The Literary Digest Vol. 50, No. 2 (9 January 1915) shows World War I‘s impact on Germany less than six months after declaring war, primarily economically but also socially. Die Gleichheit, the Socialist women’s paper, blatantly calls out the expectation that the troops would be home by Christmas:
Like a child’s soap-bubble which bursts at a touch, so has the legend been dissipated that the war would be a short “military promenade” to Paris and Petrograd. We know that we are in the midst of a world-war which will last a very long time, and we must face the fact that Germany for many months to come will remain cut off from commercial intercourse with other nations, and will be compelled to feed her own people from her own reserves.
Perhaps German leaders truly believed their own propaganda and had not prepared for a longer war. The newspaper Vorwärts pointed out how quickly conditions deteriorated:
Business in many towns is completely closed down. A small part of the men thrown out of work are leading a miserable life, with paltry wages, at emergency jobs. The remaining thousands and ten thousands have nothing but the trifing support of their trade-unions, which is hardly enough to stay the hunger of their children with dry bread.
On page 46, the Literary Digest discusses the food shortages that are already starting.
The Prussian Ministry of Commerce and Trade has prepared a remarkable proclamation adjusting the people to observe a Spartan economy. Governors of provinces have been instructed to display it conspicuously, and it is ordered to be posted in railroads depots, schools, law courts, in factories and mills, and, “in short, everywhere there is a large traffic or persons.” This proclamations is headed “Germany is standing against a world of enemies who would destroy her,” and is cast in a form not unlike the ten commandments.
Though I’m sure it exists, I have not read an economic study on Germany during World War I which explains how Germany was able to keep fighting when economic problems were visible so early in the war. The Germany military always claimed it was stabbed in the back and that they were successful in battle – in the west, foreign troops did not enter German territory – but the populace was suffering very early.
Despite that, the excellence of the German military was acknowledged and admired (p46):
[Germany] did not need this war to prove that Germans, with the possible exception of the Japanese, are the most provident and thorough people on earth in all matters of military preparation. They have long enjoyed that reputation, and we and are allies are learning day by day how well they have deserved it. To foresee and to get ready and to do both with microscopic exactitude — that has always been the strength of the German war-machine.
The Japanese reputation may be based on the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05), though my readings have pointed out the underwhelming quality of the Russian military leadership who were thoroughly unprepared for the war. Regardless, Japan became an Asian power after defeating Russia and made Korea a Japanese protectorate.
A long discussion about the loyalties of the 20,000,000 German-Americans, about citizenship – no dual citizenships at the time – and how it affected the United States prior to Germany attacking and sinking the RMS Lusitania that brought the United States into World War I.
What is particularly noteworthy is how little Austria is mentioned in this periodical, the country that essentially started the war is already a side attraction.
