The Economic, Social, and

Cultural Impact of the War

Section 17.89 & McKay Chapter 27 (Home Front)

Major Characteristics of Home Front• Planned (command) Economy

– Rationing, price and wage controls – restrictions on workers' freedom of

movement/speech

• Nationalism– People viewed war as justified – Enthusiastic about it (at first)– Defending themselves against

aggression– Propaganda/censorship widely used

• Total War– Entire population mobilized for war

effort

The Planned Economy• Government controlled economy to wage

Total War• Laissez-faire/free market capitalism gave

way to planned economy “for the duration”• Influenced by French Utopian Socialists• States answered ALL economic questions

(Command Economy) during WWI• set up boards, bureaus, councils, and

commissions to run the war effort• Rationed, controlled wages, mobilized labor • Free competition was wasteful • Profit motive came into disrepute during a

war effort– But many companies saw huge profits– Anglo-Persian Oil profits in the hundreds

of millions• Production for civilian use was minimized

– We can win “If all the treasures of our soil that agriculture and industry can produce are used exclusively for ..War ….all other considerations must come second.” Hindenburg

German war socialism• Limited access to resources demanded strict

measures to be taken• Walter Rathenau

– Jewish industrialist created WRMB• War Raw Materials Board

– Strict food rationing, natural resource control, recycling program

– Nitrogen• Necessary ingredient for explosives• Got it from farmers barnyards, until German

chemists succeeded in extracting it from the air

• Utilized fruit peels, women’s hair for war effort

• Food rationed according to physical need– Hard manual laborers got extra rations – Expectant mothers and children got milk– Averaged 1 thousand calories per day

• Auxiliary Service Law– Required all German men between 16 &

60 (who were not in army) to work at jobs considered essential to war effort

– Although unspoken, women were subjected to forced labor law

– Remember Levee en Masse• Support of research and development in

the arms industries– Invented synthetic rubber from coal

(Buna)– Invented synthetic gunpowder– Made rope from women’s hair

• Companies were aligned with each other and competitive barriers removed

• Resulted in dramatic increases in production of war effort materials– Germany’s Total War led to

establishment of history’s 1st Totalitarian society

German war socialism

Propaganda and public opinion• Public opinion was controlled• Defense of the Realm Act

– British law limiting freedom of speech– Also not allowed to fly a kite, light a bonfire,

buy binoculars, feed wild animals bread, discuss naval and military matters

• In Germany, dancing and speaking English banned

• House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha changed to the House of Windsor

• Governments used propaganda and censorship widely

• Kept civilians emotionally charged• Inundated public with posters, schoolbooks,

editorials, motion pictures• Intellectuals advanced rationales for hate and

loathing of the enemy• Kaiser portrayed as a demon• Cossacks were rapists • Right and wrong was assigned by both sides• inflamed opinion later affected peace process

Defense of the Realm Act of 1914• Be it enacted ... as follows:• (1) His Majesty in Council has power during the continuance of the

present war to issue regulations for securing the public safety and the defence of the realm, …– (a) to prevent persons communicating with the enemy or obtaining

information for that purpose or any purpose calculated to jeopardise the success of the operations of any of His Majesty's forces or the forces of his allies or to assist the enemy; or

– (c) to prevent the spread of false reports or reports likely to cause disaffection to His Majesty or to interfere with the success of His Majesty's forces by land or sea or to prejudice His Majesty's relations with foreign powers; or

– (e) otherwise to prevent assistance being given to the enemy or the successful prosecution of the war being endangered.

• (3) It shall be lawful for the Admiralty or Army Council:– (a) to require that there shall be placed at their disposal the whole

or any part of the output of any factory or workshop in which arms, ammunition, or warlike stores and equipment, or any articles required for the production thereof, are manufactured;

– (b) to take possession of, and use for the purpose of, His Majesty's naval or military service any such factory or workshop or any plant thereof;

Socioeconomic Impact of War• Virtually no unemployment• Labor unions recognized• Had cooperated with governments on

work rules, wages, production schedules

• Courtship– Slow Victorian process of courtship

abandoned– Sexual promiscuity more

widespread– Illegitimacy rose dramatically– German gov. allowed birth certs to

be issued to illegitimates– Allowed mother of illegitimates to

use Frau (Mrs.)

Role of Women• Dramatic change• Left home & domestic industry for

factories, & other “male” occupations

• 43% of Russian labor force (1917)• Worked as mail carriers & police

officers• Greatly expanded roles women

could play & attitudes toward women

• GB, Germany, Austria & US gave women right to vote following war

• Bob hair, shorter skirts, smoking in public en vogue

• Austrian & French women went on strike (lower pay)– Dealing with shortages & still

running household• Female vulnerability widely used

to inspire men

Social Distinctions• Class differences between rich &

poor decreased greatly• Due to full employment, bottom

3rd lived better than they had • Egalitarian attitude of a shared

burden prevailed• Aristocratic officers, poor

workers all died the same on the battlefield

• Only labor aristocracy spared• Lives too valuable to be wasted

at the front

Growing Political Tensions• Morale remained high until 1916• Karl Liebknecht• Radical socialist led massive demonstration in Berlin• “Down with the government!”• Arrested but electrified the Left• Numerous French soldiers refused to fight after

Verdun• George Clemenceau became virtual dictator in Nov.

1917• Crushed strikes, jailed without due process

(journalists)• Reichstag in Germany voted for “peace without

annexation or reparations” in 1917• 200 thousand Berliners went on strike when bread

rations reduced• Military leadership crushed both movements• Russia

– Hardship would prove too much for Tsar Nicholas