From the years between 1900 and 1945, France was the largest iron ore producer in Europe; however, output varied greatly per year during the most tumultuous period in Europe's modern history. Iron was one of the most important resources during this time due to its use in the production of steel; the most important metal in war manufacturing. Throughout this time, Germany or France generally had the largest annual iron ore output, and much of this was through control of Alsace-Lorraine.
Alsace-Lorraine
The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 led to the foundation of Germany as a nation state and the German annexation of Alsace and Moselle (northern Lorraine) from France. This was the resource-rich, industrial region just west of the Rhine, and it had a large population with mixed French and German heritage. The emerging German Empire then invested heavily in the region, and it was essential in their empirical expansion and industrialization at the turn of the century, even more so with the outbreak of the First World War. The region was then retroceded to France through the Treaty of Versailles, and in the late 1920s the annual iron output of France was already greater than the other five nations combined. In 1930, the Great Depression then saw the international demand for iron ore drop, but most countries' industries began growing again in 1933 (although the Russian economy was fairly unaffected by the Depression). Alsace Lorraine was then invaded again by Germany in 1940, although iron output was much lower as a large portion of the population was evacuated or conscripted into the German army.
WWII in Scandinavia
In the years leading up to the Second World War, industry in Germany relied heavily on the import of Swedish iron ore, and the German war effort depended on this supply from 1939 onward. While the Scandinavian countries maintained neutrality at the war's outset, Finland's Winter War with the Soviet Union posed a threat to the Swedish iron industry, largely located in the north. Germany then invaded both Denmark and Norway in order to protect its supply chain from an Allied attack from the west, although Sweden was allowed to maintain its neutrality. The German invasion of Scandinavia provided many tactical advantages, and formed a large part of Germany's "Atlantic Wall" defenses, however most historians concur that the primary reason for Germany's invasion of Scandinavia was to protect its trade with Sweden.
Iron ore production in selected European countries from 1900 to 1945
(in thousands of metric tons)
Characteristic
France
Germany
Luxembourg
Soviet Union
Sweden
United Kingdom
1945
7,713
-
1,406
15,864
3,930
14,402
1944
9,372
10,269
2,923
-
7,253
15,720
1943
16,879
12,552
5,262
-
10,820
18,791
1942
12,758
13,325
5,109
-
9,727
20,225
1941
10,570
15,566
6,882
-
10,528
19,278
1940
12,731
17,177
4,886
29,866
11,295
17,986
1939
32,993
13,211
5,853
26,921
13,787
14,718
1938
33,132
11,145
5,141
26,585
13,928
12,049
1937
37,795
8,522
7,766
27,770
14,953
14,443
1936
33,302
6,652
4,896
27,834
11,250
12,905
1935
32,046
5,290
4,134
26,845
7,933
11,070
1934
32,015
4,343
3,828
21,509
5,253
10,757
1933
30,245
2,492
3,362
14,455
2,699
7,582
1932
27,599
1,340
3,313
12,086
3,299
7,446
1931
38,559
2,621
4,765
10,591
7,071
7,748
1930
48,571
5,741
6,649
10,663
11,236
11,813
1929
50,728
6,374
7,571
7,997
11,468
13,427
1928
49,191
6,475
7,027
6,133
4,669
11,443
1927
45,482
6,626
7,266
4,810
9,661
11,387
1926
39,318
4,793
7,756
3,430
8,466
4,160
1925
35,598
5,923
6,678
2,220
8,168
10,306
1924
29,044
4,457
5,334
940
6,500
11,228
1923
23,349
5,118
4,080
410
5,588
11,050
1922
21,106
5,928
4,489
190
6,201
6,978
1921
14,201
5,907
3,032
140
6,464
3,534
1920
13,922
6,362
3,704
170
4,519
12,911
1919
9,413
6,154
3,112
90
4,981
12,451
1918
1,672
18,392
3,131
590
6,624
14,847
1917
2,035
22,465
4,502
5,330
6,217
15,084
1916
1,681
21,334
6,958
7,250
6,987
13,712
1915
620
17,710
6,140
5,940
6,883
14,463
1914
11,252
20,505
4,900
7,660
6,589
15,107
1913
21,918
28,608
7,333
9,214
7,476
16,254
1912
19,160
27,200
6,511
6,935
6,699
14,011
1911
16,639
23,820
6,060
6,995
6,151
15,768
1910
14,606
22,446
6,263
5,742
5,549
15,470
1909
11,890
19,712
5,794
5,171
3,886
15,042
1908
10,057
18,426
5,799
5,578
4,713
15,272
1907
10,008
20,204
7,493
5,452
4,480
15,984
1906
8,481
19,505
7,229
5,345
4,503
15,749
1905
7,395
16,848
6,596
4,976
4,366
14,825
1904
7,023
15,699
6,348
5,193
4,085
13,995
1903
6,220
15,221
6,010
4,219
3,678
13,936
1902
5,004
12,834
5,130
3,925
2,897
13,641
1901
4,791
12,115
4,455
4,652
2,795
12,472
1900
5,448
12,793
6,171
6,001
2,610
14,253
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*Volume refers to iron ore only, and not the quantity of metal.
Notes per country are as follows:
France: Includes Alsace-Lorraine from 1918-1939, and 1945.
Germany: Includes Alsace-Lorraine from 1900-1917, and 1940-1944. Includes Polish Upper-Silesia from 1939-1944.
Russia: Figures from 1900-1912 are for the Russian Empire. Figures from 1913-1944 apply to the 1923 territories of the Soviet Union.
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Macmillan Publishers. (December 31, 1981). Iron ore production in selected European countries from 1900 to 1945 (in thousands of metric tons) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 08, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1071007/iron-ore-production-europe-1900-1945-country/
Macmillan Publishers. "Iron ore production in selected European countries from 1900 to 1945 (in thousands of metric tons)." Chart. December 31, 1981. Statista. Accessed December 08, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1071007/iron-ore-production-europe-1900-1945-country/
Macmillan Publishers. (1981). Iron ore production in selected European countries from 1900 to 1945 (in thousands of metric tons). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 08, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1071007/iron-ore-production-europe-1900-1945-country/
Macmillan Publishers. "Iron Ore Production in Selected European Countries from 1900 to 1945 (in Thousands of Metric Tons)." Statista, Statista Inc., 31 Dec 1981, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1071007/iron-ore-production-europe-1900-1945-country/
Macmillan Publishers, Iron ore production in selected European countries from 1900 to 1945 (in thousands of metric tons) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1071007/iron-ore-production-europe-1900-1945-country/ (last visited December 08, 2024)
Iron ore production in selected European countries from 1900 to 1945 (in thousands of metric tons) [Graph], Macmillan Publishers, December 31, 1981. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1071007/iron-ore-production-europe-1900-1945-country/