Figure 1.--Here we see a soup kitchen, probably about October 1944. The Wehrmcht ppears to be operating a soup kitchen. I'm nor sure why the Wehrmact is doing this rther than the civilian authorities. We do not know where in German this occurred. Notice it is just children who hsave come for the soup. Two boys wear their Detuches Jugend (DJ) uniform, notice the neckerchief and epaulettes.) I am guessing that the soldiers did not limit the soup to children, but mothers sent the children to pick up the soup. Notice the posters on the wall. I cam't make out what they say, but note one says "Churchill". Perhaps our German readers will be able to make out the text. The officer ith an elegant cape seems rather out of place by a soup kitchen.

The food situation in German, in part because of the looting of occupied areas, was relatively good during the early years of the War. Imported items (bananas, coffee, chocolate, citrus fruit, and tobacco) were difficult to obtain), but basic foodstuffs wee readily available. Food was more available in German than Britain. The NAZIs were careful to maintain domestic food production. Men in rural areas were drafted for military service, but POWs provided the man power needed. The food situation began to seriously deteriorate when the severe 1942-43 winter did affect the food supply. Rationing autorizations were cut. Battlefield lossess also affected the ability of the NAZIs to look occuied areas. This first occurred in the East. And in 1943 the American 8th Air Force joined RAF Bomber Command in the strategic bombing campaign. Food became a serious problem in 1944. Germany experienced major defeats in the East and the Allies liberated France. And in 1944 the introduction of long-range fighter escorts enanle the Allies to intensively bomb both German cities as well as thectranportation system. This along with the scarcity of oil meant that food, even when available, was difficult to deliver to the cities. By the time the Allies crisssed the borders of the Reich (late 1944), the civilian population was in increasungly desperate condition. Herec we see a soup kirchen set up by the Wehremact about October 1944 somwwhre in the Reich (figure 1)

World War I

One of the reasons Germany was defeated in World War I is that support for the War and the imperial government collapsed on the home front. The Allies also cracked the Western Front, but the German Aemy could have continued the War for another year. The Rhine would have been a formidable natural barrier. It was the collapse of the home front tht ended the War in November. A major reason for the collapse of the home front was the substantial decline in agricultural production. It is interesting that Hitler after the War focused on the collapse of the home front and not the battlefield defeat of the German Army on the Western Front. (This was accomplished with an American Army of only about 1 million in France. (The United States was building an army of over 4 million at the time of the German requested Armistice.)

Food Production

The NAZIs in World War II gave considerable attention to supplying the home front with food. This was accomplished in a variety of ways. First, the Germans looted occupied countries of food. This was done rutlessy in the East and in a more civolized, but none the less efficent matter in the West. Little consideration was given to the civilians in the occupied countries. There was, for example, a dreadful famine in Greece. Second, the NAZIs used POWs as agricultural labor. Many Polish and Soviet POWs were essentially killed by exposure and starvation. The French POWs were treated more correctly. Third, the HJ was used as a source of agricultural labor. This was done in a variety of ways. The children were set up in camps for this purpose. Some of the KLV camps were also used. The Allied bombing campaign only marginally affected food production. The major problem was the availability of fertilizer. The majorproblem came in late 1944 as the Allied air campaign destroyed the German petroleum industry and transportation network. It was no longer possible for German farmers to deliver their production to cities.

Food Situation (1939-42)

The food situation in German was relatively good during the early years of the War. Efforts to maintain agricultural production and the looting of occupied areas meant that supploies were maintained. And an efficent rationing system saw that food was equitably distributed. Imported items (bananas, coffee, chocolate, citrus fruit, and tobacco) were difficult to obtain), but basic foodstuffs wee readily available. Food was more available in German than Britain during this period. The NAZIs were careful to maintain domestic food production. Men in rural areas were drafted for military service, but POWs provided the manpower needed.

Shift (1942-43)

The food situation began to seriously deteriorate when the severe 1942-43 winter did affect the food supply. Rationing autorizations were cut. Battlefield lossess also affected the ability of the NAZIs to loot occuied areas. This first occurred in the East. And in 1943 the American 8th Air Force joined RAF Bomber Command in the strategic bombing campaign. The strategoc bombing campaign did not at first, however, affect the food situation.

Rationing

Thus the initial rationing program was very limited. As the War went against Germany, this changed. Reverses in the East made it ijpossible for Hitler to obtain the food and raw materials that he thought the invasion of the Soviet Unio would yield. The Allied stratehic bombing campaign was another factor. One of the major Allied targets was the German transportation system, especially the rail network, which mean that it became increasingly difficult to transport food from rural areas into the city. Eventually the Germans had to introduce a very comprehensive, strict rationing system. The rations authorized depended on the individuals. Men working in heavy industry got the higest rations. Jews still within the Reich got lower rations. Poles in the eastern area annexed by the Reich also got lower rations. The Poles in western German that had immigrated while areas of Poland were still part of Imperial Germany, however, got the same rations as Germans. Germans were issued rationing cards every 2 months. These covered basic foods like bread, cheese, fats (butter, margarine and oil), eggs, jam, meat, and sugar as well as canned goods. Coffee and tobacco were other hard to get items because of the Royal Navy blockade.

1944-45

Food became a serious problem in 1944. Germany experienced major defeats in the East. The Allied air campaign focused on France in preparation for the D-Day landings. The primary goal was to hammer the beach defenses and cut off the landingin sites so that the Germans would find it difficult to bruing up reinforcements. This involved the destruction of the French railway system (locomotive, bridges, rail hubs, ect.). A side affect of this was tht it made it more difficult for the Germans to ship Frebnch agricultural products to Germany. And this ended entirely after the liberation of France (June-September 1944). At this time yhe Allies air fotces renewed the campaign against Germany itself. The introduction of long-range fighter escorts enababled the Allies to intensively bomb both German industrial cities as well as the petroleum industry and the tranportation system. The bombers hammered German cities destroying transportation hubs. The esorts were after the bombing runs were released and went after Luftwaffe bases and anything that moved oin the ground (trains and barges). The scarcity of oil and the gradual destruction of the transportation system meant meant that food, even when available, was difficult to deliver to the cities. By the time the Allies crosssed the borders of the Reich (late 1944), the civilian population was in increasungly desperate condition. Here we see a soup kitchen set up by the Wehremact about October 1944 somwwhre in the Reich (figure 1)

Occupied Germany

Created: 11:32 PM 7/15/2006
Last updated: 11:32 PM 7/15/2006