History Unit 3- Era Of The Great War Flashcards
Life in the Trenches
Boring, cold food Water tasted of petrol No toilets and lack of clean water Disease spread quickly- rats, lice Trench foot and shell shock Wounded men usually dies of infections Constant fear of death Dull, very monotonous
Give reasons why Scots volunteered to fight on the Western Front
Powerful propaganda- military pride
Sense of pride
Not joining was seen as shameful
People judged men who didn’t go to war
Poverty- way to better yourself
Pals Battalion- fight with your friends
A chance to travel and see foreign places
What was Scottish society like before 1914?
Industry had begun to struggle. Raw materials like coal were running out.
Work on conditions and pay were low so workforces often went on strike to try and improve things
People were poor because the living cost was high and the working wages were low
Many cities were overpopulated, 13% of the population in 1911 lived in overcrowded conditions
Houses became slums and disease spread quickly, people didn’t live for very long
Foreign goods were cheaper than good made in Britain due to cheaper workforces
What caused World War One?
Militarism- military concerns influenced Germany’s and Britain’s policy, giving them the means and will to make war
Alliances- Germany, Italy and Austria formed the triple alliance. France Britain and Russia created the triple ententé. Europe was divided
Imperialism- the desire to conquer countries brought the powers into conflict, particularly Germany against France and Britain
Nationalism- people believed their country was better than others which meant nations were assertive and aggressive
Reasons for general Haig’s tactics
Learnt from his mistakes and changed his tactics accordingly
Used a combination of methods to launch successful attacks against the enemy
Reasons against Haig’s tactics
Overestimated the cavalry at the start of WW1
Underestimated the impact of modern weapons
Huge losses in the Somme and Passchendale
His tactics arguably wasted hundreds of lives
Technology- artillery
What are the positives and negatives?
Wide range and accurate
Killed a large amount of enemy soldiers
If the range was incorrect it could lead to men being killed or wounded by their own artillery
Technology- gas
What are the positives and negatives?
Little effort yet very effective
Long painful deaths- caused fear
Caused lung damage
Unpredictable weapon
If the wind changed the gas would blow back on the men who had fired it
It became less effective as both sides developed gas masks
Technology- tanks
What are the positives and negatives?
Were all terrain- slopes and grass
Firing range of 30km
Caused fear
Very slow
Quick to run out of fuel
Prone to mechanical problems
Technology- aeroplanes
What are the positives and negatives?
Gathered intelligence Fast Manoverable Could carry bombs Fitted with machine guns
When did the battle of Loos take place?
1915
Give 5 bits of information about the battle of Loos
Gas was used by the British for the first time
30,000 Scottish troops were involved
The battle was indecisive
High losses of troops
The troops captured Loos but had to return 4 days later due to exhaustion
When did the battle of the Somme take place?
1916
Give 5 bits of information about the battle of The Somme
Not much land was gained however the split of the German army was weakened
Part of the aim was to help the French allies who had been attacked
20,000 British soldiers were killed on the first day
Pressure was taken off the French
General Haig hoped to use overwhelming force against the German lines to capture them
When the the battle of Arras take places?
1917
Give 5 bits of information about the battle of Arras
Contained more scots fighting in one place than any other point in the war
Attack was successful due to new tactics and artillery fire
The attack was well planned
One third of the casualties were scots
The assaults taught the British lessons, that using ‘all arms’ together in arak helped to win the war
How did women contribute during WW1?
They worked in factories making explosives and shells- canary girls
Worked as nurses and doctors- Elsie ingles set up a hospital in France near the western front
Worked as conductresses on buses and trams
Did land work- the woman’s land army, had their own uniform and 260,000 members
Cooks in the armed forces
Wireless operators in the armed forces
Give 6 facts about DORA
The government had the power to direct men, women and materials to areas where they were most needed to win the war effort
Railways and docks came under military law. Special police constables were recruited to enforce the new laws
The government took control of pubs and reduced the opening hours. Pubs were forbidden to open on a Sunday
Censorship was introduced to stop newspapers printing information that may be helpful to the enemy
Local councils were allowed to take over land and use it to grown more food
Foreign citizens had to register as aliens at the local police station
Give 5 bits of information about rationing in WW1
Germans sunk ships to stop food coming into Britain: they wanted to starve the country into submission
Standard bread was introduced and butter was replaced by margarine
Rationing cards were introduced
Gardens and parks were adapted for growing food
The black market thrived
What was the effect of military losses on Scottish society?
Often whole villages of men were killed at war due to pals battalions
Women had to take on men’s roles
The population decreased drastically- Glasgow lost 18,000 men during WWI
By 1918 nearly every family was mourning the loss of a loved one
Women had to resign themselves to the fact that they may never marry
Memorials were erected and remembrance Sunday began
Impact of the war on Scottish industries
There was a rising demand for workers and almost no unemployment
Many jobs were skilled and offered good wages to the workers
There was a high demand for ships during the war so there there a greater need for homes and goods in the Clydesdale area as people flocked to live there
Ammunition production led to a doubling of steel output
By 1918 Glasgow steel workers are produced 90% of Britain’s armour plate
Textile factories rushed to meet army demand for uniforms and canvas materials
Scottish industry after the war- give 6 facts
Agricultural industries turned to new products like fruit and poultry
New machines increased the output and fewer workers were required
Heavy industries declined. Locomotive production fell by two thirds
Coal production also decreased by around 25 tonnes since 1913
Wage cuts lead to strikes, giving Scotland the reputation as a troublesome place to do business
The jute industry faced competition from India as India started building it own jute mills
What happened to Scotland’s economy after the war?
The economy failed to adapt in the early 20th century. Almost all industry in Scotland was centred around heavy industry. When these industries were no longer in demand Scotland was unprepared and couldn’t adapt quickly enough.
There were also challenges posed by foreign industries, and new fuels were introduced
The Scots failed to invest in new technology
What were the improvements to women’s rights by 1910?
Women could vote in elections to school boards
Women could vote in local elections if they paid rates
Women could divorce their husbands and retain their children
When women married they could now keep their own money and property
Women could go to university
Women could become doctors, teacher and lawyers
Why did women receive the vote after the war?
Due to the success of the suffragette campaign
Women’s hard work during the war convinced people they were responsible and able bodied
Prime minister Asquith changed to supporting women’s rights to vote
Women replaced men and worked well, which changed public and government view
The suffragettes grabbed people’s attention and forced them to listen, although they did use illegal methods
Impact of the war on politics- how did the war impact the liberals?
War led to a split in the liberals due to coalition government
Asquith was forced to resign as prime minister
The party was divided between supporters of Asquith and George
Impact of the war on politics- how did the war impact the Conservatives?
The party gained support
The party appealed to female voters
They appealed to young Scots who wanted success in life
Impact of the war on politics- how did the war impact the Labour Party?
The party grew in importance after WWI
Joined a coalition government
They listened to trade unions and worked with them
Introduced a minimum wage and control of industry
