The+home+fronts+in+Britain+and+Germany

The First World War was the first modern industrialized war, a total war. Britain could no longer remain an island in 'splendid isolation' and war could no longer be confined to the battlefront, a realization that was emphasized by the threat of air raids and coastal attacks. The women of Britain became active citizens as all areas of men were focused on during the war effort. 'Home Front' was the term used to describe the part of the population that was not actively involved in the fighting but which was vital to it. The ability to keep the Home Front running ensured the supply of essential munitions, food and other materials to the Front.

Although there had been a growth in government involvement over civilian life with the Liberal's social welfare reforms 1906-1914, by and large the average British citizen went about their business with little interference from the state, which acted 'only to help those who could not help themselves'. To meet the demands of total war. Thinking Point:

Unlike many countries at the time, British citizens did not have to take up military service. As a result Britain did not have a large standing army to mobilize when war broke out. Just three days after Britain declared war on Germany, Lord Kitchener made an appeal for new recruits.

General Sir Henry Wilkinson in the War Office believed men might be more willing to volunteer if they could serve with their friends. Lord Derby successfully tested this idea in Liverpool where he managed to recruit four battalions of Pals within days, 'in which friends from the same office will fight shoulder to shoulder for the honor of Britain and the credit of Liverpool'. (Rt. Hon. Earl of Derby).

This approach was mirrored in local communities up and down the country as hundreds of thousands of men volunteered for military service. The speed with which these men joined up is testament to the naivety with which they viewed the War that would be 'over by Christmas'. By the end of September 1914, Kitchener leaded over 750,000 men for his volunteer army. It was 'a measure of patriotic enthusiasm... a romantic innocence about the true nature of war that the reality of battle was cruelly to mock'. Source: BBC Online [|What is the home front?]

[|Defence of the Realm Act (DORA 1914)]

[|BBC - The Observer - A mystery woman's journal charts the events that led to war and 'August madness'.]

Britain - How far did the Great War change people's attitudes about how big a part a government should play in society?

[|The Western Front and the birth of total war - BBC article]

[|Home Front 1914-1918]

[|Total War]

=The home front in Germany= Germany entered the Great War better prepared than any other nation. Yet, they did not believe the war would last very long. When the war began to drag on for years, Germany found itself in a difficult position. The raw raw materials need by its factories to produce military equipment was severely hampered by the British naval blockade. The blockade cut Germany off from overseas commerce and colonies. Coal and iron ore to make steel were plentiful, but resources like magnesium, oil rubber and cotton could not be grown or existed inside of Germany. Many of these products were required for the production of ammunition. Food Food also became a major concern for the war effort. German agriculture was very good, but required fertilizers and animal supplements from other countries. This would become a major factor in the ability to continue the war. By the end of 1914, the German government began to control the food production of the country. Special laws were passed that limited how farmers could produce and slaughter animals. During the winter of 1914, the German people began eating K-Bread (Kriegsbrot - war bread). This type of bread replaced wheat with potatoes as the main ingredient. The best food was sent to the front lines to ensure the soldiers had enough energy to fight. This meant that the civilian population had to do without. As the war dragged on, Germany turned to science to produce foodstuffs for the people. Several food items in use today were developed during the war. One of the biggest was the production of margarine (an edible oil product) to replace butter. Artificial honey, coffee, gravy, puddings and many other items were developed to replace items sent to the front. Even with all the attempts to manufacture food from almost nothing, by 1916 serious food shortages were appearing all over Germany. It was at that time that one of the worst winters in European history hit the country. The winter of 1916 became known as the "turnip winter." A premature frost destroyed the potato harvest that year which had become a major source of food for the people. Instead the turnip, which did not suffer from the frost, became the main source of food for the country. Science was turned to all areas of production. Artificial silk, clothes and army sandbags were manufactured from wood pulp. Synthetic rubber was developed as were a number of other products using science to replace items Germany was unable to grow or mine. Problems in the Factories With millions of men going off to fight, a large-scale labor crisis emerged in the factories. Who would build the weapons and equipment necessary to fight when most of the men were at the front? New laws were established to put all males between 17 and 60, who were not in the army, to work in the factories. Children were used to help harvest crops on local farms. Finally, French and Belgian people under occupation were deported to Germany to work in the factories. The Last Year of the War - 1918 As the Great War entered its last year, food and materials had reached a breaking point within Germany. One example of the shortage of food during this time came with the substitution of finely ground sawdust as a flour substitute in bread. Soldiers on leave would return home to see their children undernourished, short of heating fuels and wearing old threadbare clothing. With all the best food going to the frontlines, civilians paid a heavy price for the war effort. Even the troops in the frontlines began to suffer from the lack of foodstuffs available during 1918. Allied food, discovered during trench raids and offensives, was a highly sought after prize. Source: http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/history20/unit1/sec5/sec5_03.html

Key points: A new government of national solidarity was formed, which included representatives of all political parties War Economy was introduced: Germany's supply of vital raw materials was placed under state administration Resources were allocated according to priority; Industrial production was focused on war essentials such as ammunition, army supplies etc.; German research facilities were asked to find replacements for vital imports from overseas, such as rubber, saltpeter, natural fertilizer, all of which now seized to arrive because of the British blockade. Germany's reserves of gunpowder in August 1914 lasted only 4 months. By the time it ran out, Germany's chemical industry produced Synthetic Gunpowder. It also produced Synthetic Rubber; attempts to develop Synthetic Fertilizer on industrial scale did not result in satisfactory results until after the war. The lack of fertilizer and the absence of a considerable part of the countryside workforce led to a significant drop in the nation's agricultural production. With insufficient food, as well as other vital consumer goods such as fuel (coal), clothing, shoes available, a Coupon Economy was introduced insuring that the scarce goods would not become unaffordable and that they were justly distributed. The system was called Wartime Socialism. Of course there was a Black Market; those who frequented risked severe punishment. As many men were wearing uniform, they left their workplace. In order for the economy to continue, many women had to be employed, in factories, offices etc. Many sources describe a Weiberwirtschaft (women's economy). Although the economy was streamlined in order to focus the nation's energy on the war effort, the farming sector was struggling to provide the nation with the food needed. Germany went through Hunger Winters. Flower gardens were turned into petty potato or vegetable fields to provide a little extra nutrition, people kept rabbits etc (Victory Gardens).
 * Wartime Socialism**

PREP QUESTIONS; How was British society organized to fight the war? Describe the experiences of civilians in Germany from 1914-1918. How did the experiences differ between the German and British home-fronts?