HOME FRONT OF WORLD WAR I

World War I had a profound impact on societies across Europe and North America.  Not only were the realities of war shocking for many, but the war changed life on the home front for millions of people.

World War I is considered to be an example of a total war, which involves all aspects of society being used towards the war effort.  For example, during World War I most men volunteered for war while agriculture and factories on the home front were all producing to further the cause of war.  Since many of the men in these societies were gone to the frontlines, World War I saw women enter the workforce in large numbers for the first time.  These women took jobs in factories that produced the weapons of war, in office buildings and other positions.  This new role for women occurred at the same time as popular feminist and suffrage movements across North America and Europe wherein women fought for and won the right to vote in general elections.

Women in World War I

Along with total war, governments across North American and Europe controlled the production and use of resources to ensure that as many resources were being put towards the war effort as possible.  For example, citizens on the home front were required to ration food items and other resources in order to make them for use on the frontlines.  It was the belief of military generals that well fed soldiers would help overcome the enemy and bring about an end to the war.  The rationing of food included items such as: sugar, butter, meat and bread.  For Britain, an island nation, the rationing was even more important because German submarines in the North Atlantic sunk merchant ships and slowed the supply of trade to and from the country.

In order to promote rationing and other initiatives, the governments of the time used propaganda to convince citizens of certain messages.  For example, governments issued propaganda that worked to recruit soldiers for the war, ration certain items and to demonize the enemy.  Citizens on the home front were subjected to constant messaging to ensure they supported the war effort and to maintain the push towards victory.

Finally, citizens on the home front were impacted when their governments decided to draft or conscript soldiers for war.  This means that the government had passed laws making military service mandatory.  Countries did this in order to increase numbers in the armed service in the hopes of making the final advance towards victory and to bring an end to the fighting in World War I.

In all, life on the home front changed dramatically during the course of World War I.

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