milk, so none of them were labeled according to which economic class they belonged to. This blurring of the lines between classes generated a unified support for the war.
The rationing system in The Soviet Union was far from ideal. Rationing points were given based on occupation, health, and gender. This combined with inflation and a lack of goods caused a rampant black market. Stalin knew about this black market, but turned a blind eye to it. First, because if he had shut down the market, he would have run the risk of breaking his connection with the people. Secondly, because the black market provided goods that were otherwise unavailable, so inflation in the Soviet Union remained at a moderate
While much of this is to do with the relative material advantage that The United States had over the other powers in the war, it is not the sole reason for American soldiers’ access to food. Over half of the American soldiers fighting in the war had been drafted, which translates to the fact that, given the choice, many of the men fighting for The United States wouldn’t have been there. American officials knew this, and they knew that to keep their men fighting, they had to at least be well fed. Material circumstances aside, American soldiers were fed the best because they wanted to be on the battlefield the least.
Japan’s soldiers were the worst fed in the war. Because the powers fed soldiers better than civilians, this initial statement means that Japanese civilians were starving. Looking at Japanese military ideals gives these facts some context. Japan’s culture during World War II was not one centered in individualism. Rather, the individual only existed to provide—and at times die—for the