Shortly before the outbreak of World War II the German government instituted rationing which resulted in the restricted availability of food . Occasional shortages of food occurred during the war , and a black market developed . However , supplies were generally adequate , especially in comparison to the situation in some other European countries . In part , this was due to the ruthless exploitation of occupied countries by the German government . These policies included the " Hunger Plan " , which resulted in the deaths of millions of people in German-occupied areas of the Soviet Union when food supplies were redirected to Germany and the German military units operating in the USSR . Inadequate food rations also formed part of The Holocaust , resulting in tens of thousands of deaths in Warsaw alone , and around two million Soviet prisoners of war were starved to death by German forces over the winter of 1941/42
The Holocaust
The Holocaust
Food in occupied Germany