Effects of the Great War on Scotland's industry and economy

Question 1

Effects of the Great War on Scotland’s Industries

Answer 1

-The heavy industry, which Scotland was good at, was no longer in demand
-New machines were doing the work that previously was done by well-paid, skilled workers
-The profits from wartime increases in production would not last when the war ended
-Foreign competition was one reason why Britain’s share of world trade in manufacturing fell from 30% in 1913 to 22% in 1929

Question 2

Why did heavy industry decline in Scotland after the Great War

Answer 2

-Lack of demand for sandbags negatively impacted Jute
factories in Dundee
-Coal production declined as new fuels
were being used
-Foreign competition challenged Scottish industry (This means that companies such as the Jute industry in Dundee collapsed because the ban on processing jute abroad was lifted when the war ended and most jute was imported from India, therefore Dundee businesses lost money and had to close)
-Iron and steel plants closed due to lack of demand for those resources
-Companies refused to invest in new technology
-Orders for shipbuilding on the Clyde declined after the war ended