BOSANQUET MRS FL 1917 1919

Abstracts of German books and articles, mainly on prices, wages and food and textiles supply, written by Mrs Bosanquet for the Foreign Intelligence Section of the Ministry of Food, with related correspondence.

German food supplies in World War I 1914 - 1918

During World War I the German War Food Administration imposed regulations for the distribution of food. The first regulation came in October 1914 when it was ordered that grain was not to be ground into flour beyond a prescribed percentage, and that a fixed percentage of ersatz stuffs was to be mixed with the flour (e.g. potatoes, turnips etc). A rationing system was put in place in January 1915. Initially it related to bread but it was followed by other essential foodstuffs. By 1918 German livestock had decreased and grain production had decreased to less than half of the yields of pre-war years.

British food supplies in World War I

Soon after the outbreak of the First World War the German Navy engaged in submarine warfare to hinder the flow of imports to Britain by introducing unrestricted submarine warfare. By the end of 1916, German U- boats were on average destroying about 300,000 tons of shipping a month. In February 1917, the German Navy sank 230 ships bringing food and other supplies to Britain. The following month a record 507,001 tons of shipping was lost as a result of the U-boat campaign. However, Britain increased food production and the wheat harvest of 1917 was reported to be the best in British history.

At the end of 1917 panic buying led to shortages. In January 1918 the Ministry of Food decided to introduce rationing. Sugar was the first to be rationed and this was later followed by butchers' meat.

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