Britain Organised For War Flashcards
What did the government do to mining?
They took control of the coal industry so that it could be run for the benefit of the war effort not the coal owners
How did the government control mining?
- Their profits were fixed and the treasury took any surplus
- Miners were not conscripted as they were doing vital work
- All miners were paid the same
What were railways needed to do?
To move troops around the country, to and from training camps, and to ports where they would go to battle from
How did the government change railways?
- they took control of the railways and ran them as a single unified system
- railways companies guaranteed same profit level they had in 1913
What did DLG do to shipping?
He set up the ministry of shipping
What did the ministry of shipping do?
It requisitioned merchant ships for vital imports, co-ordinated activities of docks and railways
What happened to merchants ships in 1917 and what did they do as a result?
In sprint 1917 German U-boats sank 3.7 million tonnes of British shipping. After this all merchant ships sailed together accompanied by battle ships
Give stats to prove how dependant Britain was on foreign food imports in 1913?
- 40% of meat
- 80% of wheat
- 50% milk+fruit+vegetables
- 100% of sugar
How did the food imports get to Britain and how could this be exploited?
The came by sea. An enemy with an effective sea force could starve Britain
What did the Germans calculate in February 1917?
They calculated that if they sank 600,000 tonnes of food they could starve Britain in 5 months
How bad was Britain’s food situation in April 1917?
They were son to nine weeks of bread and four days of sugar
What happened as a result of this shortage of food?
Prices rose and shops ran out o food so were closed in the afternoon
What were the two ways DLG tackled the food shortage?
Supply and demand
What did DLG do with the supply?
He set up a network of local committees whose job was to persuade farmers to turn their pasture land into arable land
How successful was the supply?
By 1918, an extra 3 million acres of arable land had been cultivated. Wheat production had risen by 1 million tonnes, potato crop by 1.5 million tonnes
How did the rich help in the supply?
They were encouraged to leave bread for the poor
What was set up to tackle the demand?
The ministry of food
What did the ministry of food do?
- subsidised the price of bread, which meant the price of bread fell, even the poorest families could buy as much as they wanted
- bread was never rationed
When was compulsory rationing introduced?
1918
What was rationed?
Meat, butter, jam and margarine
For which foods did the rationing continue after the war?
- meat came off ration in November 1919
- butter early 1920 & sugar November 1920
How did the rich exploit the new system?
They bought more food than was needed and hoarded it. A black market was set up.
Give an example of someone who was caught hoarding?
Marie Corelli - novelist, Stratford upon Avon, notorious food hoarder who was caught
