The Home Front SLMS/11

Total WarTotal WarTotal WarTotal War

•A front front front front is where two opposing armies meet on a battlefield. The home home home home front, refers to how the war was fought at home. •World War I is considered the first total total total total war war war war — that is, a war in which civilian popu-lations were significantly impacted, and in which all economic resources were allo-cated for the war effort.

Contribution of WomenContribution of WomenContribution of WomenContribution of Women

•Because the war dragged on, men were drafted into the military in increasingly large numbers. As a result, there were numerous job vacancies. •To deal with these job vacancies, governments encouraged women to enter the work force. Accordingly, they took jobs in industry and in transportation that were vacated by the drafted men. •Nations also relied on women to fill the agricultural gaps created by drafted men. Women plowed, fertilized and harvested the crops that fed the nation. •For the first time, many women served in the army as nurses. •For millions of women, this was the first time they had worked outside of the house. In general, women experienced a degree of independence never before enjoyed. This would not be easily relinquished.

RationingRationingRationingRationing

•Governments across Europe seized more direct control of the nation’s economy (even in capitalist nations like Great Britain). They dictated what what what what and how muchhow muchhow muchhow much of every product was to be produced. •Certain goods were rationed rationed rationed rationed by the government — this means that the government took control of all goods (especially the ones necessary to the war effort) and limited the amounts of these goods that were available to the public. •The way that governments controlled this was by issuing special tickets that allowed people to purchase the goods in question. •Goods that were rationed in World War I included: food stuffs, metals, leather, petroleum (gas), cloth & other fuels. •People were also encouraged by the government to plant “victory gardens” in their back yards. In these home gardens people were to grow produce in an effort to help with the production of food, but also to prevent food shortages by reducing the demand for such produce.

War on Civilians… War on Civilians… War on Civilians… War on Civilians…

•Not only did the war impact civilians eco-nomically, but the war also landed directly in their laps. For the first time, warfare ex-tended significantly beyond the battlefield. •Before World War I, armies met on a bat-tlefield and fought. Sometimes, fighting would spill into local towns or cities. But new weaponry like poison gas, ar-tillery, airplanes and zeppelins led to deliberate attacks on cities and resulted in high civilian casualties. •For the first time in recorded his-tory, civilian casualties approached the to-tals of military casualties.

1. What does the term home front home front home front home front refer to? 2. In what ways was World War I a total war? 3. Why was there an increasing number of job vacancies during the war? How did governments deal with this prob-lem? 4. Describe the areas in which women made contributions during the war. 5. How did this impact the lives of women? 6. When governments seized control of the economy, how did they impact it?

7. What is rationing? 8. Why did governments ration? 9. How did governments ration? 10. What types of goods were rationed? 11. What were “victory gardens”? 12. Why did governments encourage these? 13. How did a change in the nature of war-fare lead to significant civilian casualties? 14. What else led to more civilian casualties?

Global History Name _____________________________________ World War I: Home Front

Propaganda SLMS/11

What is it?What is it?What is it?What is it?

•Propaganda Propaganda Propaganda Propaganda is the spreading of ideas or beliefs to further a particular cause or do damage to an opposing cause. It became an important part of the war fought on the home fronthome fronthome fronthome front. •Although certainly World War I was not the first time that governments employed propaganda to influence public opinion, it seems to have been the first time that they used it as a concentrated part of their war effort. In short, it seems to be the first time that many governments used it en masse. •Students today are very familiar with so-phisticated propaganda. Every advertise-ment is a form of propaganda, seeking to persuade people that their product is supe-rior, while other products are sub-standard.

Why was it used?Why was it used?Why was it used?Why was it used?

•Governments used propaganda for several different reasons. First, they needed to maintain support for the war. World War I dragged on longer than expected, and trench warfare on the Western front did not yield much excitement or territorial gains. Governments used propaganda to keep the public interested in the war. •Second, propaganda was used to encour-age programs at home like ra-tioning or victory gardens. •Third, it was used for recruit-ing — both men to the military, and women to the work force. •Fourth, it was used to raise money! War is an expensive prospect, and governments often held “Liberty Bond drives” in which they sold government bonds to the public. •Finally, propaganda was used to increase hatred of the enemy by presenting them in a stereotypically bad way and by sensationalizing atrocities committed.

How was it used?How was it used?How was it used?How was it used?

•Mass media was in its infancy during World War I. There was no television, and there really was no radio (radio became popular after the war). •Most of the propaganda used took the form of posters, or advertisements in magazines or newspapers. These were ex-clusively visual and print media. •There were speakers who de-livered inspirational speeches to motivate, but because of the limits of mass media at the time, they reached limited crowds of locals. •An interesting use of propaganda was done by the Allies. They printed up pam-phlets in German explaining Wilson’s 14 Points. These were dropped behind enemy lines in hopes of encouraging surrender.

Was it effective?Was it effective?Was it effective?Was it effective?

•Propaganda showed itself to be extremely effective. Some of the most iconic govern-ment posters ever made were crafted during this war. •British propaganda which highlighted German atrocities in Belgium, or the German sinking of the Lusitania is widely credited with turning American sentiment against Germany and bringing the U.S. into the war on the side of the Allies. •And, the Allied pamphlets apparently in-fluenced Germany into asking for peace.

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1. What is propagandapropagandapropagandapropaganda? 2. Why is World War I an important starting point for the study of propaganda? 3. What is an everyday example of propa-ganda? 4. Explain five reasons why governments used propaganda. a. b. c. d. e. 5. What form did most World War I propa-ganda take?

6. Why? 7. How did the Allies use propaganda to try to end the war? 8. Describe two successful uses of propa-ganda during World War I. 9. Select 4 propaganda posters.

Global History Name _____________________________________ World War I: Propaganda

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