The German Home Front

Aims: Identify the main effects of the First World War on German civilians.

The Success of the Naval Blockade When war broke out in 1914 the British navy imposed a naval blockade on Germany. Why? This had a huge impact on the people of Germany and the war effort  There was not enough fertiliser for crops  Metals were in short supply  There was a shortage of coal which was needed for gas and electricity. Germans faced many lengthy power cuts.  There was not enough cotton or leather for clothes and shoes.

Food Shortages Between 20-30% of Germany’s food was imported before the war so the British blockade could have little impact. Yet rationing was introduced in 1915 – it covered bread, then milk, cereals, fruit, eggs, fish, coffee, tea, butter, meat. By 1916 there were severe food shortages. So why were food shortages a huge problem in Germany during the First World War?

German Food Shortages Low supplies of fertiliser Potatoes and grain was used to feed pigs 1915 mass slaughter of pigs Poor harvests contributed to Shortages. Eggs in very short supply

The ‘Turnip Winter’ In the winter of 1916/1917 food shortages were so bad that many Germans that many were forced to survive on turnips – food that would normally be given to animals. A typical adult was taking in around 1100 calories per day – about half of the recommended daily intake. One German remembers their daily meals during the war; “In the morning we had turnip soup, at midday we ate turnip cutlets, in the evening we had turnip cakes.”

Rationing was introduced in 1915 and was much more severe than it was in Britain. The Germans developed ‘ersatz’ food or food substitutes to try and overcome the shortages they faced e.g. chicory was used to flavour coffee. Any piece of spare land was also used to grow potatoes and vegetables. The Effects of Food Shortages in Germany

Many Germans suffered from malnutrition and it is estimated that over 750,000 people died of starvation in Germany during the war. In 1918 a flu epidemic spread across Europe. It became known as the ‘Spanish Flu’ and thousands of people in many countries died especially those weak from hunger. It is estimated 3-6% of the world’s population – million people died from Spanish Flu. In Germany around 150,000 people died from Spanish Flu. The Effects of Food Shortages

German Home Front Food Shortages Anti-British Propaganda CensorshipConscription Shortages of Fuel – regular power cuts

The German Home Front Read Heinemann pages 78 – 81 and answer the following questions in sentences. 1.Give four examples of the types of shortages which Germany faced because of the naval blockade. 2.When was rationing introduced in Germany? 3.Give three reasons why food shortages in Germany were so severe. 4.What was the Winter of 1916/1917 known as and why was this the case? 5.How many died in Germany as a result of starvation and which other outbreak added to the number of deaths? 6. Which decision made in August 1916 resulted in less men working on the land to produce food?