A War Economy, Rationing, and "Victory Gardens"

Service on the Home Front by Louis Hirshman and William Tasker.

​A World War economy is taking obvious shape in a virus ridden and conflict inflamed world. In complete global unison, all nations from around the globe have entered into a literal wartime economy. There is nothing figurative about that. A wartime socioeconomic life includes strict rationing, curfews, forced closures of social events and public venues. These are serious limitations on typical freedoms most Americans take for granted; such as the ability to hang out at the park on a Saturday to BBQ with friends and family, or, the impulse ability to buy as much food and gas as you want too whenever you want too.

Curfews are imposed on the public to keep casualties minimal in wartime. Propaganda and rhetoric is important to pay attention too as well by leading officials. These are typically national promotional narratives that are composed by government and media agencies. These are entities who work in concert to promote a visual and audial sense of national unity in times of war or unrest.

In WWII you would have seen a "WORK OR FIGHT" propaganda campaign pushed nationally. "Rosie the Riveter" posters beckoned housewives to leave the home and enter the nation's factories. According to the Independence Hall Association, “About 6.5 million females entered the workforce during the war years, many for the first time. African Americans continued the Great Migration northward, filling vacated factory jobs. Mexican Americans were courted to cross the border to assist with the harvest season in the BRACERO GUEST-WORKER PROGRAM. Thousands of retirees went back on the job, and more and more teenagers pitched in to fill the demand for new labor.”[1]

In WWI the United States was able to raise up enough food and raw materials by voluntary measures only. With the outbreak of WWII and the growing size of the population, federal officials concluded that rationing was the best and only option for demands to be met. Books of stamps were sent out to every American family. These stamps allowed you to purchase gasoline, sugar, meat, butter, canned foods, fuel oil, shoes, and rubber. Any purchase of these supplies without a wartime issued stamp was made illegal.

In fact, the Office of Censorship decreed a code of conduct for newspapers, magazines, and broadcasters. The OOC did not use government censors to pre-approve all articles and radio programs however. The government relied on voluntary cooperation to avoid sensitive topics. Military movements, weather predictions, and the locations of high ranking officials would have been information considered beneficial to the enemy. Journalists however were not required to publish positive propaganda only like in WWII.[2]

The office did not use government censors to pre-approve all articles and radio programs. It relied on voluntary cooperation to avoid subjects, such as troop movements, weather forecasts, and the travels of the President, that might aid the enemy. Journalists did not have to publish positive propaganda, unlike during World War I. The Office of War Information would sponsor posters and public rallies to appeal to patriotic Americans. Entertainers like Bing Crosby; also including filmmaker’s like Frank Capra, would all help to boost continuity in public morale.

Energy supply was a sacrifice on it’s own to American’s equally. To conserve the national gasoline and oil supply for war, “Victory Speed Limits” were imposed.[3] This required Americans to drive at a slower speed. Rotating blackouts were instituted to conserve petroleum, which was to be shipped overseas for the war effort. On the Home-front, social groups such as the Boy Scouts and Salvation Army would lead scrap metal and donation drives. You would have seen large consumer products like refrigerators and vehicles just not being made at all. Backyard gardens would end up bringing in 8-million tons of food for Americans all over the country.[4]

The successes made on public advancement by the effects of the World Wars were ones demonstrative of American unity. This is an American unity that is continually solidified in history. Out of these great World Wars would bring in new economic industries like Synthetics, and old industries would be brought back to life. All of this action was made on behalf of tremendous costs to the typical American citizen and taxpayer.

Of course today is a much different situation as we are all being led to believe that this is a unified global World War on a biological virus. You can kill off influenza as quickly as you can stop global acts of terrorism. Much like the revolving door of response and retaliation, it tends to be cyclical. You cannot declare war on a virus. That is not viable to any society. So how should it be dealt with? Well that’s not my job to figure out. However the way I see it today and moving forward, you simply can’t expect American society to ever be the same again. The politicization of today's ugly biological event signals a shift in how American and global society operates from here on out. Like all World Wars, even when the enemy is a biological one, it is politicized to some degree.

 
Daniel L. Smith,
​ComplexAmerica.Org
 
 
Resources:
[1] Independence Hall Association. "The American Homefront." US History. Accessed March 22, 2020. https://www.ushistory.org/us/51b.asp.
[2] "Secrets of Victory: The Office of Censorship and The American Press and Radio in World War II." Central Intelligence Agency. Last modified 0715. https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol46no3/article10.html.
[3] Perrone, Catherine. "Home Front Friday: The “Victory Speed” Limit." The National WWII Museum Blog. Last modified January 11, 2017. https://www.nww2m.com/2015/12/home-front-friday-get-in-the-scrap/.
[4] Future Farmers of America. "Victory Gardens History." Accessed March 22, 2020. https://www.futurefarmers.com/victorygardens/history.html.