How Has The Civilian Experience Of Warefare Changed In The Modern Era

Question 1

How where civilians affected in WW1

Answer 1

1. A lot of Women did manual Labour in factories- munitions, transport and farming, the women’s land army 7.3 million employed by end of the war
2. Civilians where conscripted
3. Bombing raids- German Zepplins dropping bombs(556 raids) 1413 out of the 1570 civilians deaths where due to bombing raids, official air raid warning system warned people and
   4.Food shortages- German U boats sinking ships importing essential foodstuffs, rations where introduced by the government

Question 2

Explain the increased role of the government in WW1?

Answer 2

• took control of the railways and merchant ships for the transportation of military supplies+troops (
• controlled wages in the munitions and mining industries
• set up a Ministry of Food which controlled and subsidized the price of bread the ensure even the poorest could afford food
• forbade the flying of kites, purchase of binoculars , lighting of bonfires as they could be risks of signaling to the enemy

Question 3

How were civilians affected in WW2

Answer 3

• Conscription- conscription introduced October 1939
• Targeted air raids- frequent and intense air raids on civilian targets particularly in Ldonkn, 60,000 civilians where killed
• Shortages- rationing of essential foods including sugar, butter and meats
• Censorship and propaganda- new about the war photographs, newspapers, cinema and radio but was closely censored by the government and propaganda posters and reports were produced

Question 4

What where attitudes like in society ?

Answer 4

The harsh treatment of conscientious objects war partially down to the belief of patriotic duty to defend British
Very different to attitudes now which stress individual freedom over duty and loyalty

Question 5

The Cold War- fear of nuclear weapons ?

Answer 5

The greatest fear for civilians was nuclear weapons
In Britain this threat felt very real, especially in the 1980’s when US bombers and missiles where stationed in the uk
The government issued leaflets of what to do incase of attack

Question 6

What did the war on terror bring with it ? Think fear

Answer 6

Fear of terrosism
- The most recent threat to civilian population is acts of terrorism
Such events include 911 when Al-Qaeda hijacked airliners and flew them into the world trade centers causing the war on terror
- It continued and in 2005 when 4 Islamist extremists suicide bombers detonated bombs on the London Underground

Question 7

How did attitudes change during towards war and their impact ?

Answer 7

Modern attitudes are less supportive of wars compared to 1900
Partially due to change in education and attitudes which no longer promote mindless patriotism
And the growth of media predicting which present a much more ‘real’ view of conflict
Public opinion also helped but it does achieve very little