The War at Home
World War II drastically transformed Europe; however, Europe was not the only place where people were affected. American, Australian, and British citizens experienced unprecedented changes of a magnitude not even seen during World War I. In all these countries, the populace was subjected to severe rationing. Contrary to popular the belief that rationing just included food, any items that aided soldiers in the war were controlled. Along with rationing, families dealt with emotions that resulted from the harsh realities of war. Emotions ranged from fear and anxiety to anger and despair. Other outcomes brought about by the war were the employment opportunities for women and the superfluous responsibilities teenagers were forced to take on. Although the war was affecting each country differently, many conditions on the home front were universal.
Rationing was perhaps the most radical modification of the daily life of families on the home front in America, but it also existed in nearly every country involved in the war. As indicated by Wikipedia, the English people did not accept rationing as well as Americans, for they had a problem with rationed items being sold on the black-market. Rations in Australia were more severe than the rations in America, but the majority of people accepted the limitations, and a black-market did not exist (Lewis). Rations were placed on anything that the soldiers might use or that would be helpful in the war effort. Possibly the hardest rations to live with were the rations on food such as meat, butter, bread, eggs, milk, and sugar. According to 
Ellie Kaufman, “You couldn't get sugar, and often we'd have the tickets to get the meat, but it wasn't available. It was a hardship, but you learned to live with it. Some people found ways of getting around it, but we didn't do that. We just lived with it.” Having ration stamps for these foods did not guarantee their availability and sometimes even the most organized people would run out of stamps. Therefore families were encouraged “to plant Victory Gardens and grow their own vegetables to supplement the foods they could buy with their ration stamps” (Donn). Housewives had to consider what they were going to feed their families for dinner, but they also had to think about what foods they had to save from that dinner. Families collected, saved, and donated a variety of items, from lipstick tubes to rubber and grease (Schultz). They would sometimes be rewarded for their contributions by receiving rewards such as free movie tickets in return for scrap metal (Hafenbritle). In addition, “Americans faced rationing of gasoline for their cars and heating oil for their homes, to spare fuel for the war” (Liberty Ships). The rationing of gas and tires severely limited the amount of traveling a person could do. Although rationing was burdensome, it assured that no family went without necessary food.
Americans had to deal with other pressures as well. Many factors of the war contributed to unbridled emotions. Off the Atlantic coast of the United States, U-boats threatened merchant ships and the coastal cities. According to Vandiver, “after America’s entry into the war, U-
boats…often roamed the surface along the U.S. East Coast at night and easily picked off ships silhouetted against city lights.” U-boats caused fear in sailors; this fear was justified because U-boats sunk many ships and killed their passengers. U-boats were just one threat to coastal cities; enemy aircraft posed possible threats as well. Aircraft were considered such a grave danger that cities across the United States practiced blackouts. Blackouts were used for two purposes: to protect the civilians from attack by German aircrafts and to prevent the German U-boats from finding the shore and being able to attack merchant ships (Gilliam). Jean Martin experienced blackouts and air raid drills:
Because we lived on the coast, all the headlights on the cars had black paint on the top half so they weren’t visible from the air or shore; and we didn’t have street lights either. And then we had air raid drills to practice for an attack. We had to have windows covered and no lights on. Every few blocks we had air raid wardens that were the only people allowed to be outside, and they made sure all the lights were out.
Pearl Harbor made the war seem more real to Americans. It prompted anxiety and fear due to the new reality of death, which especially affected families with loved ones fighting overseas. Families anxiously waited at home hoping for the best, but fearing the worst. However hopeful they were, thousands of families experienced the harsh reality of death and felt great despair. Fear was prevalent in the United States, but perhaps more so in European countries where the war was actually being fought. In these counties, soldiers were not the only people who died; sometimes whole cities were demolished and innocent civilians were killed. Fear, anxiety, hope, and despair affected the whole world during war time.
Noticeable changes were rampant throughout the nations involved in the war. New jobs were created to contribute to the war effort, which greatly increased the labor demands. With the 
majority of men overseas, it was necessary that women took over their jobs. By “1945, more then 19 million women were employed, many of them in well-paying industrial jobs” (Carnes and Garraty). In Australia, women who were not able to take a factory job were encouraged to watch able women’s children (Lewis). According to Joannie Hafenbritle, “The women were really doing a lot of the men’s jobs, which was very difficult for them having children at home and no husband to help out.” Since women had to take over jobs, new responsibilities were forced upon teenagers including caring for their younger siblings, cooking, cleaning, and running errands. Teenagers volunteered in hospitals and USO (United Service Organization) Clubs or joined “Buddies Clubs,” where they met new people and were exposed to the real side of war through primary accounts of what was happening in Europe (Comiskey). In England, children were often forced to evacuate to other areas so they would not be killed. No matter what their location, women, teenagers, and children faced new occupations and increased responsibilities.
World War II permanently changed the lives of people in the countries that were involved. Rationing ceased, but taught the generation to be frugal and not take anything for granted. Fear diminished, but the grief felt by the families who lost loved ones never completely vanished. Women earned new respect in the workplace and carved a path for future generations. The ability of this generation to adapt and cope with the war and the transformation it brought about resulted in them being known as the “Greatest Generation.” Across the world, countries changed: European countries were altered physically, and all countries were affected emotionally and economically. By the time the war was over, a more appreciative and accepting society had emerged.
Works Cited
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By: Jaclyn Piechocki and Kathleen Staley