11.5: The extent of the mobilization of human and economic resources

Question 1

Introduction of the quick-firing artillery and the machine guns in the late 19th century resulted in a revolutionary change in logistics.

Answer 1

A single Vickers machine gun shot bullets at a rate of 600 per minute, the number of ammunition that had previously been fired by half a battalion of troops.

Question 2

increase in daily ammunition supplies with the introduction of machine guns

2p

Answer 2

1. The total amount of necessary daily supplies increased by a factor of twelve.
2. The stockpiles of munitions accumulated before the war were depleted in a matter of months.

Question 3

switch to war economy

2p

Answer 3

1. One after another, the European nations confronted the task of massive economic reorganization of their economies for war production.
2. The demands could only be met by producing more, by importing more, and by consuming less.

Question 4

The economic mobilization of the European nations unfolded in four main arenas:

Answer 4

1. production of arms and munitions
2. obtaining necessary raw materials for manufacturing the munitions
3. mobilize the industrial workforce
4. allocation of food

Question 5

1. production of arms and munitions

2p

Answer 5

1. In the early period of the war, all major European armies experienced a catastrophic shortage of munitions, or a “shell crisis.”
2. In the following months, the demand for munitions continued to increase. The authorities had to undertake extraordinary measures for organizing large-scale munitions production.

Question 6

2. obtaining necessary raw materials for manufacturing the munitions

3p

Answer 6

1. An exponential growth in the production of munitions and supplies had proportionally increased the demand for raw materials.
2. In some countries manufacturers relied on domestic resources, whereas in other nations producers drew a large proportion of resources from the international markets.
3. In either case, the manufacturers and the authorities had to ensure an uninterrupted supply of war-related raw materials, which was not an easy task to accomplish.

Question 7

3. mobilize the industrial workforce

3p

Answer 7

1. With the outbreak of the war, most workers were drafted to the army.
2. The war caused major dislocations in labor resources and placed an additional strain on labor relations.
3. As the market mechanisms became ineffective, the authorities had to resort to administrative methods of workforce allocation, including (in some cases) the industrial draft.

Question 8

4. allocation of food

3p

Answer 8

1. The task of procuring for the army and the urban population turned out to be the most serious challenge for state managers in most countries.
2. The continuing hostilities resulted in diminishing amounts of foods in the markets.
3. As the war progressed, the state authorities had to use centralized methods of mobilization and distribution of provision, such as requisitioning of provision and rationing of basic foods.

Question 9

the extent of Russian state’s intervention in the process of production

Answer 9

In Russia the process of the institutional merger of monopolies and the state reached its ultimate phase: in some sectors not only the state took over the allocation of materiel, but by being the sole buyer of produce, the state began to manage the entire process of production

Question 10

GER commodity imports from 1916 to 1918

Answer 10

German imports of:

1. number of cattle from 29 686 to 14 502; 51.1%
2. meat imports dropped by 95.5%
3. grain imports declined by
4. 5%