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As the Second World War unfolded, the world was in chaos.
During this period, Coca-Cola was able to be the symbol of American values and provided aid to millions of soldiers on the frontlines. Over five billion bottles of Coca-Cola would be consumed by military personnel.
From President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the development of Fanta in Germany—the history of Coca-Cola during WW2 went from bright to dark at times.
As America entered WWII, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was looking for a “Full Victory” according to one of his famous State of the Union Addresses. To do so he went looking for a morale booster for the troops. He and Coca-Cola’s then president Robert Woodruff collaborated. They made the joint decision to make Coca-Cola available to all American soldiers worldwide for just 5 cents.
Coca-Cola’s website chronicles that Woodruff mandated that every American soldier should have a bottle of Coke no matter their location.
This is how Coca-Cola would become a world soda giant.
It helped the company expand and establish bottling plants across the globe, including many remote locations where the company had never operated.
The initiative was crucial to the war effort and helped every American soldier have a connection with home.
During the war many companies, including The Coca-Cola Company were in a lot of trouble due to sugar rationing.
There were laws passed and regulations passed by the US government in 1942 as part of the broader Food Rationing Program.
The NPS says the law limited households to about 8 ounces of sugar per week.
Many businesses would go bust.
However, President Roosevelt gave Coca-Cola special dispensation to import sugar so that they could continue manufacturing Coca-Cola for the troops. Many saw this as cronyism. But it helped Coca-Cola thrive where its competitors like Pepsi would go bankrupt.
Coca-Cola dispatched 148 “Coca-Cola Colonels” to establish portable bottling plants near the front lines.
With the help of General Dwight Eisenhower’s help in 1943, they built 64 bottling plants in combat zones across Europe and the Pacific.
These Coca-Cola employees were in charge of insane logistics that sourced ingredients across vast distances. They were also tasked with maintaining product quality and consistency in often challenging and dangerous circumstances.
In WWII, America was operating POW camps with mainly German prisoners.
The US made a policy of giving prisoners a bottle of Coca-Cola with all of their rations.
It was a decision to show empathy and respect to every human being. And it was a way to spread American values, even in the darkest of places.
Not everything was rosy at Coca-Cola. Even though the company was in cahoots with the US government, they still managed to operate in Nazi Germany.
Coca-Cola’s German branch was led by a fellow named Max Keith.
The German division was in crisis.
Trade embargoes had cut off the Coca-Cola syrup used to make the cola from America.
The sources say that Keith and his team were tasked with making a drink with local German ingredients. They innovated by using apple pomace from cider presses, whey, and various fruit scraps.
The new beverage was called Fanta.
It was named by salesman Joe Knipp and was a popular soda in the countries controlled by the Axis powers.
Fanta also allowed Coca-Cola to continue operating in Nazi Germany. To this day, the company has not apologized for making money under such an unethical regime.
Coca-Cola also had to deal with inflation that swept the United States during WW2.
Where other companies took advantage of the situation by price gouging consumers, The Coca-Cola Company set a fixed price of 5-cents per bottle of Coke.
The price was set for both civilians at home and soldiers overseas.
The Coca-Cola Company also launched “The Red Barrel” during World War II.
It was a special magazine tailored for members of the Armed Services.
The Red Barrel was a source of entertainment, news, and connection to home for American soldiers.
Some of these magazines still survive today, and you can buy them in places like eBay.
Coca-Cola’s popularity surged with all its Allied partners as well.
The popular commander Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov who according to BusinessInsider was supposably a big fan of the American drink.
However, the Soviet Union was anti-capitalist. Zhukov needed a way to enjoy the cola without his superiors knowing that he was drinking an American product. Drinking Coca-Cola could possibly send him to the Gulags.
The Marshal met secretly with the Coca-Cola Company and in response they created a clear, vodka-like version of their drink in a plain bottle. This allowed Zhukov to enjoy Coca-Cola discreetly.
During WW2, The Coca-Cola Company established bottling plants and distribution networks across Europe and Asia.
These plants positioned the company for future rapid global expansion after the conflict.
The war effort helped Coca-Cola become a symbol of hope amidst the chaos. It also helped the company become the global soda giant in the post-war era, where it is now enjoyed by millions of homes worldwide.
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