Troubled Times:Sichuan Drought And Local Society On The Eve Of The Anti-Japanese War(1936-1937)

During the period of the Republic of China,especially from the beginning to the outbreak of the full-scale anti-Japanese war,the times were chaotic.At that time,the political situation was complicated and changeable,and the economic decline and backwardness caused social development to slow down.In the meantime,various natural disasters of varying degrees occur frequently,and "disasters in chaos" have become a true portrayal of society.From 1936 to 1937,on the eve of the full-scale anti-Japanese war,Sichuan,located in the southwest,suffered an extraordinary drought that was not seen in a century.During the drought,the drought caused a deep and huge impact on the Sichuan society and people at that time because of the wide area,long duration and large number of victims.However,when we explored the causes of drought,we found that although it was due to the lack of rain that caused the drought to appear,in the process of drought,human or social factors are crucial,not overnight.The political situation and society in Sichuan Province since the early days of the Republic of China,the separation of warlords and the establishment of defense zones have spawned years of war and heavy and harsh politics,and the occurrence of various types of disasters has long overwhelmed society and the people,so that they are unable to cope with it.After the drought spread,relief actions led by governents at all levels and supported by various social organizations and groups.They have played an important role in the relief of drought,such as emergency relief,work relief,financial assistance and agricultural loans.At the same time,many deficiencies were exposed during the relief process due to factors such as funding and manpower,which led to unintended relief results.Disaster is not only a common natural phenomenon,but also a special social factor,which has participated in the development of history and the continuation of society The drought and famine in Sichuan Province from 1936 to 1937,when the time of the full-scale anti-Japanese war is about to erupt,and because of its geographical location and the historical mission of the "national revival base" that it shoulders,Sichuan Province and the central government have surrounded The relief of drought and drought interacted in a specific time and space.Although the interaction is difficult,the two sides have reached the consensus of "Reorganize the army" according to the current situation,which is not only necessary for disaster relief,but also for the anti-Japanese war.At the same time,for the affected people in the middle and lower levels of society,especially the bottom of the society,through the investigation of the self-help behaviors such as foraging fruit and witchcraft to rescue the famine,and the culture behind these behaviors Traditionally,we have been able to understand the ordinary people's survival style and spiritual demands under the hood of disasters.