Ministry of Information and Rationing

Question 1

What did the ministry of information do?

Answer 1

they were responsible for propaganda and censorship. It monitored public opinion through mass observation, which carried out surveys and reported on conversations in shops and pubs.

Question 2

What did propaganda do?

Answer 2

• encouraged people to join voluntary service and help the war effort
• warned people of the dangers of ‘careless talk’- German spies around- not to discuss war in public
• not to waste food and other resources
• films sent a patriotic message, new reels boost morale
• good use of the image of the prime minister
• huge numbers of pamphlets, books, short information films and newsreels to ensure the morale of the population did not diminish.

Question 3

What was censored?

Answer 3

Newspapers-

• Journalists had to submit their articles to the censor
• concentrated on heroism of rescuers rather than deaths and injuries to keep morale high.
• BBC censored itself and by the end of the war an estimate of 25 million people tuned into BBC radio programmes.
• Telephone calls were subject to censorship

Question 4

Why was rationing needed?

Answer 4

• At the outbreak of war, Britain only grew enough food to feed about one person in every three.
• Food supplies were threatened by German U boats
• rationing ensured Britain had an adequate supply of food.

Question 5

When was it introduced?

Answer 5

January 1940

Question 6

How were things rationed?

Answer 6

each person had a ration book filled with coupons which they used to buy the amount of food they were entitled to each week.
A points system was later introduced which allowed people to have a greater choice in what they could buy.

Question 7

What else did the board of trade to to help the british with their rations?

Answer 7

issued recipes showing people how to make healthy meals using food that was available.

Question 8

What was rationed?

Answer 8

at first- butter bacon and sugar
later- tea and most basic foodstuffs rationed
clothes
fuel

Question 9

How did people compensate for rationing?

Answer 9

The ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign encouraged people to grow their own food.
Communities clubbed together to buy a pig or some chickens
practically anywhere with grass was used to grow vegetables, the tower of London’s moat was even turned into a vegetable garden.
Ministry of Food showed how to stretch meagre rations.

Question 10

what were the advantages of rationing?

Answer 10

• large families with a large number of ration books did not suffer as much
• rich and poor were treated the same (even the royal family had ration books)
• better standard of living
• diet and health improved

Question 11

What were the disadvantages of rationing?

Answer 11

• smaller families or families with no children had a lot less food
• some foods were in short supply; sugar,tea and fruits from oversea
• fuel rations affected people in the country more