** war and social upheaval: World War II -- American agriculture and food war and social upheaval: World War II -- American agriculture and food








America World War II Home Front: Agricultural Production and Food

American farmers World war II
Figure 1.-- The American agricultural sector went into a depression a decade befiore the Great Deppression. As a result, agriculture was a major preocupation of the New Deal. And as a result of New Deal Resettlement/Farm security Administratiin, includiung the Soil Consvation Service, Rural Electrifucation Admnistration, American agriculture was uniquely prepared for its World War II role. (Stalin in contrast severly damaged Soviet agriculture through collectivization and Hitler ignored Germany's unmechanized agriculture sector as he prepared for war.) During the WWr, sugar was a critical commodity. Not only was it used in food, sugar was essential for making industrial alcohol and used in the manufacturing of munitions and synthetic rubber. America's domestic sugar production was largely based on sugar beets. And Federal agencies strongly supported beet planting and harvesrs. .Here we see kids participating in the 1940 beet harvestr in Hall County, Nebraska. Photographer: L. C. Harmon. Several photographers working with the FSA compiled extensive porfolios. This is the only photograph we have found by Harmon. We also have been unable to find any biograohical information on him.

World War II was to create huge demands on the American farmer. The Roosevelt Administration changed course as a result of the War and instead of limiting production, the Government set about promoting increasing agricultural production to meet War demands. The need was enormous. Britain was not self-sufficent in food production even in peace time. The NAZIs invaded the Soviet Union and occupied large areas of the country's agricultural land (June 1941). This included the Ukraine--the Soviet breadbasket. This meant that Soviet harvests were substantially reduced. The Red Army stopped the German forces, but without food aid the Soviets faced starvation. Thus in addition to feeding its own military, America had to feed allied armies and populations. The United States shipped huge amounts of food overseas to its Allies under the Lend-Lease Program. Shipments to Britain totaled $2.1 billion (March 11, 1941 to June 30, 1944). Soviet shipments totaled over $0.9 billion. (The equivalebrt in modern dollars would of course be much higher.) And as the Allies began liberating countrues, thy faced the problemn of feeding the liberated populationd. A further problem was that with the end of the vDepression, American were now bringing home fat paychecks. Many were earning far more in war industry jobs than they had ever earaned before as share croppers or agricultural workers. This means that thery could splurge on food. And with indusry producing war material rather than cinsumer goods, there were not a lot of ways to spend their pay checks. The Government promoted the idea that 'Food Is a Weapon of War - -As Important as Guns and Ammunition!' And American farmers responded. Government coordinatiion was vital. Some crops were more important to the war effort than others. And farmers needed special tratment, access to fuel and other scarce materials. Labor was another problem with rural workers flocking to high page jobs in war industries. At first the War Production Board and New Deal agencies were involved. Evetually the War Food Afministratioin was created (1943). They planted an increased acreage, especially for high-nutrient crops like soybeans and peanuts. Farmers raised more livestock, particularly hogs. SPAM became a World war II phenomenon. As much as we maked fun of it today, it played a major role in feeding the Red Army. American farmers produced more dairy products--cheese, butter, and eggs. They accomplished this despite labor shortages and conversions of manufacturing plants from civilian vehiches (including farm machiery) to military vehickes and tanks. Luckily there was favorable weather during the War years. And the Dust Bowl missues had been addressed by New Deal efforts. Farmers increased agricultural production in 1942 (24 per cent) and even more in 1943 (29 per cent) over the 1935-39 average. Given the size of the American farm economy, these were enormous quantities of food produced to meet America and the Allies needs. Even so, food had to be rationed in America.

Change of Policy

World War II was to create huge demands on the American farmer. The Roosevelt Administration changed course as a result of the War. President Roosevet in his Annual Message to Congress (State of the Union), enuciated his famous 'Four Freedoms' (January 6, 1941). One of them was 'Freedom from Want'. This essentially was the end of the New Deal, but in a way transformed the humanitarian vision of the New Deal to the Amerucan war effort. Once in the War, the President, explained that the 'Old Dr. New Deal' had become the 'Dr. Win-the-War'. And as part of the war effort, The Goverrnment instead of limiting production set about promoting increasing agricultural production to meet the enormous demands of winning the War.

Needs

The needs were enormous. The immediate needs were the countries fighting the NAZIs. And after the fall of France, Britain and the Dom=minions were the only countries fifgting the NAZIs (June 1940). Britain was not self-sufficent in food production even in peace time. This changed dramtically when the NAZIs invaded the Soviet Union (June 1941). The Soviet Union had enormous agricultural potential, but the agricultural ecomomy was badly damged by Stalin's Collectivization program--part of his Five Year Plan. The War made the agricultural moroblkem far worse. The vast expanse of Soviet agricultural land attracted Hitler's avarice more than a decade before the War. It ius a prominent fixation in Mein Kampf (1924). The Germans invaded and defeated major vSoviet armies --Opperation Barbarossa (June 1941). They occupied large areas of the Soviet Union. This included the nation's richest agricultural land, including the Ukraine--the Soviet black soil breadbasket. This meant that Soviet harvests were drastically reduced. The Red Army stopped the German forces, but without food aid the Red Army and Soviet people faced starvation. The Soviets had been a NAZI ally (August 1939). They provided the NAZIs vast quantities of grain, oil, and other materials needed to fight the war in the West. Thius all changed with Batbarossa. It was now vital for America to keep both Britain and the Soviet Union in the War.

Lend Lease

America in addition to feeding its own military, ad to feed allied armies and populations. The United States shipped huge amounts of food overseas to its Allies under the Lend-Lease Program. The two most important recipients were Britain anf than the Soviet Unioin. Five that the Soviets spent neraly 2 years of the War invading other countries and commiting bloody attroities, this took a little adjusting. Only the even horendous NAZI threat convinced Americans that The Sovirts should recrive Lend Lease assiatance. Shipments to Britain totaled $2.1 billion (March 11, 1941 to June 30, 1944). Soviet shipments totaled over $0.9 billion. (The equivalent in modern dollars would of course be much higher.)

American War Effort

Sone 16 nmillion American men and women served in the armed forces during World War II. That mean that they had to be fed by the military. Now that miht be seen a a neutral impact, but it was not. Americans were posted asll over the worlsfrom the steemy South Pacific to remote eerather staions in Greenland above Artic Circle. And that meant that the military had to transport vast quantities of food all over the world. This is of some stratergic imptance because America was located at considerable distance and all that food had to be transopreted by ship. And shipping was the major contraint onthed Allied war effort. No action could be under taken without the required shipping. The Germans and Japanese lived off food seized from the conquered people as well as shipping seized food back to the Reich and Home Islands. American forces got some food from the Allied countries (Australia and England) in which they were stationed. But the great bulk of their food came from America. And it all had to be processed adding to eobomioc had to be processed (canned, dried, or frozen) -- all processed.

NAZI Agriculture and Food Policy

Food shortages had severely hampered the Central Powers in World War I. The German World War I effort had been seriously compromised virtually at the onset because of its food policies in Belgium, helping to back the Allied narrative of a brutal aggressor nation. And over the long run, food shortages at home undermined national morale. Germany was a highly industrial country highly dependent on fopd imports. Germany had a large, but inefficent almost totlly non-mechnized farm sector. This affected living standards in rural areas. Hitler was determined to avoid the mistakes of World War I in which food shortages resulting from the Allid naval blockade undermined civilan morale. The farm vote was crucial in being the NAZIs to power. Once appointed Chancellor, Hitler showed no interest in addressing the farm problems and ignored Richard Walther Darré, his Minister of Agriculture, who had helped to create a firm block of support in rural areas for the NAZIs. Hitler's solution of the farm proble was simple--remilitrize and seize the agricultural lands of the East to make the country self suffient in food production. The NAZI-Soviet Non-Agression Pact guaranteed access to Soviet grain before Hitler launched the War. At first mild rartioning system was introduced. POWs, especially French POWs, were used to replace the agricultural work force conscripted for military service. And as Deutsche Whermacht and Blitzkrieg overwealmed one country after another, the Germans exploited those countries to supply the German miitary and civilian population. Little regard was given to the effect on the occupied population even in countries where the Germans were not intent on mass killing. The Germans from the beginning of the War used as a weapon, targeting millions of people with the Hunger Plan as part of their overall plan to change the ethnic map of Europe. German policy was in part designed to ensure food supplies to the German domestic market and in part to kill millions of unwanted people. Rations in the ghettoes were set a starvation levels. Children were among the most vulnerable and began dieing in large numbers. This was not fast enough for Hitler and his SS killing machine. Jews were hunted down relentlessly throughout NAZI occupied Europe and often killed first because they were non-workers. For most children it was just a matter of surviving until the war ended. They could do without many things, but food was not one of them. Many combatant countries ration food. Both Germany and Japan needed to import food to supply their populations. Hitler was molded by Germany's World War I experience. The U-boats again threatened to force Britain out of the War. Hitler was determined that food shortages not be allowed to undermine German home front morale. As a result, the economies of occupied countries were plundered to supply the Reich. Food was rationed in the occupied countries, often at low levels. Commonly workers got higer allocations. In the occuped East, only workers received ration allocations. The Germans denied food to 'non-producers' and populations in intendedto eliminate. Hitler envisioned the East as supplying the Reich with food it needed to procecute the War. The long term hoal wa to murder much of the existing popultion of East and turn the Steppe into a vast agricultural colony--Generalplsn Ost. As the War progressed, the East barely supplied the needs of the Wehermact fighting there. It proved to be food from the occupied West that supplied the Reich. Adequate food was availble to the German people until Allied Armies had driven the Wehrmacht out of the occupied countries (especially France) and were at the borders of the Reich (fall 1944).

Liberation

And as the Allies began liberating countrues, thy faced the problemn of feeding the liberated populationd.

Domestic Demand

A further problem was that with the end of the vDepression, American were now bringing home fat paychecks. Many were earning far more in war industry jobs than they had ever earaned before as share croppers or agricultural workers. This means that thery could splurge on food. And with indusry producing war material rather than cinsumer goods, there were not a lot of ways to spend their pay checks.

Migrant Labor Camps


War Farm Policy

The Government promoted the idea that 'Food Is a Weapon of War - -As Important as Guns and Ammunition!' And American farmers responded. Government coordinatiion was vital. Some crops were more important to the war effort than others. And farmers needed special tratment, access to fuel and other scarce materials. Labor was another problem with rural workers flocking to high page jobs in war industries. At first the War Production Board and New Deal agencies were involved. Evetually the War Food Afministratioin (WFA) was created (1943). The WFA was responsible for the production and distribution of food to meet America's military and civilian wartime needs. The WFA was a predecessor of the Farm Service Agency. The WFA helped establish School Lunch Programs and administered farm labor programs. Among other efforts the FSA supported schools for the children of migrant farm workers. Schools in America are systens run by each state. We are not sure how these Federal schools were integrated into the state system. One example is the Weslaco, Texas FSA school in 1940. An example is the Osceola Farm Labor Supply Center School. American farmers planted an increased acreage, especially for high-nutrient crops like soybeans and peanuts. Farmers raised more livestock, particularly hogs. SPAM became a World war II phenomenon. As much as we maked fun of it today, it played a major role in feeding the Red Army. American farmers produced more dairy products--cheese, butter, and eggs. They accomplished this despite labor shortages and conversions of manufacturing plants from civilian vehiches (including farm machiery) to military vehickes and tanks. Luckily there was favorable weather during the War years. And the Dust Bowl missues had been addressed by New Deal efforts. Farmers increased agricultural production in 1942 (24 per cent) and even more in 1943 (29 per cent) over the 1935-39 average. Given the size of the American farm economy, these were enormous quantities of food produced to meet America and the Allies' needs.

Rationing

America experienced rationing for the first time in World War II. Some products that were rationed during World War II were sugar, meat, coffee, typewriters, fuel oil, gasoline, rubber, and automobiles. Food rationing probably affected most Americans the most. Each American was issued a book of ration cupons each month. Rationed goods were assigned a price and point value. Families were not restricted to certain quantities of rationed goods. But once their cupons were used up, they could not buy rationed goods until the next month. Families were incouraged to plant victory gardens. These gardens supplied a mjor part of the vegetable supply during the War. Rubber and gas were the most vital product rationed. Limited fuel supplies during the war affected America in many ways. Gas rationing was done differently than food rationing. Car owners had to register and were given windshield sticker based on how the car or other vehicle was used. Pleasure driving was prohibited. We have less information about clothing at this time. I do not believe that clothes were actually rationed, but the availability of civilian clothing was very much affected. Certain fabrics like silk or synthetic fibers were not available for civilian use. Shoes were rationed in America. Stamp 17 in War Ration Book 1 was good for one pair of shoes until June 15. (Probably about every 3-4 months.) Families could pool the coupons of all members living in the same household. Even tennis shoes which had become popular in America were hard to get because that had rubber soles.








CIH -- WW II







Navigate the CIH World war II Section:
[Return to Main American agricultural background]
[Return to Main American World War II home front page]
[Return to Main World War II displaced children page]
[Return to Main American 1940s page]
[About Us]
[Biographies] [Campaigns] [Children] [Countries] [Deciding factors] [Diplomacy] [Geo-political crisis] [Economics] [Home front] [Intelligence]
[POWs] [Resistance] [Race] [Refugees] [Technology] [Totalitarian powers]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Return to Main World War II page]
[Return to Main war essay page]
[Return to CIH Home page]




Created: 5:20 AM 1/27/2021
Last updated: 5:20 AM 1/27/2021