Food as a Weapon
Food shortages and rationing was not just an issue in Canada, but globally during the war. Many countries established some form of rationing during the war years, including the UK, Canada, the US, Germany, France, and the Soviet Union. Since the Second World War was a total war, it required the manpower of the population to keep the war machine going. Powering the workforce at home required a sustainable food source. One strategy employed during the war was to starve out civilians to try to slow down or stop war production and morale. Germany tried to block the British Isles from the other Allies by filling the Atlantic with U-boats. On the Eastern Front, Germany sieged Leningrad and blockaded the city for the majority of the war. In 1942 alone, over 600 000 people died, mainly of starvation and disease. The availability and accessibility of food became a weapon because control over supply meant controlling the health of millions of people. Check out our blog post on Canada as a Food Source for the Allies for more information on how Canada provided foodstuffs to Britain during the war!
Food could also literally be used in weaponry. For example, fat and bones were collected from kitchens across Canada in war production. Fat was used as lubricant in arms: one pound of fat could fire 150 bullets from a Bren gun, and two pounds could fire 10 anti-aircraft shells. Bones were used to make industrial glues.
A major part of the Second World War on the Home Front was communication between the government and Canadians at home. The Canadian government was producing propaganda and other types of public messaging throughout the war to keep Canadians informed at home and abroad. This blog series will look at different types of propaganda and public messaging, mediums of communication, and home front organizations.