Importance Of The Home Front

army was efficiently supplied.         In Britain the Defence of The Realm Act was introduced in 1914. It increased the production of vital supplies and gave the government the power over railways, mines and trade union strikes. It gave the British government the power to seize factories and make them produce what was required and buy goods it wanted. It also imposed strict code of conducts on the population, such as shorter opening hours for pubs.        Due to Britain importing a lot of its food supplies from abroad by 1917 the first food shortages occurred in Britain after bad harvests and U-boat attacks. The Home Front was responsible to make sure these problems were overcome. In 1917, the government introduced rationing, made more land used for cultivation and people were encouraged to grow their own foods at home or on allotments. Two agriculture acts were introduced allowing the production of vital food supplies, such as corn to increase. The Home Front was responsible in encouraging men to sign up for the Kitcheners Volunteer Army using propaganda. When the army needed more men the government introduced conscription in 1916. Propaganda campaigns were used and the army rose to 3-4 million as a result.        A problem faced at the Home Front was the lack of labour caused by men going to the front to fight. Factories had few workers and therefore vital supplies, such as munitions and coal dropped. To help supplies to be continuously produced men, who were in key jobs, such as coal miners, were forced to stay. Women were an important part of the Home Front because they now had to do the tasks of the men who had left. They had to be shown how to do tasks at home but more importantly were encouraged to do important jobs men left behind. Despite some going to work at the Western Front the number of women in employment increased in Britain by 50 percent. Working class women delivered coal and worked as munitionettes in factories making shells and weapons. Middle class women joined the civil service or became teachers and a women police force was formed.A total war is very expensive and so the Home Front has to be geared to finance it. During the war Britain had to employ several measures to increase finance. Income tax and duties on luxury imports were put up. People were encouraged to buy war bonds from the state. The main way Britain paid for the war was to sell off its many overseas assets such as its railways in America.It is quite clear that the excellent way in which the Home Front was managed played a crucial part in winning the war for the allies. Britain made sure that it had an advantage with the Sinews of war and geared its economy quickly and efficiently towards war. New war ministries such as Ministries of Agriculture and Munitions were introduced and plans were made to encourage men to join the army. People at home were kept happy. Without the work done at the Home Front the other fronts and especially the Western Front couldn’t have been supported.