Farming and Living without Gasoline

With the possible exception of those who lived through the oil shortages of the early 1970s, we take the availability of petroleum fuels for granted. But it has not always been that way everywhere – especially if you lived outside the U.S. during World War II.

Going into the second world war, the U.S. supplied 80 percent of the world’s petroleum needs. Thus, although gasoline was rationed in this country during World War II, relatively speaking, it was still available. Elsewhere in the world, and especially across the pond, it was a different story.

At the beginning of World War II, after the U.S., Europe was probably the biggest petrol user as it had progressed toward increased mechanization. When Germany started World War II, that country had domestic fuel production for just 25 percent of their needs, and some of that was derived from coal.

Germans vexed by fuel shortages

Before the war started and in anticipation of their needs, the Germans started stockpiling petrol. As German leaders believed they would win the war in a few months, and in the process take over the Caucasus (and other) oil fields, they judged domestic fuel stockpiles to be adequate. As history shows,