<P> South Africa's main economic role was in the supply of two - thirds of the gold production in the British Empire (most of the remainder came from Australia). When the war began Bank of England officials worked with the government of South Africa to block any gold shipments to Germany, and force the mine owners to sell only to the Treasury, at prices set by the Treasury . This facilitated purchases of munitions and food in the U.S, and other neutrals . By 1919 London lost control to the mining companies (which were now backed by the South African government). They wanted the higher prices and sales to New York that a free market would provide . </P> <P> The Germans invaded Belgium at the start of the war and held the entire country (except for a tiny sliver) for the entire war . They left Belgium stripped and barren . Over a 1.4 million refugees fled to France or to neutral Netherlands . Over half the German regiments in Belgium were involved in major incidents . After the systematic atrocities by the German army in the first few weeks of the war, German civil servants took control and were generally correct, albeit strict and severe . There was never an armed resistance movement, but there was a large - scale spontaneous passive resistance of refusal to work for the benefit of Germany . Belgium was heavily industrialized; while farms operated and small shops stayed open most large establishments shut down or drastically reduced their output . The faculty closed the universities; many publishers shut down their newspapers . Most Belgians "turned the four war years into a long and extremely dull vacation," according to Kossmann . In 1916 Germany deported 120,000 men and boys to work in Germany; this set off a storm of protest from neutral countries and they were returned . Germany then stripped the factories of all useful machinery, and used the rest as scrap iron for its steel mills . </P> <P> At the start of war, silver 5 franc coins were collected and melted down by the National Bank to augment its silver reserves . They were exchangeable for paper banknotes, and later zinc coins, although many demonetized silver coins were hoarded . With the German invasion, the National Bank's reserves were transferred to Antwerp and eventually to England where they were deposited at the Bank of England . Throughout the German occupation there was a shortage of official coins and banknotes in circulation, and so around 600 communes, local governments and companies issued their own unofficial "Necessity Money" to enable the continued functioning of the local economies . The Belgian franc was fixed at an exchange rate of 1 franc to 1.25 German mark, which was also introduced as legal tender . </P> <P> Neutral countries led by the United States set up the Commission for Relief in Belgium, headed by American engineer Herbert Hoover . It shipped in large quantities of food and medical supplies, which it tried to reserve for civilians and keep out of the hands of the Germans . Many businesses collaborated with the Germans, and some women cohabitated with them . They were treated roughly in a wave of popular violence in November and December 1918 . The government set up judicial proceedings to punish the collaborators . </P>

How did british manufacturing give great britain an advantage in the war