1. Total War and the Home Front

2. Total War As the war continued it became what is known as Total War.
- called for complete mobilization of resources and people
- The lives of all citizens were impacted
Masses of men had to be organized and supplies had to be manufactured and purchased for years of combat.
Due to this an increase in government powers occurred
- manipulation of public opinion also increased to keep the war effort going.

3. The Home Front: Government Powers
Little thought went into long- term wartime needs
- Leads to the governments acting quickly
To meet the needs of war: more men and supplies, governments expanded their power
European countries expanded their power by:
starting a draft
- tens of millions of young men were drafted

4. Government Power continued
Expanding power over economies
- capitalistic systems were put aside temporarily
- set up price, wage, and rent controls
- rationed food supplies and materials
- regulated imports and exports
- took over transportation systems and industries
In order to mobilize the resources of their nations, European nations set up planned economies- systems directed by government agencies

5. Government Power
Political leaders viewed all citizens as part of a national army dedicated to victory
The believed it was a national effort to win the war
Everyone contributed, even those at home

6. Manipulation of Public Opinion
By 1916 public enthusiasm about the war began to dwindle
- due to the long years, and growing casualties
Waring governments fought back against the growing resentment in several different ways
Germany, Austria- Hungary, and Russia used force to subdue their people
Other democratic states expanded police powers to stop dissent
- Great Britain- passed the Defense of the Realm Act
- allowed the government to arrest protestors and traitors
- Newspapers were censored and sometimes suspended

7. Manipulation of Public opinion
Governments made use of propaganda to continue support for the war
At the beginning governments had no problem convincing citizens of other nations crimes
As the war dragged on governments started to use desperate propaganda tactics to convince people to support the war

9. Women during the Great War
WWI created new roles for women
Women were allowed to take over jobs that were predominately male due to the men leaving for war
Jobs that were once considered “beyond their capacity” were now given to them
Such jobs included:
- chimney sweeps
- truck drivers
- farm laborers
- factory workers in heavy industry

10. Women during the Great war
These jobs, however, were not secure
Men and women both believed these new jobs for women were only temporary
- jobs would go back to men once the war was over
After the war governments quickly removed women from those jobs they were encouraged to do
In Great Britain 650,000 women were unemployed by 1919
Those who had jobs had their wages lowered

11. The impact Wartime Women
In some countries the role of women during wartime had a great impact on women’s rights
The right to vote was given to women in Germany, Austria, and the United States shortly after the war ended
In Great Britain Women were given the right to vote in 1918
Upper and middle class women gained more freedoms
- young women from these classes began to take jobs, have their own apartments, and became more independent