Introduction
There's a lot of negative impacts surrounding wars, the consequences include economic whip backs, casualties, and many innocent civilians affected by declined living conditions, broken up families, and lowered morale. For my research I chose to explore how world War 2 affected the average family in different countries and different ethnic groups of people.
There's a lot of negative impacts surrounding wars, the consequences include economic whip backs, casualties, and many innocent civilians affected by declined living conditions, broken up families, and lowered morale. For my research I chose to explore how world War 2 affected the average family in different countries and different ethnic groups of people.
Concentration camps
Whenever a war outbreaks there's always negative impacts for the civilians in the countries involved, but sometimes a specific group is targeted and affected a lot more. After world war 1 the German population was frustrated, using this frustration Hitler blamed it on the Jews to rise to power. During world war 2 million Jewish people were roundup and forced into over 40,000 concentration camps with terrible living conditions. They were forced into slavery doing labor for long hours of the day. They worked for up to 12 hours without proper equipment and protection. After they were forced to live in overcrowded rooms with other prisoners, like in the photo above. The conditions of the camps were terrible as there were leaking roofs, not well managed bathroom system making it very unsanitary and combined with the overcrowded rooms and a shortage of water caused disease throughout the camps. Many jews died in the concetration camp wheater it was from malnutriotion, diseases due to the overcrowded rooms or gas chambers it was a slow and painful process. At first only the males where taken seperating families, but woman and children where also subjugated to this cruelness. Even when jewish people where lucky enough to escape this treatment, they had to hide their identity and who they really are which no one should be forced to go through.
http://johnsonapclass.weebly.com/living-conditions.html
https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005144
While it’s very hard to estimate the death tolls, up to 6 millions jews died throughout the period of world war 2. In the concentration camps many jews often died from over-exhaustion, malnourishment, and disease.
https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10008193
Whenever a war outbreaks there's always negative impacts for the civilians in the countries involved, but sometimes a specific group is targeted and affected a lot more. After world war 1 the German population was frustrated, using this frustration Hitler blamed it on the Jews to rise to power. During world war 2 million Jewish people were roundup and forced into over 40,000 concentration camps with terrible living conditions. They were forced into slavery doing labor for long hours of the day. They worked for up to 12 hours without proper equipment and protection. After they were forced to live in overcrowded rooms with other prisoners, like in the photo above. The conditions of the camps were terrible as there were leaking roofs, not well managed bathroom system making it very unsanitary and combined with the overcrowded rooms and a shortage of water caused disease throughout the camps. Many jews died in the concetration camp wheater it was from malnutriotion, diseases due to the overcrowded rooms or gas chambers it was a slow and painful process. At first only the males where taken seperating families, but woman and children where also subjugated to this cruelness. Even when jewish people where lucky enough to escape this treatment, they had to hide their identity and who they really are which no one should be forced to go through.
http://johnsonapclass.weebly.com/living-conditions.html
https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005144
While it’s very hard to estimate the death tolls, up to 6 millions jews died throughout the period of world war 2. In the concentration camps many jews often died from over-exhaustion, malnourishment, and disease.
https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10008193
Life on the home front
The home front is the description of the civilians living in the nations involved with war. During world war 2 the living standards for many civilians and countries dropped drastically.
Many countries were affected by world war 2 and were deprived of resources such as food shortages, families breaking apart due to POW, camps, and casualties in the war.
France
At the start of World War 2 France was quickly overtaken by Germany, 2 million french soldiers were taken over and sent to Germany to work and be held as POW. The wives of these soldiers didn’t have a main source of income yet even though the government provided an allowance, 1 out of 10 turned to prostitution to support their family. The french economy deteriorated and the food distribution system was badly organised it lead to food shortages and undernourishment. Farm production fell due to lack of resources and manpower needed to run it, and what food they did produce the Germans seized 20% of them. Farmers often sent their food to the black market where it was purchased without stamps and at higher prices, further reducing the amount stock available in shops. Due to malnutrition and vitamin deficiency a lot of countries in the home front recommended growing their own home garden, but living in big cities these efforts were gardens were really hard to be productive.
America
Because American soil was not near most of the conflict, most Americans didn’t suffer a lot of danger. Millions of jobs were actually created to support the war, and their was a lot of need in factory work so women were enlisted in high numbers for the first time.
The government encouraged companies to recycle materials to be efficient in production, and rationed items to help conserve limited resources such as food, rubber and metal.
Like France, america was also encouraged to grow their own gardens dubbed “victory gardens” and a lot of posters advertised by supporting the war and many of the media was influenced by war world 2. The posters advertised enlisting for the army, victory gardens, working in war factories and enlisting.
Victory gardens were encouraged by the government as an extra food source. They were often grown in backyards, rooftops and window boxes. Victory gardens insured that there was food at home and more food could be sent to soldiers on the front lines. There were a multitude of a vegetables grown to allow access to multiple vitamins and nutrients such as tomatoes, lettuce, beets, carrots, peas. Schools had their own victory gardens that grew food for their own school lunches.
http://classroomvictorygarden.org/classroom-facts.html
Britain
Britain which was closer to the front of lines was in risk of air raids or attacks from the sea. Due to this terror many families had to be evacuated and some children had to be separated from their parents. Many Germans and other “foreigners were round up for interment.”
Like america the labor force was also mobilized and many women and men joined uniform sources to work on the land or in factories. People were conscripted to work in coal mines. Ration books and rations were also distributed, and the need of scrap metal lead a lot of decorative rail metal in public places and aluminum sauce pans were collected by the million. Blackouts also happened in Britain during world war 2 and people took advantage of it with crime rates increasing. During the war Britain was also bombed which force children to be divided from parents as they had to be sent to safe places away from the bombing their parents couldn’t find.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/home_front
Germany
The world wars also affected people both side of the battle , in Germany they needed a lot of manpower for the war and a lot of males were conscripted. Leaving the country short of male labour, employers opened up spots to females but as women were discriminated to be weaker and inferior to men they had to work longer hours and received less pay to support their families and less time to spend with them. A Lot of widows didn’t have a stable source of income and struggled to survive on government handouts.
A Lot of youths were conscripted to work in work and now experienced a new type of financial freedom
“According to Herwig, between 1914-18 youth employment was up by 225% in the chemical branch, 97% in steel and 59% in machinery.* It was the young people in these jobs that supplied the German army with much needed equipment for the war effort. So, it was young people and women in Germany who covered the worker shortage supplemented the small income provided by the government for families.” - http://www.centenarynews.com/article?id=717
They also left school earlier and lost a lot of their later education as many teachers were conscripted and they didn't have enough facilities to be taught. Near the end of WW2 when the Germans were losing and food was need to feed a vast army and a whole country. Exports of food was blocked due to allies blockages. With the lack of supply of food demand increased and prices were driven up, because many families only had meager wages people had difficulty supporting their families. Malnutrition was rampant in Germany and many elders and children died in this area. In 1915 the situation in the war reached an all time low in urban areas and people started getting resentful and people started blaming the rural areas and farmers stockpiling their own food. To combat this the government tried to implement maximum prices on basic items such as potatoes and bread. The home front changed significantly the family life and how people living their lives in Germany.
The home front is the description of the civilians living in the nations involved with war. During world war 2 the living standards for many civilians and countries dropped drastically.
Many countries were affected by world war 2 and were deprived of resources such as food shortages, families breaking apart due to POW, camps, and casualties in the war.
France
At the start of World War 2 France was quickly overtaken by Germany, 2 million french soldiers were taken over and sent to Germany to work and be held as POW. The wives of these soldiers didn’t have a main source of income yet even though the government provided an allowance, 1 out of 10 turned to prostitution to support their family. The french economy deteriorated and the food distribution system was badly organised it lead to food shortages and undernourishment. Farm production fell due to lack of resources and manpower needed to run it, and what food they did produce the Germans seized 20% of them. Farmers often sent their food to the black market where it was purchased without stamps and at higher prices, further reducing the amount stock available in shops. Due to malnutrition and vitamin deficiency a lot of countries in the home front recommended growing their own home garden, but living in big cities these efforts were gardens were really hard to be productive.
America
Because American soil was not near most of the conflict, most Americans didn’t suffer a lot of danger. Millions of jobs were actually created to support the war, and their was a lot of need in factory work so women were enlisted in high numbers for the first time.
The government encouraged companies to recycle materials to be efficient in production, and rationed items to help conserve limited resources such as food, rubber and metal.
Like France, america was also encouraged to grow their own gardens dubbed “victory gardens” and a lot of posters advertised by supporting the war and many of the media was influenced by war world 2. The posters advertised enlisting for the army, victory gardens, working in war factories and enlisting.
Victory gardens were encouraged by the government as an extra food source. They were often grown in backyards, rooftops and window boxes. Victory gardens insured that there was food at home and more food could be sent to soldiers on the front lines. There were a multitude of a vegetables grown to allow access to multiple vitamins and nutrients such as tomatoes, lettuce, beets, carrots, peas. Schools had their own victory gardens that grew food for their own school lunches.
http://classroomvictorygarden.org/classroom-facts.html
Britain
Britain which was closer to the front of lines was in risk of air raids or attacks from the sea. Due to this terror many families had to be evacuated and some children had to be separated from their parents. Many Germans and other “foreigners were round up for interment.”
Like america the labor force was also mobilized and many women and men joined uniform sources to work on the land or in factories. People were conscripted to work in coal mines. Ration books and rations were also distributed, and the need of scrap metal lead a lot of decorative rail metal in public places and aluminum sauce pans were collected by the million. Blackouts also happened in Britain during world war 2 and people took advantage of it with crime rates increasing. During the war Britain was also bombed which force children to be divided from parents as they had to be sent to safe places away from the bombing their parents couldn’t find.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/home_front
Germany
The world wars also affected people both side of the battle , in Germany they needed a lot of manpower for the war and a lot of males were conscripted. Leaving the country short of male labour, employers opened up spots to females but as women were discriminated to be weaker and inferior to men they had to work longer hours and received less pay to support their families and less time to spend with them. A Lot of widows didn’t have a stable source of income and struggled to survive on government handouts.
A Lot of youths were conscripted to work in work and now experienced a new type of financial freedom
“According to Herwig, between 1914-18 youth employment was up by 225% in the chemical branch, 97% in steel and 59% in machinery.* It was the young people in these jobs that supplied the German army with much needed equipment for the war effort. So, it was young people and women in Germany who covered the worker shortage supplemented the small income provided by the government for families.” - http://www.centenarynews.com/article?id=717
They also left school earlier and lost a lot of their later education as many teachers were conscripted and they didn't have enough facilities to be taught. Near the end of WW2 when the Germans were losing and food was need to feed a vast army and a whole country. Exports of food was blocked due to allies blockages. With the lack of supply of food demand increased and prices were driven up, because many families only had meager wages people had difficulty supporting their families. Malnutrition was rampant in Germany and many elders and children died in this area. In 1915 the situation in the war reached an all time low in urban areas and people started getting resentful and people started blaming the rural areas and farmers stockpiling their own food. To combat this the government tried to implement maximum prices on basic items such as potatoes and bread. The home front changed significantly the family life and how people living their lives in Germany.
Conclusion
Civilians faced many challenges during world war 2. Many countries had to face the same issues of a decrease in resources such as food and physical labour. But through country spirit and government advertising they where able to harness the strength to fight through it and find a way to support the war. While the quality of life did decrease and people had to make adjustments not living with what they had to live with before and the unfortunate loss of loved ones. People banded together to get past hard times, woman and youth where also given newfound responsibility and jobs in the labour. War is a terrible thing and negatively affects almost everyone affected, but sometimes in the face of hardship people can band together and become stronger.
Civilians faced many challenges during world war 2. Many countries had to face the same issues of a decrease in resources such as food and physical labour. But through country spirit and government advertising they where able to harness the strength to fight through it and find a way to support the war. While the quality of life did decrease and people had to make adjustments not living with what they had to live with before and the unfortunate loss of loved ones. People banded together to get past hard times, woman and youth where also given newfound responsibility and jobs in the labour. War is a terrible thing and negatively affects almost everyone affected, but sometimes in the face of hardship people can band together and become stronger.