1939-45 Flashcards
Nevile Chamberlain [1937-40]
Chamberlain’s War Regret
Chamberlain Regreted Going to war for reasons:
• WW1 losses were Heavy and If they are doing a world war again, more destruction
• The British Army had been neglected since 1918, meaning BRITAIN expeditionary forces were less Equiped and drained than Germany
• Had to rely on the French army for mainland Opposition to Germany
• the USSR had sigmed a Non Aggression Pact with Germany meaning they had no Allies to the east unlike in ww1
• Italy was treatning the Suez Cannal
• Japan was threatning British Asia
• the chances of the USA helping in a european war was slim
Nevile Chamberlain [1937-40]
War outbreak Problems
The outbreak of war bought problems for chamberlain
• Blackouts = lights dimmed
• Road deaths X2
• White lines on pavments and lights
• Dig for Victory
• Have Identity Card always
National registration scheme 30th sept 1939
• Conscription April 1939
• evacuate september 2/3rd 1.5million ppl moved, the public beleived this was organised but it was Chaotic: illdressed, scared Children auctioned off at reception centers
• bad health, vermin infestations, bad behaviour, food problems, money problems
• showed the rich and poor devide and social differences as rich city kids mingled with the down to earth country and town kids (idk)
• this failed as London wasnt blitzed till august 1940 so half returned home
Nevile Chamberlain [1937-40]
The Phoney War
The Phoney War
– was the name given to A Fake war, where Chamberlain was unwilling to be detered by war
– Britian Declared war then did very little
– pretended there was lots going on to make them seem more involved and trying to get peace (wasnt realy much going on tho)
– caried on Day to day life as usual to give the illusion they wern’t panicing and were prepared and strong and the war wasn’t that bad
– keeping moral up
– Maintaining Buissness as Usual
– limited the wars impact on Daily lives: Reoppend cinemas, Spectator sports and Theaters
• was some stuff going on like Economic Blockade of Germany
but not much
• ended when Germany Invaded France
Nevile Chamberlain [1937-40]
The Norway Campagin
• Norway and Swedish iron ore’s foot Germany wanted
• therefore the Norway campaign involved Britain agreeing to put Mines in the North Sea on the 28th of March 1940
• there were also some land operations during the campaign they all failed
• on the 1st of March Hitler agreed that they should invade Norway
– this started an April and was finished by the 28th of May
• the sea mines only broke 12 ships
• it was not very successful
– Germany invaded both Denmark and Norway
Nevile Chamberlain [1937-40]
His Resignation on the 10th May 1940
• there was a two-day debate after the Norway campaign in which Tory MPs criticized Chamberlain a lot
• that was a vote held against Chamberlain:
281:200 for Chamberlain
40 Torys opposed chamberlain and 40 didn’t vote
so chamberlain could stay for now
• Chamberlain was also very ill so the Tories decide if they needed a new leader
• 9th may Churchill decided that they needed a Coalition
– Atlee says labour will only help if Neville Chamberlain has gone away
• this left two contenders for a new leader of the Conservative Party and war cabinet government:
• the first contender was Lord Halifax
– everybody liked him
– everybody wants him to become the new prime minister
– he was also the King’s friend
– however he was videntist therefore he couldn’t go to the Kings meeting
– the king decided to choose Churchill instead
1939-40 Events
1st sept 1939 - Germany invades Poland
3rd Sept 1939:
- Britain declares war on Germany
– has no plans to help Poland
– or how to coordinate with France to strike against Germany
September 1939
– home Front preparations for: evacuation, war work, potential air raids begin in Britain
– Britain sends forces to France to be prepared for Germany
– the dominions in the Empire agree to help Britain
Sept 39- May 40
– the phony war
(a lack of action and involvement in the war from Britain
and not trying to let it effect them or moral, and discuising the lack of involvment as major involvment
to show they were Ok and prepared or smth)
– France doesnt attack Germany
– No British Offensive on Land
Sept 1939 again
– USSR joins Germany in invading poland
– USSR invades Finland
March-May 1940
– Germany Invades Denmark
– Britain puts mines in the North Sea to Stop them Invading Norway for Sweedish Iron
– Germany Invades Norway anyway
– Britain fails to stop this
10th May 1940
– Germany Attacks: Holland, Belgium and Northern France
– Forces Britain and French Forces to Retreat
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
Why Is churchill PM now?
• 10th May Germany invaded Holland And Belgium
• Chamberlain thought it was his duty to stop this
• Substantal no confidence vote in Chamberlain from 40 Backbench torys
• churchill defended the Failure of the Norwegian campaign, somehow increasing his own support
• Labour Refused to Serve in a War Cabinet with Chamberlain
• Lord Halifax couldnt take office (was at the dentist)
• Britain Needed a decisive Leader
• Churchill didnt like appeasement and wanted to distriy nazism
– Torys didnt like him that much (probably cuz he went to the liberals and back to torys in the past)
• Against better Judgment the King appointed Churchill on the 10th May 1940
Churchill then Offerd Blood, Toil, Tears and sweat
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
His War coalition Cabinet
Churchill’s War Coalition Cabinet:
Conservative members:
• John Anderson
(Home Secretary 1940 - did Anderson shelters)
• Anthony Eden
(Foreign Secratery 1940-45)
Labour Members:
• Ernest Bevin
(Minister of Labour, ex-Trade Union Leader, increased Industrial Output and organised workers)
• Clement Atlee
(Lord Privy seal, Deputy PM 1943, Org most Domestic Matters, persuade Churchill to pass some Social Reforms)
• Herbert Morrison
(Minister of Suply and Home Secretary from 1943 (organised the Home front))
Other Members:
• Lord Beaverbrook
(Buisnessman, creator of ‘Daily Express’, Minister of Aircraft Production)
• Lord Woolton
(Buisinessman, Minister of food (1940, org Rationing)
• William Beverage
(Expert on Unemployment and social insurence, employed to consider wealfare changes)
This Cabinet was formed in May 1940
incl Torys libs and Labs to get all the help and support for conservitives he can
Chamberlain stayed as Lord President of the council till October
He didnt put any of his supporters in High possitions as the torys still dont like him and it would make him look bad
(with the exception of his mate Lord Beaverbrook)
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
Evacuation of Dunkirk 26 May– 4 June 1940
The Evacuation of Dunkirk from 26 May - 4 June 1940
involved the evacuation of 338,226 troops from France
Via 800 Vessels
uk, India, canada, france, belgium, french west africa, netherlands and poland all aid evac
39 uk Distroyers
4 Canadian Distroyers
and
3 French distroyers
protected those 800 evac vessels
Churchill said it wasn’t a victory
as wars are not won on evacuations
on the 4th June he made his:
“We will fight them on the beaches, we will fight them on the landing grounds, we will fight them in the fields and in the streets, we will fight them on the hills, we will never surrender”
speech
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
TOTAL WAR WW2
Total war is when everything that is produced in a country goes towards the war effort
• factorys + mines were outdated, under invested and underdeveloped and thus were pushed to their limits under this policy
• Women were important in arms production (same as Ww1)
• Blitz drills and protocal with the ARP (air raid precautions) wardens
• Rations (to try be self sufficient)
• reduced imports due to German Submarines blocking them
so v foods
• even the elderly and young helped in home protection with the Home Guard (Dad’s Army)
• Was more modern than ww1 Total War
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
Impact of Ww2
Housing
Utilitys
Evacuation
Gov?
Air Raids
Women
The Home Guard
• Clothes rationed on a points system
• Utility scheme with clothes and furnishings having specifications to save on Raw materials
EVAC
• cheap travel by gov = Home Evacuation possible
– 1939-40 1.5mill pregnant and Nurishing women and Children (who need Foster parents) evaced
– this was a big task involving: Ed, Transport, Health ministerys
– Poor areas by Docks and Gas works were Evacuated first
• 60 Million changes if adress in a pop of 35 Million
GOV
• A new gov dept for Suply, info, eco, wealfare, town and country planning and civilian aviation created
• Gov forced to witness poverty
– e.g. Bristol 12-15% only on 5s/week for food
AIR RAID PLANNING
• Air raid shelters constructed from a steel cage:
– Morrison invented one for in the home
– Anderson invented one for outside
• Blackout Curtains 1940
– checked by Air Raid Precaution wardens (ARP) so no light could pass through
• APR wardens gave assistence to firefighters after boming raids
• Bombed homes looted in blackouts (crime)
• Blitz = 3.5Mill homes distroyed and damaged
– House building virtualy ceased
– Gardens Dug up to plant veg
WOMEN
• 1943 1 in 4 Cival Deffence workers ( ARW, fire, Guards, emergancy messangers, first aiders)= women
• 1942 Women’s home deffence corps = taught how to handle Rifels and Grenades
HOME DEFENCE
• Local Defence volenteers 1940
– ¼ Mill volenteers day 1
– 1.5 Mill by June
– No women
– Ages 17–65 (officialy)
– ages extended later on
– also ex militarys
– They were the Home Guard (Dad’s Army)
– to prepare German Invasion defences
– so the real army could have time to regroup
– so don’t panic
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
Emergancy powers Act 1939
The Emergancy powers act 1939
• Gov do whatever it can for defence
• if someone does smth at the extent of public saftey
– the secratary of state can detain them
• The Minister of Labour can get anyone in the UK to do Anything, Anywhere AND choose how much pay + hours they get
Minister of Labour + National Service can:
– Conscript men and Women to the Armed Forces
– Direct workers to Jobs in Specific areas
– control rates of pay and hours of employment
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
impact of Ww2
Industrial Impact
INDUSTRIAL IMPACT
• Some industries converted to war work
– some closed and sent their machines to war work
• TRADE UNION MEMBERSHIP 1.5M > 8M
• Improved production techniques
• salvage campains for alluminium + other metals, pots for planes (they were usless but atleast it was an attempt)
• Ministry of Aircraft Production was created
• ministry for production 1942
• Bevin industrial Conscription for men and Women
• 1943: ‘Bevin boys’ conscripted by Bevin to work in Coal Mines
• 1000 illegal strikes in 1941
• women employed in Munitions, enginering and shipbuilding
• Total workforce expanded by 2 Million despite 4.5 million people being sent to the Military
• Bevin made 300 speeches for workers moral
• Restriction on Illegal strikes increased
• Wages increased
– avg wage in 1939: equivelant £2.65
– avg wage by 1945: equivelant £3.80
• machines were outdated and there was an overall lack of skilled workers so the fact this all worked was incredible
• 1939= 1.3Mill unemployed
1943= 0.1 mill
Bevin shows how Labour Ministers can be trusted with power
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
Impact of ww2
Economic impact
ECONOMIC IMPACT
• exports v 70% 1938-43 due to German Subs
• Treasury Responsible for finance
• Bevin (who has experience in Trade union affairs) is Minister of Labour
– got 1 mill Unemployed, employed in 1940
• Britain relyed heavily in Oil imports so U-Boats were a pain
• income tax =10s to pay for war
– Blocked non war related investments
– tax on goods and services ^
– Pay as you earn schemes on tax
• Persuaded Public to pay war bonds ( Public lent £8,500Mill)
• 18 Mill tonnes of shipping lost, only ⅔ replaced
• To help pay for this war
– earnings from exports were cut
– overseas investments were sold off (£1,300 Mill worth)
– The war cost £15 mill/day
– The gold reserves were all spent by 1941
– Dependend on Empire and USA loans
– USA lease lend £27,000 Million in Aid
– Canada sent $1000Mill gift
– Empire sent loans for I.O.Us
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
Impact of WW2
Food
FOOD
• despite national milk scheme
– milk still in short suply
– used dried milk as a substitute
• Ernst Bevin was Minister of Labour
– oversaw demabds of Agraculture and more
• Minister of food was Lord Woolton
– made recipys:
– woolton pie
– Carrot tart ect
– Food subsidies and Priced controled + orices changed when wages were too
• EPA 1949 Ministry of Suplies oversee food distribution
• 3000 Calories/day allowence was deemed healthy
• After the Battle of Britain and Uboats blocking the suplies
– in 1941 Rationing got Severe:
– weekly adult: 8oz Meat, 2oz Tea, 1 Egg and 4oz Bacon
• Self sufficency (goal):
• Farmers plough pastures for food (millions of acers ploughed)
DIG FOR VICTORY
• shifts focus from meat to cereals
– Gov supplies farmers with tractors
• Dig up gardens for veg
– even the tower of London’s moat was dug up and planted
• Basic Rations start in 1940 Jan
– End in 1955
• fertilisers and Tractors increased use
• by 1943 1.4 Millin Allotments in Britain (for food)
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
IMPACT OF WW2
The Role of Women
THE ROLE OF WOMEN
• 1940– 2 mill workers were needed
– more than 2x Married women were employed in 1951 (22%) than 1931 (10%)
– women’s work seemed instrumental to victory
• Dec 1941 2nd National Service act
– Single women aged 20-30 (later extended to 18-51)
– taken into war service
– or Auxilery service
– or industrial works
• At war start 5mill women in Paid employment
– by 1943: 7.2 mill
• Women not Banned from flying, but limited to deliverinv planes and supplies
• women had increased independence, responsibility, eco/social freedom
– no women stayed at home, as they all helped out in the war
• women remained in war employment till men’s numbers could recover and go back to work
– so only temperary employment post war
– regarded as tempomarily employees by employers
• 37.5% of women were in paid employment by 1951
– 34% in 1931
• Many women had Liasions (broken mariges later)
– many women found themselfs away from home, sourounded by young, emotional men in Uniform
– there was allot of sex
– they all kept quiet abt it post war tho
• Women on the home front:
– munitions factorys
– bus drivers
– welded ships
– worked on rails ect.
• Paid 60% of mens wages
– 1943 Equal pay campagin not taken seriously by gov
– TU refused to fight for womens rights
– TU focused on men :,(
• Women’s land army
– aggracultural Maintenence
• Women Join Armed forces
– 1939 all 3 (Raf,Army,Navy) female forces = 20,000 ppl
– 1945 = 500,000
they worked as:
– Flight coordinators
– RADAR opperators
– Transport Drivers
– Code-Breakers
• WRENS (women’s royal navy service)
• WAAF (Women’s Auxilery Air Force)
• ATS (Auxikery Territorial Service (roles such as Telephone opperators, munitions inspectors and Military police) (a branch of the british army))
– Women in Cival Defence = 350,000
– in land army = 1000s
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
WW2 IMPACT
healthcare
HEALTHCARE
• WVS womens volentary service 1940
– upper class women provide first aid, id bodys, food, clothes ect. after Boming raids
– visit elderly and Mend things
• Gov set up Unified emergency Hospital scheme
– Free treatments for air raid victims (important)
• Cival defence orgs do First Aid
• Many women work in hospitals
• Emergancy Medical service EMS
– Had regional Blood transfusion centers
– specialists in hospitals
– built new hospitals for EMS
– specialised senters for war related injurys such as burns
– 99000 hospital beds provided durimg heavy casultys of the British invasion of Northern France in 1944
– (EMS = volenteers and Very small tho)
Beverage report in 1942
– 635,000 copys sold
– 86% of pop supported it
– provision for NHS
– plans to maintain full employment
– Systems of Family Allowence
– to slay the 5 giants of poverty:
– Want, sickness (disease), lack of ed (ignorence), bad housing (squalor) and unemployment (idelness)
• its expencive but probably worth it
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
Impact of Ww2
Education
EDUCATION
• Ed Minister Involved in org Evac
– Evacuated Children need Ed + air raid drills
• War revealed a skilled workforce shortage due to a lack of Technical Education
• Training Programes were introduced to reduce these skill shortages
• some women stayed at home to raise children insted of going to Forces, Industry or Cival Defence
1944: 1,500 Nurserys
only 100 in WW1
women made up a large part of working in nurserys
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
impact of ww2
Ww2 prepared britain for a more socialist and collectivist society
• Socialist = Means of Production, distribution and exchange is owned ir regulated by the community as a whole
• Collectivist = putting the Group before individuals ( do stuff to help comunity more so than ones self)
Group > Individual
in ww2
every man, woman, pigeon and Bulldog Helped out in the war
either on the home front or the front line
all working towarda a common goal of Victory and putting Britain as a group First (not just a select few ppl)
Lowering Profits to maximise survival chances to win the war
practicing socialism and Collectivism during the war with the community regulating production, distribution and exchange and trying to win the war for Britain and the People, not just for themselfs and in their own intrest, but in everyones intrest
this therefore prepares britain for a more socialist and Collectivist society post war
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
The Beverage Report Dec 1942
• A committee was established in june 1941 to deal with issues in the excsisting national insurence scheme
• The report published from this was essentialy the Liberal Beveridge’s own blueprint for the wealfare state as a whole
• The report aimed to:
– provide a minimum standard of living to all
– create a system ‘from cradel to grave’ (look after ppl all their life)
• the report was based on 3 basic assumptions:
– the provision of a National Health Service
– The Maintenence of Full Employment
– a System of Family Allowences
• It was Very Popular and Sold 369,000 coppys of the Document
Beverage wrote of slaying the 5 giants of poverty:
– Want (poverty)
– Ignorence (Education)
– Squalor (housing)
– Idleness (Unemployment)
– Disease (Health)
Labour requestednit should imedietly be adopted by parliment
BUT leading Torys such as Churchill refused to accept this
this caused divisions in the coalition government
AND
public concern that Churchil wouldn’t implement the report’s ideas
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
The Beverage Report 1942
Disease
• 1939 only 1000 volentary hospitals kept up by charity events
• x7 GPs per HEAD in london
than in Southfield (unfair distribution
• Family Allowences were passed in 1945
• During the Blitz there was a strain on Services = Emergency Hospital Services (volenteers)
– for ppl injured in action and later on for all injured ppl
• 9th oct 1941: Min of Health promised an NHS after the war
– the medical planning Commision set up in august 1940 produced a Interim report may 1942
– Recomended establishing an NHS for all ppl, with salaried GPs opperating from health centers
• Feb 1943 Gov accept idea of an NHS in principle and in a White Paper produced in early 1944 showed what it should acheive:
– Equality in healthcare, no Means, Age, sex, occupation left out
– to provide a service cobering all branches of Medical activity
– get rid of Means test and any rule needed to be qualified for to receive medical treatment
war cabinit didnt all like the white paper
Beaverbrook wanted it rejected
the British Medical Association (full of wealthy GPs) hated it (cuz they couldnt charge for their services and make lots of money)
BIG strugle between Bevan and BMA fron 1946-58
Tory minister Henry Willink defended the White paper in the cabinet and the HOC
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
Beverage report 1942
Ignorence (ED)
• R.A. Butler:
EDUCATION ACT 1944
increases the school leaving age to 15 (implemented in 1947)
established clear division of primary and secondry schools at age 11
solution to issue of church schools who can now opt in for volentary aided or volentary controlled status
recognised all local authorities to provide a nursury and further ed where possible
aswell as the STATUTORY REQUIRMENT to provide schooling for all children ages 5-15
• 1943 the Norwood Committee on exams and Curriculum
reportrd Children fit into 3 catergorys:
– suited best to Academic, literacy and science ed
– suited to technical ed
– qnd those who could deal with ‘concrete things’ more easily than ‘ideas’
Somehow these categorys fitbwell into excisitng Structure of Grammar, technical and elementry schools
• it was ez to sepperate primary and secondary dept. of Elementry schools
renamed seniour schools to secondary moderns
the 11+ exam introduced to see which school they would go to after age 11
• Tryed to intergrate private schools to public schools (maintained sector)
– Flemming report 1944 stated Fee paying private schools should take 25% of their students from public schools, with local authorities paying the fees
they said no
Church schools were now protected but not favoured
and to protect the Public schools from too much critisism
a manditory prare at the start of the day in those schools to keep church and supporters happy
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
Beverage Report 1942
Squalor (housing)
SQUALOR
• 1942 only 3% land was in a development scheme
• 1937 Barlow commision considered the excisting pop distibution due to bombing raid threat
– recomended in 1940 the gov should be responsible for the pattern of land use throught the country
report did restrict the development in south east and encoraging Movment of industry to areas of high unemployment
– also releiveing congestion via the creation of new towns
• Sir John Reith (former BBC Director) was promoted to Minister if Works 1940
– told London county council to produce their own county plan
– he set up the Scott Committe to investigate the use of the countryside
– set up the Uthwatt committee to examin the problwms of development of land
• 1942 Reith ministery extended to works and planning then next month dissmissed by churchill to appease Tory critics
Uthwatt committee report 1942
– recomended all land outside built up areas owned by the gov can be purchased by Local urban authorities for 1939 prices
– this proposal was to radical for Conservatives and the coalition
but steps in the right direction were taken by setting up ministry of town and Country planning in 1943
and the passage of the town and country planning act in 1944
– gave local authorities greater power of compulsory purchase of land
Torys hate this
and the land question
and anything to do with property rights
and Nationalisation (a Labour policy they never realy did)
BUT
1947 town and Country planning act adopted the recomendations of the Uthwatt committee over the development of land
Sir Winston Churchill [1940-45]
Beverage Report 1942
Idleness (Employment)
IDLENESS
• Beverage made a publication on this with his own researchers for his report
• the government white paper on employment
– may 1944
– this report came out before beverages
– the report was on full employment in a free Society
– it was released early to ensure the paper was read
– this is because previously beverages social insurance schemes was boosted by the press more so than the government’s own white paper so this time they released their first
stated that one of its highest priorities should be
– the maintenance of a high in stable level of employment
– once in peace time the transition to a peacetime economy from the war economy there would need to incl:
– more exports encouraged
– support of private investment
– public investment etc
• the white paper deliberately ruled out budget deficits to stimulate demand during a recession
• the white papers are attacked in parliament
– for discrediting socialism and nationalism
– the Tories also stated it was too ambitious and they couldn’t achieve all of it
