Imperial War Museum

Since I've been here, I've been to the Imperial War Museum twice - both with my politics and culture class. On the first visit, I focused on WWI and on the second, I looked at material on WWII. I noticed as I was going through the exhibit I was automatically drawn to the topics that interest me the most: daily life. You could say that I'm a bit obsessed with the politics of food during the war (just check out my book if you don't believe me) so on the first trip I was really interested in the display on rationing in Britain during the Great War. It just reinforces my argument that in times of crisis the concerns of daily life affect politics and can be even more influential than official laws passed by the government. I also found support for the idea that governments recognize the importance of daily concerns and try to influence public opinion in multiple ways. My favorite things on display were the plates, cups, and jugs with a message from Britain's Prime Minister, David Lloyd George. The dishes all have a message to the people, "I have no hesitation in saying that economy in the consumption & use of food in this country is a matter of the greatest possible importance to the Empire at the present time." While you were eating there was a political message underneath the food you were putting on your plate: don't eat too much! As an island nation that did rely on imports at a time when German u-boats were practicing unrestricted submarine warfare, conserving food was important. Soldiers at the front in France needed supplies, but governments were also well aware that civilian morale played a key role in a government's ability to sustain the war effort. Traditional forms of propaganda (such as posters) were supplemented by more unique items that were specifically aimed at people's daily activities.