Introduction so far - ignore the yellow random bits :)

Introduction

The First World War evolved into total war during late 1915, in which, “all the resources of human society were fully mobilised and utilised” The Great War, was it total? Leon Atkinson pg 2, in achieving the complete defeat of the enemy, and thus the non-combatants on the Homes Fronts were forced to adapt to the demands of the military. As the, “stresses and strains of conflict reached the German Home Front” Imperial Germany 1871 – 1918 economy, society, culture and politics pg 289, with the catastrophic consequences of the British Naval blockade, it became evident that, “the civilians behind the lines were as important to victory as the men on the lines” www.pbs.greatwar/chapter/ch2_overview.html. This is exemplified by historian Michael Howard, who stated that, “as long as the railways kept the armies supplied, the armies could not be defeated until the nations themselves were exhausted and begging for peace” http://media.ucsc.edu/classes/thompson/history30c/04_whygermany%20lost.html, and thus the centre of the enemy power lay in the civilian population, which meant that, “the population [would]...be attacked directly” http://media.ucsc.edu/classes/thompson/history30c/04_whygermany%20lost.html. Because, “a nation’s social and economic structures were needed to support the technology of modern armies and navies” M. McAndrew, et. al., op. cit. P. 215, at the outbreak of war in 1914, the German Reichstag realised that, “everything would have to be geared towards the war...[and] behind the lines, resources of arms and bread had to be made available to the troops” Mastering modern German history pg 102, on the Battle Fronts. Staff Officers such as, Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff knew that the German Army’s victories in battle, would be dependent upon the production of armaments and ammunition and support of the industries on the Home Front, and thus it quickly became evident that total war required the Germany Home Front to change extensively.

It's still a work in progress....