British Society - WW1 Home Front Flashcards
How many troops were in Britain’s army before conscription and what was special about this army?
It was purely professional and had 200k troops
How many men volunteered after the “First wave of enthusiasm”?
500k
When did the “First wave of enthusiasm” end?
September 1914
Who was the minister of war?
Lord Kitchener
Who oversaw the Gov recruiting campaign?
Lord Kitchener
What was the name of the group formed to organise the distribution of posters in WW1?
Parliamentary Recruiting Committee
What reasons did men have for volunteering?
Patriotism, prospect of adventure, many thought it was going to be over by Christmas, receive army pay, impact of propaganda, pals battalions
How many men had joined the army by 1916?
2.5 million
What is the proper name for conscription?
Military service act
When was conscription introduced?
January 1916
What ages were effected by conscription?
18-41
What % of the army were conscripts and what % were volunteers?
46% conscripts
54% volunteers
How many men were conscripted into the war?
2,777, 623
What jobs were protected from conscription?
mining, engine drivers, farmers; jobs vital for war effort
What jobs did conscientious objectors have to do?
ambulance driver, stretcher bearer etc.
What happened to the conscientious objectors who refused to have anything to do with the war?
Imprisoned
What does DORA stand for?
Defense of the Realm Act
When was DORA passed?
Aug 1914
What power did DORA give the Gov?
Legal powers to apply any measures required to aid the war effort, or defend Britain in wartime
What 4 main goals did DORA have?
Prevent people spying on British military and Naval operations
Protect Britain from threat of invasion
Boost efficiency of areas of production of equipment and armaments
Ensure an adequate supply of food to British people
What did the Gov set up to control the flow of information to national newspapers?
Press Bureau and Department of Information
When were casualty lists published in newspapers?
mid 1915
What was the theme of films, posters and postcards as the war went on?
That the sacrifice was worth it and the war should be seen through until the end
Why were all miners paid the same, mines paid the same for coal and railway owners paid fixed sums?
To reduce the amount of strikes
How many strikes were there in 1915,1916,1917,1918?
1915 - 300
1916- 500
1917- 1000
1918 - 1200
What did DORA control in terms of public behaviour and involvement in pastimes?
Horse racing was abandoned, boat race cancelled, football league suspended, Guy Fawkes celebrations suspended
What did DORA do to beer and pubs?
Water down beer, controlled consumption of alcohol and how much beer was produced, opening hours of pubs were greatly reduced, illegal to buy a round of drinks
When was the Shell shortage crisis?
May 1915
What did Lloyd George do to respond to the crisis?
Set up new munitions factories
How many “munitionettes” were working in munition factories by 1918?
over 900k
How did state control and organisation impact the munition factories?
Wages were fixed, and price controls were imposed
What was formed in 1916 to oversee all merchant ships and docks?
Ministry of Shipping
What was formed to counter-act the effect of the German Submarine when?
1917 - Convoy system
How many tonnes of British Shipping had been sunk in early 1917?
3.7 million tonnes
What % of meat, wheat and sugar was imported before WW1?
40% of meat, 80% of wheat, 100% of sugar
What did food shortages lead to?
Food hoarding
When was voluntary rationing introduced, and was it successful?
late 1917 - failure
When was compulsory rationing introduced?
early 1918 - controlled distribution of supplies and ration coupons
Was bread rationed?
No
How much more land was brought into food production?
2.5 million acres
What did the Ministry of Food do to bread?
Keep the prices fixed/under control, never ration it
In 1914, what did German warships shell and how many people were killed?
British East Coast towns - Hartlepool, Scarborough, Whitby. 119 killed
How many people did Zeppelin raids kill?
564
How did the British aircrafts counter the Zeppelins?
Couldn’t at first, but development of incendiary shells in 1916 allowed them to
How many zeppelin raids were made in the war?
57
How many women were employed in office jobs and government clerks by 1918?
Office - 500k
Clerks - 200k
What did the Gov encourage women to do in terms of helping the war effort?
Remain at home - “Keep home fires burning”
Persuade men to join up
“White feather campaign” - humiliating young men who had not volunteered
What jobs were undertaken by women?
Postal workers, bus conductors and police
When was the Women’s land army formed?
1917 - recruited 16k women to work on the land
What happened to all Suffragettes as soon as the war started?
Suspended campaign, all were released from prison in Aug 1914
Why did some women get the vote in 1918?
Their work was extremely valued, negotiations with gov did occur and produce results
Which women could have the vote after the Representation of the People Act in Feb 1918?
Women over 30 who were a householder or married to one
What was the mood towards Germany around Britain after the war ended
“Make Germany Pay”
Why was there a make Germany pay mood?
Losses had been high - 750k casualties
What else had a big impact on the anti-german feeling?
The huge amount of anti-german propaganda
What was the popular demand at the election at the end of 1918?
Crush Germany - seize considerable reparations and even to hang the Kaiser
