British Hunger Blockade during WWII Devastates Ireland, Analysis Reveals
During World War II, Ireland faced a devastating impact due to Britain’s hunger blockade, according to an analysis conducted by Bryce Evans, a historian from Liverpool Hope University. The study sheds light on the severe hardships faced by the Irish population during the war, particularly in terms of food scarcity and insecurity.
The analysis reveals that the British Board of Trade had already decided to use economic blockade tactics in any conflict, even against neutral countries, following the Munich Agreement in 1938. Britain aimed to use hunger as a weapon to force neutral shipping into their hands and neutral states to align with their side.
After Britain declared war on Germany in September 1939, the phoney war ensued. However, when France fell in June 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill offered to end partition if Ireland abandoned neutrality. When Ireland’s Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera, refused the deal, Churchill responded by subjecting Ireland to a crippling supply squeeze.
Evans emphasizes that the use of hunger as a weapon of war deserves greater attention in understanding this period of history. Ireland’s agrarian economy, heavily reliant on British supplies, suffered immensely when Churchill cut off vital imports. By 1942, animal feed imports from Britain had dropped to zero from six million tons in 1940. The same occurred with fertilizers and other modern agricultural aids, causing Ireland’s food production to be seriously hamstrung.
Contrary to British wartime propaganda, which depicted Ireland as a well-fed and greedy nation, the reality was quite different. Irish people experienced food insecurity and poverty due to the scarcity of supplies. Propagandists portrayed Ireland’s material deprivation as a result of their virtuous neutral stance, while characterizing combatants as gluttonous.
Rural areas were particularly affected by the supply squeeze, exacerbating the rural-urban divide. Inner-city Dublin residents faced rickets and a lack of access to fruits and vegetables. The absence of tea, a staple item for the Irish poor, was deeply felt, leading to the appearance of unpalatable substitutes. The government’s introduction of the black loaf, a wholegrain bread made to conserve wheat supplies, caused nutritional deficiencies and discontent among the population.
As food supplies ran low, Irish people turned to poaching, hunting, and the growing black market. Although church and state leaders denounced the black market as immoral, evidence suggests that most individuals participated in black market exchanges. However, the state pursued harsh prosecutions against small farmers and traders, often undermining their own admirable goal of ensuring fair food distribution.
Structural problems, such as the belated introduction of a rationing system and partition with Northern Ireland, further exacerbated the situation. Smuggling across the border contributed to food shortages and undermined rationing systems in both territories.
Despite these challenges, the Irish government fulfilled its humanitarian duty by preventing starvation, and there were no reported cases of starvation-related deaths during the Emergency period. However, many individuals chose to emigrate due to the dire circumstances.
Evans’ analysis provides a valuable and balanced perspective on the devastating impact of the British hunger blockade on Ireland during World War II. It highlights the importance of understanding the use of hunger as a weapon of war and the enduring hardships faced by nations caught in the midst of global conflicts.
