Britain And The First World War

... es. It gave the British government the power to seize factories and make them produce what was required and buy goods it wanted. It also imposed strict code of conducts on the population, such as shorter opening hours for pubs. Due to Britain importing a lot of its food supplies from abroad by 1917 the first food shortages occurred in Britain after bad harvests and U-boat attacks. The Home Front was responsible to make sure these problems were overcome. In 1917, the government introduced rationing, made more land used for cultivation and people were encouraged to grow their own foods at home or on allotments. Two agriculture acts were introduced allowing the production of vital food supplies, such as corn to increase. The Home Front was responsible in encouraging men to sign up for the Kitcheners Volunteer Army using propaganda. When the army needed more men the government introduced conscription in 1916. Propaganda campaigns were used and the army rose to 3-4 million as a result. A problem faced at the Home Front was the lack of labour caused by men going to the front to fight. Factories had few workers and therefore vital supplies, such as munitions and coal dropped. To help supplies to be continuously produced men, who were in key jobs, such as coal miners, were forced to stay. Women were an important part of the Home Front because they now had to do the tasks of the men who had left. They had to be shown how to do tasks a ...