3. Social and economic effect on civilians in Britain

Question 1

Economic Effects:

2 main effects?

Answer 1

Labour shortages

rationing

Question 2

Economic Effects:

how did gov counteract the labour shortages?

Answer 2

May 1940, Emergency Powers Act gave government power to conscript workers into essential industries, although they preferred volunteers

Question 3

Economic Effects:

when was labour shortages severe?

Answer 3

in March 1941

Question 4

Economic Effects:

what happened March 1941?

Answer 4

Essential Workers Order introduced conscription – women between age 20-30 became liable for conscription into war work

Question 5

Economic Effects:

how many women worked?

Answer 5

over 2 million

Question 6

Economic Effects:

what kind of jobs given to women?

Answer 6

industry jobs (transport, munitions industry),
nursing,
Women’s Land Army freed up agricultural workers to fight,
armed services (WAAF – Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and WRNS – Women’s Royal Naval Service) -> service jobs (clerical work, repairs and communication).
Civil defence jobs

Question 7

Economic Effects:

what does Andrew Roberts say about women?

Answer 7

“…As often as not, this was the blood and sweat of women. Such a revolution in the mobilisation of manpower … changed British society for ever”

Question 8

Economic Effects:

when was rationing?

Answer 8

1939

Question 9

Economic Effects:

how much food in britain in 1939?

Answer 9

only grew enough food to feed a third of its population

Question 10

Economic Effects:

what foods were in fear?

Answer 10

Staple imports like sugar, and shipping was constantly in fear of attack from Nazi U-boats (Battle of Atlantic)

Question 11

Economic Effects:

when was petrol rationing introduced?

Answer 11

1939

Question 12

Economic Effects:

when and what did food rationing begin?

Answer 12

from early 1940

butter, bacon, sugar, meat

Question 13

Economic Effects:

impact of rationing by end of war?

Answer 13

half of Britain’s food was rationed

Question 14

Economic Effects:

what also flourished due to rationing?

Answer 14

‘black market’ also flourished – illegal.

Question 15

Economic Effects:

positive of rationing?

Answer 15

Britain’s poor became healthy after increased consumption of home-grown vegetable.

Question 16

Economic Effects:

who was Minister of Food?

Answer 16

Lord Woolton

Question 17

Economic Effects:

what did Minister of Food introduce?

Answer 17

Schemes for food crisis such as ‘victory gardens’ – grown own vegetables also promoted through propaganda,
substitute products such as spam,
BBC program ‘Kitchen Front’ promote food recipes with limited resources

Question 18

Economic Effects:

what other than food rationed?

Answer 18

clothes

Question 19

Economic Effects:

what were people encouraged to do with clothes?

Answer 19

encouraged to make their own clothes from blankets and curtains, recycle old clothes and ‘make do and mend’ campaign – repair of weak and damaged clothes

Question 20

Social Effects:

list 7

Answer 20

morale
bombing raids
evacuation 
blackout 
government controls 
propaganda, censorship and media 
long term effects

Question 21

Social Effects:

what was provided by gov cheaply to provide protection for families from air and bombing raids?

Answer 21

The ‘Anderson shelter’ and ‘Morrison shelter’

Question 22

Social Effects:

what was used as public air raid shelters in London?

Answer 22

city tube stations, with thousands sleeping in them

Question 23

Social Effects:

what caused large scale fear among civilians?

Answer 23

German V1 and V2 rockets

Question 24

Social Effects:

effect of bombing raids?

Answer 24

Over 2 million civilians made homeless -> majority working class housing. Britain’s economic production was never seriously threatened. The ‘Dunkirk’ Spirit continued throughout Blitz

Question 25

Social Effects:

what were civilians unable to leave home without?

Answer 25

without a gas mask due to the fear of gas being used

Question 26

Social Effects:

who was evacuated first?

Answer 26

priority of safety of children

Question 27

Social Effects:

what evacuation plan put in place before war?

Answer 27

evacuation plans for children and teachers, the disabled, mothers with small children

Question 28

Social Effects:

how many children evacuated and when?

Answer 28

Within the first days of war over 1.5 million children were evacuated from Britain’s cities to spare them from the possible bombing raids.

Question 29

Social Effects:

why was blackout introduced?

Answer 29

make it difficult for German bombers

Question 30

Social Effects:

what was done during blackout?

Answer 30

air raid was sounded -> street lights turned off, car headlights dimmed and windows covered to conceal lighting

Question 31

Social Effects:

what happened if don’t obey blackout laws?

Answer 31

Air raid wardens enforced heavy fines for disobeying the ‘blackout’ procedures

Question 32

Social Effects:

what age conscripted into war?

Answer 32

All men aged between 18 and 51

conscientious objectors allowed, many volunteered

Question 33

Social Effects:

what was introduced in 1941?

Answer 33

essential works order

Question 34

Social Effects:

what did Essential works Order allow?

Answer 34

essential workers such as railway employees were placed under government control

Question 35

Social Effects:

National Registration Act?

Answer 35

people had to carry identity papers at all times

Question 36

Social Effects:

Treacheries Act?

Answer 36

mprison, ban or watch people in organisations considered a threat.
Many people of German or Italian descent were interned or sent overseas

Question 37

Social Effects:

Ministry of Information set up under?

Answer 37

John Reith

Question 38

Social Effects:

Ministry of Information control?

Answer 38

the amount and nature of information the British people could have

Question 39

Social Effects:

what was done in Ministry of Information?

Answer 39

Censorship of soldiers letters home, creation of anti-German messages and warning of what was being said in the case of spies

Question 40

Social Effects:

when did BBC’s television service close down?

Answer 40

1st Sept, 1939

Question 41

Social Effects:

what became main provider of gov info and propaganda?

Answer 41

radio

Question 42

Social Effects:

what heightened morale and provided an escape from troubles of daily life?

Answer 42

1940’s music shows and cinema (Gone in the Wind, Walt Disney classics)

Question 43

Social Effects:

what were the 3 long term effects?

Answer 43

Beveridge Report (1942) 
‘General Theory of Employment, Money and Interest (1936, John Maynard)
‘Education Act’ (Richard Butler, 1944)

Question 44

Social Effects:

what did Beveridge report measure?

Answer 44

measure to improve the welfare of British civilians and ensure no repeat of their suffering occurred

Question 45

Social Effects:

what did General Theory of Employment, Money and Interest explore?

Answer 45

ways the government could manipulate the economy to avoid another depression

Question 46

Social Effects:

Education Act?

Answer 46

– school leaving age rose to 15, free milk, school meals and medical services were introduced and an ‘11’ plus exam could be sat by working class children to get into grammar school

Question 47

Social Effects:

what does Arthur Marwick state?

Answer 47

“…the struggle for civilian survival at home initiated lasting social changes. Experience of the Blitz, food shortages, and lack of clothing ensured that Great Britain emerged from this war a very different type of society, with a new emphasis on social equality”

Question 48

Social Effects:

GDH Cole?

Answer 48

“the unity so frequently promised or appealed to in politicians’ speeches was for some a reality…”