“The Most Unkindest Cut of All” (ca. 1939)
by Charles G. Werner (1909-1997)
18 x 18 in., ink on paper
Coppola Collection

Early in the planning for war, Hitler put Goering in charge of the Four Year Plan. The purpose of the Four Year Plan was to provide for the rearmament of Germany, and to prepare the country for self-sufficiency in four years, from 1936–1940, including both industry and agriculture. Stockpiling food was a high priority, as WWI had demonstrated the effects of supplies when carrying out these large military campaigns.

Adolf Hitler had imposed price controls on the German people in 1936 so that his government could buy war materials at artificially low prices. Later, in 1939, Goering imposed rationing. Roosevelt and Churchill also imposed price controls and rationing, as governments tend to do during all-out wars.

And although the Four Year Plan technically expired in 1940, the “Office of the Four Year Plan”, a cabinet-level agency, had grown to such a power-base that the plan was extended indefinitely.

With the military setbacks in 1941, particularly with the Soviets, and two bad grain harvests in 1940 and 1941, the stores were drained by the end of the year. By mid-1941 the German minority in Poland received 2,613 calories per day, while Poles received 699 calories, and Jews in the ghetto 184 calories. Starvation became a modus operandi in the Nazi playbook throughout the rest of the war.

By April 1942, food needed to be moved from east to west, towards Berlin, reducing the amount available throughout Europe to feed the war effort. And at this point, the high command made the insidious conclusion that increasing the campaign of genocide would only help to increase the food supplies for Berlin.

In early October 4, 1942, Goering gave a broadcast address at the Harvest Thanksgiving festival, news of which was carried around the globe. This cartoon may have been a response to that.

These problems have been solved and will never recur. The conquered territories are the most fertile in Europe. Most of the talk about the seriousness of the food situation in occupied countries is just propaganda. I am firmly resolved that while I do not want to see the populations of occupied countries suffer hunger and privation, if through enemy measures privation is unavoidable it will in no circumstances affect Germany.

German workers and German agricultural laborers will be fed better than any others. The German peasant goes out to fight, leaving his work to women. Children are helping as soon as they are able.

There should be no difficulty feeding Germany, but there are over six million foreign workers in Germany and over five million prisoners of war who have to be supplied.

Now that the future is clearer, the meat ration is to be increased by another fifty grams in the raid-threatened areas.

The German people come before all other peoples for food.

The whole German Army is fed from conquered countries.