How did the government try to deal with food shortages during the First World War?

Learning objective – to be able to examine the ways that the government tried to control food supply during the First World War. I can describe some of the reasons why food rationing was applied in Grade D I can explain the impact of rationing during the First World War. Grade B I can explain and evaluate the impact of food rationing during the First World War. Grade A

Starter – Which everyday foodstuff was banned in 1916?

White bread was banned in 1916 due to severe grain shortages.

Why was the submarine threat so scary for the British government? As an island, Britain had to rely on its merchant navy to bring in food and supplies from abroad. The German navy was used to try and blockade the trade routes hoping to starve the British into submission. The German U-boats were crucial in this strategy as they were used to search and destroy British merchant ships.

How significant was the U-boat threat to the British war effort? With greater investment in its U-Boats, the Germans has 200 scouring the seas, sinking 25% of merchant ships by This meant that Britain in April 1917, had only six weeks worth of food and supplies left. Lord Derby, Secretary of State for War, commissioned the navy to use depth charges to destroy U-Boats and merchant ships to sail in convoys with Destroyers. These strategies were very successful but Britain still remained short of food in 1917.

What was the impact of food shortages by 1917? Because food was scarce, food prices rose. Food prices doubled between 1914 and This led to richer people hoarding food while the poor could not afford even the basic provisions. Shops closed early as they were ill- supplied with food stocks. Industrial strikes increased, particularly in mining areas such as South Wales.

How did the government try to handle food shortages before 1918? In February 1917, the government set up the Women’s Land Army to recruit women as farm workers. Certain foods were banned, such as white bread, and limited, such as meat. Gave industrial workers improved wages in line with rising prices.

What was voluntary rationing? The government was reluctant to introduce rationing fearing unpopularity and excessive administration. Instead, in May 1917, they introduced voluntary rationing. The Royal Family led they way with this declaring they would cut their food intake by a quarter. In line with this, the government called for bakers to make bread with less flour to counter the grain shortage and use alternative ingredients instead, such as potatoes.

How was compulsory rationing introduced? With continuing food shortages, in January 1918 compulsory rationing was introduced with sugar, butter, meat and beer being the main foods to be rationed. The government copied the German system of ration books of coupons which were traded at a registered shop for food. This prevented anyone buying more than their legal share.

What was the impact of compulsory rationing? Public reaction was generally positive as rationing was seen as a fair system. Many poorer people enjoyed a healthier diet which they could now afford with regular employment provided by the war. Penalties for breaking rationing rules were harsh.

Main tasks Complete the tasks from the worksheet. Remember to explain your answers at all times. At Wrexham a big, fat wagon of potatoes was brought into the town square by farm workers. They started selling the potatoes. The wagon was soon surrounded by hundreds of clamouring families, chiefly women, who scrambled onto the cart in their eagerness to buy. Some women fainted in the struggle and the police were sent for to restore order. An extract from the Observer newspaper on 8 th April 1917.

Sources for the extension task

Choose your own plenary To show how much progress you have made this lesson, choose any of the following plenaries to complete and share with the rest of the class. You can do as many of these activities as you like. Tweet my lesson- no more than 140 characters. Write a Facebook status for a merchant seaman delivering goods to Britain, explaining the dangers he is facing. Choose five words that sum up what you have learnt this lesson and explain why you have chosen them. Your chosen words must all start with the same letter.