The Economic Behavior (Function) of Chinese Militia during the Second World War (Anti-Japanese War)

A militia is an organization that operates like an army but whose members are not professional soldiers. The functions of a militia vary in different periods, particularly during a war, when the militia not only plays a special role in national defense but also plays a unique role in economic production, which has a vital impact on a war scenario. This paper is about the militia in the Shandong Province of China during the Second World War. It explores archival materials to examine the unique economic functions of the militia during this period, and it shows how the militia’s economic role affected the Pacific War.