War, Nutritionism, and the Great Depression .................................

Lecture 32

I

n this lecture, you will learn how World War I, along with later events
of the early 20th century, changed how civilians ate. A precondition for
the role of food in mechanized warfare was simply the expansion of
agriculture and ranching, both of which had become big businesses. During
that time, farming had become thoroughly mechanized, and the price of
food dropped dramatically. In the early years of the century, Americans were
extremely well fed—especially by comparison with the rest of the world—
and it was largely this abundance that made the United States crucial to the
war effort.

World War I
 When World War I broke out, the United States was isolationist
and had no intention of getting involved in the confl ict. Germany
mobilized very quickly and invaded Belgium with the intention of
sweeping down into France, and the two countries basically dug
trenches and fought for several years on the Western Front.

 In the middle of it all, the Belgians, who were by this point largely

dependent on imports for food, were completely cut off—until

Herbert Hoover, who was living in London at the time, decided to

mount a rescue operation entirely on his own volition and without

any pay. He convinced the Germans that because the United States

was neutral, he should be allowed to send food into Belgium.

 Hoover also had to convince the British, who were afraid that

anything he sent would be eaten by German soldiers. A deal was

fi nally arranged, and Hoover organized food relief—including the

shipping, distribution, and cooking—for 10 million people every

day. This worked for several years, until the United States entered

the war and unrestricted submarine warfare hit many U.S. trading

vessels and the Lusitania, carrying U.S. citizens.