In October 1911, Churchill – still an ambitious relatively young minister – was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty with full charge of the Navy. Deteriorating relations between France and Germany and the rapid expansion of the German Navy had prompted great anxiety in Britain and Churchill was determined to ensure Britain’s maintenance of its naval supremacy over Germany. He felt that Britain should be in ‘constant and instant readiness for war’. Thanks to Churchill’s energy and persistence, the fleet was indeed ready when war came. In a peculiar twist of fate, when Churchill the anti-appeaser returned to office following his famous ‘wilderness years’ in September 1939, it was to be as First Lord of the Admiralty again (and he would be Prime Minister within eight months, fighting another war).

Introduced by Richard M Langworth...

In 1917, when Germany began sinking ships that were bringing food (and military equipment) to Britain, and the country had just six weeks' food left, the Government initiated the rationing of food supplies. Even after the end of the war, sugar and butter remained rationed until 1920. Bread was subsidized but in 1917, British people were told to eat twenty five per cent less. Even the fighting troops had their food rationed. Compare . The US faced similar issues during the First World War. The country was in a severe economic depression, with many living in poverty, and .

Breakfast cereals, self-raising flour, yeast, baking powder, jelly, custard powder, lentils, pickles, margarine and dried vegetables were all 'invented' during the twentieth century.

University of Zurich What is this plight to which Europe has been reduced? Some of the smaller states have indeed made a good...