Blockade On Germany Research Paper

In the years before the first world war, Germany was a large importer of grains to support its agricultural sector. Annually, over 5.5 million tons of grains were imported (Welch 126). A large portion of this went to feeding livestock around the country, as well as making goods directly derived from the grain. While this was a third of the total grain used by the country, this was not an unusually high proportion to be importing for the time period (Heinzelmann 236). However the over dependence on a steady supply of foreign grain would create trouble for Germany in the war years to come.
Offended that Germany dared to try matching their maritime might, Britain placed a blockade against Germany as soon as the war broke. Unlike blockades of
Sweden gave Britain some headaches by not being forthcoming with all requested information and Norway, Denmark and Sweden all continued to trade with Germany when possible (War Cabinet). Even this small amount of trading was viewed as detrimental to British victory and attempted to be brought to an end. Perhaps Sweden and Norway were sympathetic that Germany, within a few years of the war’s beginning, would face widespread malnutrition and starvation. Within a very short time period, the blockade had noticeable effect on the German economy as agricultural production dropped 25% from lack of needed supplies, such as fertilizer (“Germany, Home Front”). In response to the blockade against them, German started a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. The campaign was largely unsuccessful in breaking the blockade and further hastened the loss of the war as the United States entered due to the submarine
Potatoes quickly became cheaper and in higher supply than any grain, so laws were passed starting in October of 1914 that bread had to have a minimum of five percent of the ingredients be potato (Heinzelmann 237/8). Kriegsbrot or K-brot was the promoted bread, as it was made of easily grown rye and higher percentages of potato than other bread. The dense loaf was praised for its unusually long shelf life and nutritiousness, leading it to be used both on the homefront and as a regular part of soldier’s rations (Museum der Brotkultur). Heavy promotion by the government lead to much of the middle and upper class enthusiastically endorsing the bread, which lead the British to comment that their fervor for potato bread was as alarming as their militarism (Heinzelmann 238). The lower classes were likely less enthusiastic as they could not afford many of the pricier goods available to make K-Brot more palatable. Kriegsbrot changed its composition throughout the war based on available supplies, which were increasingly of inferior quality or downright strange to be found in bread, which included over the years of the war “maize, peas, beans, soybeans, tapioca, acorns, swedes and even animal blood” (Heinzelman 238). It is easy to see how dire the situation becomes by the end of the war looking at this list of