German generals in WWII ate better than the average soldier but still faced wartime rationing, enjoying richer versions of staples like bread, potatoes, sausages, and coffee, often supplemented by better access to fresh food, quality canned goods (like liverwurst), and sometimes luxury items, though their diet still became monotonous, especially as the war progressed and supply lines faltered, leading to lower quality ersatz (substitute) coffee and less meat, but generals generally maintained higher standards with access to field kitchens and supplies.
On the whole, the regular German Army foot soldier (Landser) received scientifically designed, high-calorie/protein rations. Typically, each soldier carried a daily supply of the so-called Halbieserne or “Iron Ration” that contained one 300-gram tin of meat and one 125- or 150-gram unit of hard bread.
WW2 soldiers carried condoms primarily for disease prevention (STDs like syphilis and gonorrhea) and for practical combat uses, such as keeping sand and mud out of their rifle barrels, protecting small items, or even as makeshift waterproof bags, although the weapon-protection use is sometimes exaggerated in popular culture. The military distributed them widely (often in "prophylactic kits") to maintain troop strength, recognizing the significant manpower lost to venereal diseases in past conflicts.
More than 9 million Germans died as a result of deliberate Allied starvation and expulsion policies after World War II―one quarter of the country was annexed, and about 15 million people expelled in the largest act of ethnic cleansing the world has ever known.
What there was is a lack of variety of food. Anything which was imported (citrus, tropical fruits, tea, coffee, sugar), expensive (meat) or important to the war effort (fats, meat, canned anything) would be rationed.
Petrol was the first item rationed in 1939 but was eventually restricted to 'official' users only e.g. bus companies and farmers. On January 8th 1940 butter, bacon and sugar followed. Later meat, tea, jam, biscuits, breakfast cereals, cheese, eggs, lard, milk, canned and dried fruit joined the list.
Bread and potatoes were the staples of the British diet in the Second World War. Increases in production between 1939 and 1945 were 74.3 percent for potatoes and 90.8 percent for wheat.
In total, the Allies took about $413 million worth of reparations (both in money and in goods) from their occupation zones. In 1952, the London Agreement on German External Debts assessed the final reparation figure at $3 billion. Germany has yet to pay off its debts for World War II.
What did the German soldiers call (nickname) American soldiers during WWII? Americans have been and still are called “Amis” (pronounced “Ummies”).
'Bad' girls have always known how to look after themselves. Barrier methods were always very popular. A halved, emptied lemon skin placed over the cervix worked well, for example, as did sponges soaked in natural spermicides such as vinegar.
By the end of the war, approximately 7,000 of the 10,500 SIS staff were female. These women on the home front contributed to the Allied victory by successfully breaking codes and deciphering enemy messages. The women cryptologists were held to strict secrecy and would become one of the best-kept secrets of WWII.
The Elsan 'chemical closet' was used by soldiers in the Army and Navy during World War II. This was an early version of a portable chemical toilet.
The Worst Mistakes of The Axis Powers During WWII
Britain blockaded Germany in World War One, and about 750,000 German civilians died from hunger. That blockade was kept in place (and in fact tightened) for seven months after the Armistice in order to compel the final German signature on the terms of the Versailles agreement: German children continued to starve.
More than 2,600 Americans perished around the world on October 24, 1944—more than on any other single day of the conflict—yet the day remains overshadowed by more widely remembered dates in WWII history. Catch up on all podcasts from The National WWII Museum. Subscribe and continue the conversation: YouTube.
Only 24% survived the war unscathed. A lot of people don't realize just how brutal it was to be a U.S. bomber crewman in WWII. Out of about 291,000 aircrew in the Army Air Forces, over 52,000 (18%) were killed, almost 1 in 5. Thousands more were wounded or taken as POWs.
In total, ICHEIC made $306 million in payments to Holocaust survivors and their heirs. Humanitarian payments were also made to claimants in cases where no policies could be found.
At this time only four countries, discussed below, owe the U.S. government debts of any size arising from World War II programs to aid our allies. Other countries have paid their debts in full.
And less than ten years after the war people already were talking about the German economic miracle. What caused the so-called miracle? The two main factors were currency reform and the elimination of price controls, both of which happened over a period of weeks in 1948.
Fruit and vegetables were never rationed but were often in short supply, especially tomatoes, onions and fruit shipped from overseas. The government encouraged people to grow vegetables in their own gardens and allotments.
The difficulty of delivering fresh meat to the front during World War II saw Spam become a ubiquitous part of the U.S. soldier's diet. It became variously referred to as "ham that didn't pass its physical", "meatloaf without basic training", and "Special army meat".
The Allied powers controlled much of the world's coffee and prevented Germany from importing any, so Germany was stuck with ersatz (German for “substitute”) coffee. Ersatz coffee used other organic materials — often acorns — to replace real coffee.