The German Home Front

Germany entered the Great War better prepared than any other nation. Yet, they did not believe the war would last very long. When the war began to drag on for years, Germany found itself in a difficult position. The raw materials need by its factories to produce military equipment was severely hampered by the British naval blockade. The blockade cut Germany off from overseas commerce and colonies.

Coal and iron ore to make steel were plentiful, but resources like magnesium, oil rubber and cotton could not be grown or existed inside of Germany. Many of these products were required for the production of ammunition.

Food

Food also became a major concern for the war effort. German agriculture was very good, but required fertilizers and animal supplements from other countries. This would become a major factor in the ability to continue the war. By the end of 1914, the German government began to control the food production of the country. Special laws were passed that limited how farmers could produce and slaughter animals.

During the winter of 1914, the German people began eating K-Bread (Kriegsbrot - war bread). This type of bread replaced wheat with potatoes as the main ingredient. The best food was sent to the front lines to ensure the soldiers had enough energy to fight. This meant that the civilian population had to do without.

As the war dragged on, Germany turned to science to produce foodstuffs for the people. Several food items in use today were developed during the war. One of the biggest was the production of margarine (an edible oil product) to replace butter. Artificial honey, coffee, gravy, puddings and many other items were developed to replace items sent to the front.

Even with all the attempts to manufacture food from almost nothing, by 1916 serious food shortages were appearing all over Germany. It was at that time that one of the worst winters in European history hit the country. The winter of 1916 became known as the "turnip winter." A premature frost destroyed the potato harvest that year which had become a major source of food for the people. Instead the turnip, which did not suffer from the frost, became the main source of food for the country.

Science was turned to all areas of production. Artificial silk, clothes and army sandbags were manufactured from wood pulp. Synthetic rubber was developed as were a number of other products using science to replace items Germany was unable to grow or mine.

Problems in the Factories

With millions of men going off to fight, a large-scale labor crisis emerged in the factories. Who would build the weapons and equipment necessary to fight when most of the men were at the front? New laws were established to put all males between 17 and 60, who were not in the army, to work in the factories. Children were used to help harvest crops on local farms. Finally, French and Belgian people under occupation were deported to Germany to work in the factories.

The Last Year of the War - 1918

As the Great War entered its last year, food and materials had reached a breaking point within Germany. One example of the shortage of food during this time came with the substitution of finely ground sawdust as a flour substitute in bread. Soldiers on leave would return home to see their children undernourished, short of heating fuels and wearing old threadbare clothing. With all the best food going to the frontlines, civilians paid a heavy price for the war effort. Even the troops in the frontlines began to suffer from the lack of foodstuffs available during 1918. Allied food, discovered during trench raids and offensives, was a highly sought after prize.