8. Chocolate became popular around the world because it was given to soldiers in WW1 and WW2
In the Aztec Civilization, soldiers were the only commoners to be allowed chocolate, and the confectionary’s role in war did not end there. Starting in WW1, chocolate bars began to appear on the frontlines of modern conflicts. Soldiers fighting on the hellish, muddy battlefields of France and Belgium were sent chocolate as a ‘taste of home’ from loved ones, and even from their home towns at Christmas. Given the monotony of the standard-issue rations that soldiers were expected to survive on in WW1, it is difficult to quantify the boost that these parcels gave to the soldiers’ morale.
These positive effects did not go unnoticed. In 1937, Hershey’s developed the famous ‘D Ration’ for the US Army, an energy-packed but mostly flavorless bar which was heat-resistant up to 120°F. The bars were almost universally unpopular amongst soldiers fighting in WW2, and were nicknamed ‘Hitler’s secret weapon’ for their unfortunate effect on the digestive system. US soldiers thus took to trading them with locals for more appetizing cigarettes and alcohol. For people around the world who had never tasted chocolate, however, the bars were a revelation, and this was instrumental in creating the global chocolate craze we have today.