What was the purpose of wartime rationing?

Answer 1

One of the key aims of rationing by coupon is to prevent rationing by market mechanism (price). With essential foodstuffs even a small shortfall in supply can lead to very sharp price increases. No sane government wants food riots, especially in a total war.

Another very important aim is ensure that the armed forces have sufficient quantities of scarce goods.

Rationing ensured that the wealthy people didn't use their riches to be able to get more essential than the poor. In this way, everyone got their fair share.

It also limited the amount of sugar, gasoline, meat, etc. that people could use. The extra supplies could then go to the soldiers fighting in the war, helping the war effort.

Some items like rubber and gasoline were rationed to conserve them for the military. Others were primarily rationed to evenly distribute the hardship (is not having white sugar or coffee a hardship?) and prevent the development of black markets.

Food, clothing, fuel and equipment were needed for the armed forces, which had priority. To ensure the fair distribution of scarce goods among the civilian population tires, gasoline, many foods, shoes and other items were rationed.

In Britain the aim was to ensure that everyone got an adequate diet. In fact, rationing of some items became more severe AFTER the war during what was called the "Austerity" period. Initially this was because wheat and other supplies had to be diverted to Germany to prevent actual starvation, latterly it was to conserve foreign exchange as the country was, in practical terms, bankrupt. Additionally we had a socialist government which believed in "fair shares for all" and liked interfering in every corner of people's lives. One man I knew married a Dutch girl at the end of the war. When he went to Holland in '45 he said the country was picked bare. Anything you could take - needles and thread, offcuts of cloth or leather, was welcome. Within two years it was the other way round.

When I went to boarding school in 1953 some things were STILL on the ration (like sweets). You still needed coupons (sometimes called "points") as well as cash to buy a chocoalte bar .

Wartime rationing ensured that no one starved. It was a very close thing at time because British agriculture had been allowed to run down between the wars and most things could be brought cheaply from the empire or the USA. General health improved and the rate of heart attacks etc declined steeply. Indeed, my mother said that all the babies looked much healthier in those years than before the war. They got free issues of baby food and vitaminised organge juice. Post war rationing encouraged many more people than during war time to try to beat the system and get a bit extra. I think even the socialists were glad to see it go at the finish.

In the US rationing was abolished in 1946, in West Germany in 1950 and in Britain in 1954.

Answer 2

Rationing portions something out so that you don't run out of it. An example would be food rationing, where everyone gets a certain portion so the whole food supply doesn't run out and leave everybody to starve.

Answer 3

during the war the Germans bombed the food importations to places so there wasn't enough food- so they had to spread this small supply out evenly- hence rationing.

:)

Answer 4

If there wasn't rationing there wouldn't of been enough food for all the people in the UK.