Experience Of Warfare 1900-present

Question 1

Propaganda use in WW1

Answer 1

Kitchener needed a massive new army.
-Poster Offensive: 12,000,000 posters made in one year. They appealed to duty, patriotism and guilt which was very effective.
-“Pals Battalions”: encouraged men to join up their friends.

Question 2

Recruitment 1914-18

Answer 2

1914: army appealed for volunteers, 1,000,000 by the end of the year

1915: after high casualties, recruitment fell

Jan 1916: Military Service Act introduces conscription
May 1916: Military Service Act extended to include married men

1916-18: 3.5 million conscriped into armed forces
1918: conscription ended and Britain returned to volunteer army

Question 3

Recruitment 1939-43

Answer 3

Sept 1939: National Service Act meant that conscription returned. All men 18-41 were liable. 1,000,000 were conscripted but it wasn’t enough.

1941: conscription extended to men up to 51 and unmarried women 20-30. Women could choose enlistment into the armed forces or factory work/civil defence.

1943: women up to 51 liable. Some younger women weren’t allowed to choose alternatives to the armed forces.

Question 4

Recruitment 1945-1960

Answer 4

1945: conscription continued after the war

1948: National Service introduced (18 months service)

1960: National Service ended, return to volunteer army

Question 5

Conscientious objectors

Answer 5

Those who refused to fight on religious or moral grounds. Forced to appear before military tribunals to justify their objections

Question 6

CO statistics in WW1

Answer 6

16,600 COs
9,500 forced to enlist/given a non fighting role
7,000 imprisoned

Question 7

CO statistics in WW2

Answer 7

60,000 COs
50,000 forced to enlist/given a non fighting role
6,000 imprisoned
3,000 objections accepted

Question 8

Women in war

Answer 8

Total war required women to be used as soldiers
1992, men and women were integrated into the same units
2008 Afghanistan, 1/6 of British troops were women, but they couldn’t apply for infantry or the Royal Armoured Corps

Question 9

Modern professional armed forces: Numbers

Answer 9

Regular army of just under 85,000
RAF+Navy is 65,000

Question 10

Modern professional armed forces: Training + Enlistment

Answer 10

Modern warfare involves high tech equipment, so the army aims to be highly trained.
-Army recruits sign up for at least 4 years.
-Basic traing lasts 14 weeks. Stage 2 training, for specialist units, lasts up to a year or more
-80% of officers enter as uni graduates. They require 1 year of training

Question 11

Modern professional armed forces: Pay and Conditions

Answer 11

Pay+conditions intended to compete with other types of employment.
-2015, Army corporal starting salary was £27,000
-for officers it was £30,000-£100,000 per year