British Home Front During the First World War

Question 1

What was introduced on 8th August 1914?

Answer 1

Defence of the Realm Act (DORA)

Question 2

What is DORA?

Answer 2

Gave the government unlimited powers to control aspects of people’s daily lives
Can seize Andy land or buildings and take over any industries important to the war effort
Control what the public know about the war through censorship

Question 3

What happened on 19th January 1915?

Answer 3

First air raids by German Zeppelin airships dropping bombs on East Anglian towns

Question 4

What happened in July 1915?

Answer 4

Munitions crisis
Shortage of shells and bullets
Government set up ministry of munitions under David Lloyd George

Question 5

When was the first military service bill introduced?

Answer 5

January 1916 - all single men aged 18-40

Question 6

When was the second military service bill introduced?

Answer 6

May 1916 - extended conscription to include married men as well

Question 7

What happened on 7th December 1916?

Answer 7

Lloyd George is PM
Set up ministry of labour
Set up ministry of food

Question 8

When was compulsory rationing introduced?

Answer 8

February 1918

Introduced after voluntary scheme failed in November 1917

Question 9

Why did the government feel that conscription was necessary?

Answer 9

The amount of volunteers declined rapidly after September 1914 - weren’t enough to make a strong army

Question 10

What were the arguments against conscription?

Answer 10

50 MPs voted against it

Conchies were opposed to the war for religious or political reasons

Question 11

What were the arguments for conscription?

Answer 11

Volunteer system was damaging britains agriculture and industry - so many miners joined there was a shortage of coal
Number of volunteers falling but troop demand increasing
Volunteer system unfair some groups avoiding war altogether and not all parts of society took an equal share of the burden

Question 12

What are conscientious objectors?

Answer 12

Opposed to the war for political or religious reasons - against their conscience to fight

Question 13

What happened to conscientious objectors during the war?

Answer 13

Had to appear before a tribunal and prove they had a genuine reason for objecting

• some sent to prison where they were badly treated
• some went to the front and worked as stretcher bearers or in field hospitals
• some sentenced to death or given hard labour sentences

Question 14

Give some examples of the censorship technique of good news only

Answer 14

British people only told of great victories or heroic resistance
- when HMS Audacious sank October 1914 it was simply not reported
Newspapers censored and only approved journalists were allowed at the front from November 1916
- newspaper owners and editors keen supporters of the war - Lord Beaverbrook (daily express) became minister of information in 1918
Information withheld from soldiers at the front and soldiers themselves didn’t want to worry relatives

Question 15

Give some examples of forced censorship

Answer 15

Anti war papers were closed down (tribunal)
Socialist newspapers e.g daily herald carefully monitored
1916 38 000 articles, 25 000 photographs and 300 000 private telegrams examined
Even magazines from railway enthusiasts found themselves in trouble for revealing too much about the transport system

Question 16

How were books censored?

Answer 16

Leading authors (HG wells, Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle) signed a declaration by authors in support of the war
Red Book - five volume explanation of why Britain was justified going to war

Question 17

Give some examples of propaganda for children mad by the government during the First World War

Answer 17

Patriotic books and comics where the German was always cowardly whilst the Tommy was modest brave and successful

Question 18

How many war films were released by filmmakers during the First World War?

Answer 18

240

Question 19

Describe how the battle of the Somme film was used as propaganda

Answer 19

Showed real scenes from the battle and fake ones (audience didn’t know)
August 1916 - huge commercial success
People excited at the chance to see the truth
Showed horrors more truly than any other film
By October it had been shown in over 2000 cinemas
People stunned
Seen by 20 million people
Failed to boost morale

Question 20

How did Horatio Kitchener help the war effort?

Answer 20

Realised Britain needed a civilian army

Your country needs you! (Propaganda)

Question 21

How was the government democratic during the war?

Answer 21

Conscription meant everyone had their equal share

1920 - the tomb of the unknown soldier

Question 22

How did David Lloyd George contribute to the war effort?

Answer 22

Built 50 new munitions factories - munitions minister
Extended welfare help for his munitions workers - flats , canteens, British summertime, banned all day drinking, Gretna - new town to service the factory
Government a parliamentary dictatorship of Lloyd George

Question 23

How did the king help the war effort?

Answer 23

Gave up drinking for the duration of the war to set an example

Question 24

Name two things the government did during the war

Answer 24

Set up national canteens serving cheap meals

Convoyed merchant ships to protect them and decrease food shortage

Question 25

What’s the evidence that people supported the war?

Answer 25

Largest voluntary army ever raised by a country
Ramsay MacDonald had to resign as labour leader because he didn’t support the war but his party did
Conscientious objectors meetings broken up by angry mobs and people didn’t support them

Question 26

What’s the evidence that people didn’t support the war?

Answer 26

Sassoon - war poet and hero in the trenches opposed the politicians and wrote poems about how the war was being fought for the wrong reasons
16 000 conscientious objectors

Question 27

How did the war effect social lives and ordinary people?

Answer 27

127 men women and children killed at Scarborough by German warships - first civilian deaths on British soil since 17th C
Women started to cut their hair short, wear simpler clothing, smoke, learnt about condoms and became more independent
Women poisoned from their work (canarys) TNT poisoning
Rationing and food shortages
Parks and squares turned into allotments
720 000 never returned

Question 28

What impact did women have on the war?

Answer 28

Encouraged men to enlist

Overcame labour shortage

Question 29

What impact did the war have on the women?

Answer 29

Overcame prejudice
Independent
Got the vote
Dangerous working conditions in munitions factories caused breathing difficulties, rashes, yellowing of the skin, digestion problems and blood poisoning

Question 30

Describe the munitionettes

Answer 30

1 million women went to work in munition factories
16 or 18 casualties a night
Shells exploded accidentally
Worked despite the fact they knew they were being poisoned by the TNT and would die

Question 31

What happened to the women as the men returned home?

Answer 31

They were forced out of their jobs

Question 32

What happened on 2 August 1914?

Answer 32

War declared on Germany

Government launched a massive recruitment campaign and half a million joined the army in one month