Era of the great war Flashcards
what factors helped promote recruitment?
Pals Battalions
- more willing to join up with friends
Patriotism
- duty to defend your country
Propaganda
- 54 million posters
- public meetings and speeches by famous scot’s to join up
Adventure
- made it look like a adventure
what was life like in the trenches?
Weather
- wet, muddy, cold
Disease
- trench foot, trench mouth, trench fever, dysentery
Fear of death
- see friends die
- constant explosions, shell shock
Pests
- rats spread disease and stole food
- lice in air and clothes which was itchy and uncomfortable
what were the advantages and disadvantages of planes?
+ used to spy on enemies
- obvious target
- easily shot down
what were advantages and disadvantages of machine guns?
+ quick to reload
+ 600 bullets per minute
- overheated
- 2-3 people to operate
what were advantages and disadvantages of gas?
+ cleared large areas quickly
+ caused fear and panic
- could blow back in troops due to wind
- less effective once gas masks made
what are advantages and disadvantages of tanks?
+ cross no man’s land barbed wire
+ fear and surprise
- very slow 4mph
- overheat
- unreliable breaks down easily
what are some tactics soldiers used?
Gas barrage
- gas sent out in 2 clouds (1st smoke, 2nd toxic gas)
- soldiers may remove mask after 1st attack
Tunelling
- dig under no man’s land under enemy trenches
- effective as explosions killed thousands
- less effective as it took a long time to dig
what was the purpose of DORA?
to focus people’s effort on war
what were terms under DORA?
Prevent food shortages
- can’t feed bread to animals
Prevent spying/ improve security + secrecy
- no pigeons without a license
- no bonfires or fireworks
Takle lateness
- beer watered down
- pub opening hours restricted
- british summer time introduced
what was rationing for in ww1?
- government concerenced food shortages would lead to starvation
- priority was to provide food to so,diners as the front, means food shortages at home
- lack of food being produced on farms, workers + horses were being used on front line
- rationing became compulsory: ration cards
- womens land army provided voluntary labour on farms
what jobs did women do to replace men on the front line?
Munitions factories
- 1M women, TNT poising turned skin yellow, many died, dangerous work
Womens Land Army
- 250,000 worked in farms to reduce food shortages
Other roles
- police officers
- nurses on frontline
- transport (train drivers, ticket conductors)
who were the conscientious objectors?
the people who refused to fight in britain
Moral
- believed it was wrong to take a life
Religius
- believed it was against their religion to kill eg Quakers
what treatment did the conscientious objectors receive?
- spat on in the street
- harassed in public
- seen as cowards
- assaulted
- given white feathers
what did propaganda do?
- encourage men to join the war
- encourage women to join the workforce
- promoted strong anti german feelings
what was conscription?
- military service act 1916, all dingle men aged 18-41 have to join
- numbers of volunteers falling, conscription introduced
- medically unfit exempt
- reserved occupations - eg doctors, teachers, coal miners etc exempt also