Transcript WWI-Notes-7-Total-War

WWI Notes 7:
Total War and the Homefront
World Wars
Ms. Hamer
March 2-3, 2010
Definitions
• Total War: When the entire population is
working for the war, whether as a soldier
or on the homefront
• Homefront: NOT A BATTLEFIELD; home
country where civilians and the
government are working to help the war
effort
Total War
Growth of the War State
• Neither side had planned for the economic
impact of the war
• Shell shortages occurred very quickly after
the start of the war
• New model of state power to allow total war
and victory
– Different from the idea of a limited state that had
come before
– Large state that had more control would come
out of WWI
Managing People
• The War State was brought on by the need to
provision HUGE armies
• Homefront would become important
– Needed workers to make war goods
– Had to provide for those who lost providers in the
war
• Separation Allowance: stipend or subsidy for
those who had lost the bread winner in the family
to maintain economic livelihood
Unions
• In Europe, unions were brought into the
war effort
– Unions would pledge not to strike and in
exchange would be given a voice in planning
• In America unions would pledge not to
strike for the duration of the war
Daylight Savings Time
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Germany - 1916
England – 1917
United States – 1918
Would make sunset
later in the summer
to allow for more
work and energy
efficiency
Different Models of Total War
Germany - Economic Control
• Economically unprepared for the war
• Coordinated by the War Raw Materials
Board
– All the way down to the Imperial Potato Office!
• Smaller businesses were pushed aside in
favor of “more efficient” larger businesses
• Hindenburg Plan (1916): all men 17-60 were
drafted for jobs important to the war
– Also used forced labor from Belgium and
Poland
Germany – State Control
• Military commanders
given control over
regions
• Led to “Silent
Dictatorship” of
Hindenburg and
Ludendorff after 1916
• Tried for centralized
control, but was not
always effective or
efficient and civilian
Great Britain – Economic and State Control
• Theory was that business as
usual would continue, but it
really needed to be
reorganized
• July 1915 Ministry of
Munitions established under
David Lloyd George (the
Welsh Wizard) and would
reorganize the British war
effort
David Lloyd George would become
Prime Minister of England in 1916
– Staff of 65,000
– Pub closing times were instated
Great Britain – Economic and State Control II
• Defense of the Realm Act (DORA)
August 8, 1914: British government
could suppress public criticism,
imprison without trial, and
commandeer economic resources
• Rationing of sugar and meat began
in January 1918 to ensure supply
and prevent panic
– No reduced consumption levels
occurred in England in WWI
• Women were encouraged to
become agricultural workers to
keep up the supply of food
Great Britain – Military Control
• Shaped by liberal traditions –
no draft initially
• Lord Horatio Kitchener was
made Secretary of State for
War
• Kitchener made the New Army
to replace the BEF (which had
been crushed in the first
battles)
– Created the Pal’s Battalions to
encourage friends to join
together
France – Economic Issues
• Less successful in industrial expansion
than other war countries, but France was
spared the food shortages
– Because the Germans had occupied France’s
industrial area
• After occupation France lost 75% of coal
production and 80% of steel making
• Agriculture stayed strong and fed the
population and military
France – Military and Political Control
• In the first 16 months of the war,
France experienced half of its
wartime casualties with more than
600,000 killed
• Civil and military officials struggled
over who would control the war effort
• French army mutinies in 1917
caused extensive reorganization
under civilian leadership under the
new premier Georges Clemenceau
(similar to David Lloyd George in
America – Military and Political Control
• George Creel -Committee
on Public Information
– Managed propaganda –
posters, newsreels, 4-minute
men
• Opposition to the war was
suppressed by
government agencies and
private vigilante groups like
the American Protective
League
America – Economic and Social Changes
• Some women moved into factory work
• Requested conservation instead of
rationing:
– Wheatless Mondays, Meatless Tuesdays, and
Gasless Sundays
• Great Migration:
– 1.3 million African Americans moved out of
the South into the North, Midwest, and West
from 1910-1930
– Inspired by the opening of service jobs during
WWI
• Halt to most immigration during this time
Less Successful Cases of War
Reorganization
Often because they were more
authoritative and conservative
governments and less industrialized
countries
Russia
• Could only arm about ¼ of their
troops
– Other soldiers would have to wait until
the armed die and then pick up guns
• Tsar Nicholas II took over military
command in 1915
– Mistake because he was personally
responsible
• 1917 – 76% of Russia's industrial
base was devoted to war production,
but this still wasn't enough
• Russia also faced the burden of the
Austria-Hungary
• Emperor Franz Joseph died in
November 1916 – succeeded
by his grandson, Emperor
Karl I
– Hard for Austria Hungary to bear
the loss of this leader
• Emperor Karl I reconvened the
previously closed parliament
– This didn’t work because
parliament immediately fell to
renewed ethnic conflicts
• Austria Hungary could not hold
itself together or work to
Effects of Total War
Liabilities of War Economy
• Massive Inflation
• War Loan Drives were a way to soak up
extra currency
• The combination of inflation and the
changing valuation of jobs created social
anxiety
• Illegal black market developed for food
– Weakened people’s trust in the government
Outcomes of Total War
• Used to be that countries like England and
France had a liberal, non-interfering
government
• Now government was supposed to be
involved in the running of the state
• Increased prestige for ideas of collectivism
and of states providing for society at
large
• Democratic states were more efficient in
this practice
Propaganda
Use of Propaganda in Total War
• One of the most effective ways that countries
encouraged their citizens to support the war
was through propaganda.
– Kitchener (England) and Creel (USA) were some of
the most effective masters of propaganda, but all
countries used forms of it to help the war effort
• Propaganda is a type of message aimed at
influencing the opinions or behavior of people
• Propaganda is not always factual, but uses
people’s emotions to convince them to do
things
Types of Wartime Propaganda
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Our country is the best – be patriotic
The enemy is evil – let’s get them!
Enlist to fight
Work in war production
Buy liberty bonds
Support the war in some other way
Our country is the best – be patriotic
• Allied
recruitment
poster about
the “plucky
four”
• Faith in
Canada – for
victory bonds
The enemy is evil
– let’s get them!
• French
propaganda poster
from 1915:
– Kaiser Wilhelm
eating the world
Enlist to fight
• England’s famous
1914 Kitchener
enlistment poster
Work in war
production
• Russian war
bond poster
about women
factory workers
• British poster
about needing
soldiers and
workers
Buy liberty bonds
• American war bond
poster
Support the war in some
other way
• USA grow your own
food propaganda
• British sugar rations
Squirrels Rule!