However, even with total control over industries, at normal rates, only a small amount can be produced. Both sides experienced this, as both nations are major importers. This was shown by the Atlantic blockade by the Germans, causing a serious shortage of food in Britain. At one point, enough for just 6 weeks supply, and the British blockade of the German coast, which may have ultimately, lead to the collapse of the German empire.
Both sides suffered serious food shortages, due mainly to the blockades, but in Britain, thanks to strict regulations and voluntary rationing, the food crisis was over by early 1917. However Germany had had a bad string of coincidences. The blockade combined with the awful harvests meant that Germans were living on rations that were below subsidence level, and meant many simulated foods were introduced instead e.g. coffee made from nuts and acorns. Germany also ran severely low on textiles, causing people to use cardboard shoes. This led to low morale and increasing contempt towards the Kaiser.
The one thing both sided did extremely well on, was the manufacturing side. Britain recruited close to 3 million volunteers to join the BEF, by 1916, and Germany had always had conscription. However, this meant there were shortages in important industries as the recruits were usually men aged 18-30 from important industries. So both countries made sure important labourers were not recruited into the army, but carried on working.
Kitchener and Lloyd George decided that all men aged between 18-41 would be conscripted into the army; so important workers were not allowed to volunteer. To increase workers, the Ministry of National service redirected c.35, 000 workers and hired women to fill in all-important jobs. Germany, under Hindenberg used POW’s and labour conscription for men aged 17-60 to sort out there problems.
Theses two methods solved the labour problem, but did mean quality of military recruits did fall.
The war changed both societies drastically. More regulations were imposed on the people, women were treated with new respect and censorship and propaganda were used.
In Britain, the Defence Of the Realm Act (D.O.R.A.) was passed. This gave the government extensive power, including censorship and propaganda on the media. The media, with exception to socialist papers, were highly patriotic, and journalist such as Max Aitken, the owner of the Express, Mail and Times, earned a title for his role, Lord Beaverbrook. DORA also tackled drunkenness, or as Lloyd George said ‘our most dangerous foe within’, and introduced daylight saving hours. The German government who were not democratically elected had to increase propaganda so that the people would still think that the war was for them.
Women, who had always been looked upon as less important in society then the men, were becoming ever more important. They became the major earner in many families, with the number of women workers rising from c.2 million to over 3 million. They were working in previously male dominated industries, and began changing the rules of society, by smoking, wearing trousers and going out with boys without a chaperone to name a few. With women’s increasing contribution, they were given universal suffrage for women over 30 in March 1918. With women’s place in society changed forever, a new society was emerging.
Both sides managed to make propaganda work for them, and the people became more patriotic then ever, at the beginning of the war. Things changed however near the end of the wars, seeing the British leading party reshuffled and shrunk, and the German political system replaced.
In Britain, the leading party, the Liberals, were torn apart, by Lloyd George. He, with the help of opposition MP’s, proved he was the best man to have as prime minister for a war, and caused Asquith, the leader of the Liberals and the prime minister to resign. This led to the only ever government where the PM was not head of a political party. However, the British political system did survive for two small but important reasons.
The government was a coalition, with the three leading parties all holding senior seats. This meant that the majority of parliament was happy with the decisions, so there was no serious dissent.
In 1918, the British people were given universal suffrage for men over 21 and women over 30, so the majority of people had a say over the government’s policies. The British people, who were already a democracy, had felt that their war had been one; this was in stark contrast to Germany.
From as early as 1915 discontent amongst the people and politicians began to emerge. The SPD (liberals) began to question whether the war was a defencive one and they urged the government to seek peace talks. By 1916, there were peace demonstrations and growing industrial unrest. With all of these problems, the German government were willing to change, and they proposed peace with the allies. However, Lloyd George was now in power, and was only going to end the war when one side surrendered. This failure by the government led to even more unrest by the people. Mutinies occurred in 1917, and mass desertions from the victorious Eastern front army. All of these problems showed growing unrest amongst the German people, and the decline in morale to the ‘Kaisers war’.
By 1918, hundreds of thousands were striking in Berlin, and there was widespread anti war Propaganda. This led to Ludendorff seeking surrender terms with the allies. The disgraced Kaiser, refused to abdicate, but offered constitutional reform for the people, but on the 11th of November, with the knowledge that the army no longer supported him, The Kaiser abdicated and fled to Holland.
Both sides struggled to win the battle of the Home front, but Germany, who had very limited resources and a short, easily block able coastline lost the battle. Germany left the war with a newly formed democracy, which would only lose face to the people at the armistice treaties, and Britain left with a strong democracy.
