Britain during WW2 Flashcards
The Emergency Powers Act 1933
- New powers given to the Ministry for information, and to the new Supply and Food ministry
- The government was given the power to intern, eavesdrop on, follow, censor or arrest people on the basis of decrees
- A national registry of all citizens was complied and everyone was issued with a Brown ID card
- Ration books compulsory by Jan 1940
- Evacuation began Sept 1939 -1.5 mill ppl from cities to countryside
How did evacuation effect GB?
Movement of poorest people into towns and cities had a huge socially cohesive effect on GB
How did rationing reach austerity in 1941?
The weekly rations per person decreased significantly. A ‘points’ system was introduced for foods not deemed essential : each person allowed 16 points for 4 weeks to prevent wealthy from buying all supplies. People weren’t allowed to grow their own food -> ‘dig for victory’
How did the war affect households?
Chronic shortages of all household goods as the war effort drew in most of available raw materials.
Conscription
Introduced immediately and applied to unmarried women and men.
What role did women play in the war?
The Women’s Land Army formed 1940, women took over jobs in the civil service, until almost half the civil service were women
How were older members of society involved in the war?
Gov also called for local volunteers 40-65 to act as a Home Guard in the event of an invasion -> mid 1940 over a million men joined
How did bombing affect housing?
German bombing Sept 1940-May 1941 -> hundreds of thousands of people made homeless and had to be housed in emergency centres - cinemas, theatres, schools, thousands in tube stations -> resentment
How was the economy benefitted by the war?
Produced full employment for the first time since 1918 -> benefitted poorer working class. Wage rose faster than prices. 53->96s by the end of war.
How did the government respond to the enormous cost of war?
Followed Keynes policies of high spending and high taxation to meet war effort. Income tax increased from 25p in a pound 1939 to 50p 1945 -> eliminated unemployment showed that the policy worked
How did the war create social solidarity between classes?
- Stevenson “A climate of common endeavour which blunted some of the pre-war objections to increased social spending” -> 1940 free school milk and later free school meals, orange juice, nurseries
- Middle + upper class -> evacuee children did a lot to arouse the nation to a realisation that they deserved something better
- Total war was dependent on the willing co-operation of the public including under-privileged sections of society, manual workers and women
- widely felt that the poor had earned concessions i.e. better ed., higher standard of living and better welfare services
- Prevent revolution amongst workers - Christian churches -> 1942 William Temple Archbishop of Canterbury -> set out the minimum social standards in a Christian society and stated it was the state’s responsibility to enforce these standards
Outline the Beveridge Report
1942-> Government appointed a committee under Beveridge, Liberal, to investigate problems of social insurance. Report claimed that the five giant evils to overcome were want, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness -> gov fight them with insurance schemes, child allowances, more houses, a NHS, policy of full employment + secondary ed. for everyone
What were the responses to the Beveridge Report?
Received widespread publicity + debated in parliament in Feb 1943. Lab party -> carry out proposals immediately but Churchill more interested in finishing war successfully, little done to implement report. Only one of its rec’s was introduced before end of war - payment of child allowances 5s a week.
What did Arthur Marwick believe the war allowed?
Marwick -> war was responsible for further developments in state social policy. Points out that war introduced universality -> cover the whole nation rich and poor -> services only for the poor before 1939 were second rate services
Outline the Butler Education Act
1944 ->
- Secondary education available to all + free of charge + without restriction -> school leaving age to 15.
- Ministry of Ed. set up to direct and control local authorities which were now expected to provide secondary schools ‘sufficient in number, character and equipment to afford all pupils variety of instruction and training suitable to them
- Emerged 3 different types of secondary school : grammar, technical and modern
- Enabled WC children to go to university
