United Kingdom in WWII

This period was a fruitful in economic field, starting with a system of rationing at the beginning of the war, and a rise in the economy that come due to the high mobilisation of the population working together in the war career. The people create a conscience and all the State turn into a general target, win the war.


In a great way of the success of the Britain come with the incorporation of the women to the industrial force, now the women realise tasks as workers, soldiers, and housewives. Later we gonna enter in more details of the women participation.

Rationing in the United Kingdom

Rationing was a temporary solution to the absence of the food during the WWII, this were introduced by government several times during the XX century. The problem started when the majority of the food were imported from US and Canada, the British fields were poor in natural resources so the population need to share the scarce resources. The rationing was especially in meat, butter and sugar. A few products were rationed butcher had a high price so the acquisition by families were impossible so the government introduce deflection programs during the war.

Industrial production

The Britain government oriented all the industry toward munitions, and output rise. Under the German pressures the war industry work in high levels and turn the source of steel was balanced into the needs of civilian departments and the war department, but always taking care of the strategy against Germany and Italy. In the particular race athwart Nazis, the resources went to the aircraft production, as the Royal Air Force was pressed continuously, the strategy come with the decision of the government of concentrate the air production in five types of aircraft in order to optimise output.

The reduction in materials and equipment and the concentration of the quality of the Air Force brought a high rise of operatives, and covering the losses in the war, thereby in October of 1940 the Fighter Command triumph in the Battle of Britain, and conserving more aircrafts than the begging of this decision. After this victory the United States provided munitions through lend lease that totalled $15.5 billion.

"We shall fight on the beaches" before the decision of increase the RAF power. - Ex-prime minister Churchill

Exchange controls

At the beginning of the war between Germany and Britain in September of 1939, the British government imposed exchange controls. To deal with it, the government used the gold reserves and dollar reserves to pay for equipment to war (munitions, oil, raw materials and machinery) the bigger part of the equipment come from the US. This action caused a drop in the exports of 37% comparing to before the Spanish Civil War (prelude of the WWII).


While the government involved the State to approximately $10.000 million of orders from America, the reserves were closed to depletion. The Roosevelt Administration was involved into large-scale economic support of Britain and in 1941 enacted Lend-Lease, whereby America would give Britain supplies amounting $31.4 billion which never had to be repaid.

President Roosevelt (USA) signs the Lend Lease bill to give aid to Britain and China

Britain Women in WWII

The catastrophe of the WWII broke in a great way the States, but for a part of the population, women, became in a job opportunity. The women were called into the factories to work in the weapons that later the soldiers use in the battlefield. Also the women have the responsibility of taking care of the houses and children. The principal component of this change in the role of women comes from the “patriotic duty” and rise the self esteem of women and demonstrate the full potential that they have. The economical and political change fter that fact was very significant.






The government change all the propaganda and make an effort in the calling of the female sector, this politics give a State a plus to fight and obtain more operatives. One job that was very demanded by women was the searchlight operator, were no one men were in this job. A very important factor was the high amount of female volunteers that work for WAAF, WRNS and ATS.