Impact Of World War II Flashcards
What damage was caused by the German bombing raids to Britain during the war?
- over 40,000 civilians lost their lives
- a million homes were destroyed or damaged
What is the name given to the German Air Force which attacked british towns and cities during the war?
- Luftwaffe
Why was rationing introduced?
- To ensure people didn’t starve
- There were not enough workers in the countryside
- It also ensured that the rich and poor alike had the same amounts of food
What was the impact of evacuation?
- Children were evacuated to the countryside
- it was only then that many people observed poor health of many children which paved the way for the BEVERIDGE REPORT
Did all children enjoy evacuation?
- For many children it was the first time they had experienced life in the countryside
- others were forced to work long unpaid hours on farms
- some children were treated poorly
How was education affected by the war?
- There was a shortage of teachers so class size rose from 30 to well over 45
- Many schools in cities and towns had to be shut down
- Up to a third of city children were getting no schooling at all
How did women contribute to the war effort?
- over 350,000 worked in civil defence (air raid precautions, firefighting, nursing)
- Others worked in munitions factories and the Land Army (growing food)
What was the BEVERIDGE report?
- A report requested by the government
- it identified five evils in British society > want > disease > ignorance > squalor > idleness
What was done to overcome the evils that were identified?
- The Labour government of 1945-1951 attempted to solve the problems by introducing the :
> Family Allowance Act
National Insurance Act
National Health service
How did the NHS ensure the health of the nation improved?
- it ensured that everyone had access to decent healthcare, irrespective of whether they were rich or poor
- hospitals were nationalised ( brought under the control of the state)
- the NHS was paid for out of taxation
- it had a good effect in people’s health;
> infant mortality decreased after 1948 - the cost was more than predicted, by 1950 it was at £358 million
- provided a higher level of care than most countries
Who were American GIs and what affect did they have in Britain?
- Members of the American Armed forces
- Around 3 million arrived in Britain 1942 onwards
- They had a huge impact; initially they were very popular, mixing with different classes of people
- American GIs were especially popular with the British girls. Around 80,000 British women became “GI brides” and emigrated to the USA after the war
- Some tension did arise, pamphlets were given to GIs to educate them about Britain and the British people. They included the advice ; be friendly, don’t brag, avoid comments on the British government and never criticise the king or queen
What was life in Britain like for the African American GIs ?
- most of them were black, 130,000 African American service men and women.
- Many had good experiences as when they were in America they suffered bad discrimination
- It was said that for many African Americans their time in England provided “ their first time experience in being treated as normal human being and friends by white people “
Who were the commonwealth troops?
- Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and Indians served in the British Army
- They were largely welcomed
- There were over 40,000 marriages between Canadian servicemen and British women
How were prisoners of war treated?
-Italian and German men were generally treated well
> given the same food rations as British civilians
> had access to medical care paid wages
- around 25,000 German POWs adopted Britain as their new home
What affect did the polish have in Britain?
- Around 120,000 chose to settle in Britain.
- They were generally popular, and Churchill insisted that houses, training and work should be provided
What attitudes were their about women workers during the war, and how were these attitudes presented?
- Many skilled jobs were broken down into several simpler jobs for woman
- almost 40% of woman worked in munitions factories during the war, which were not needed after the war
- women in the Auxiliary services helped the men rather than replaced them, they never flew aircraft or sailed ships
- Recruitment posters emphasised glamour and being feminine
All women aged twenty or over had to register for war work, what did these roles include?
- Manufacture / repairs of cars and air crafts
- Local government fire service
- Chemicals / explosives
- Farming ~ land army
- Banking / insurance
- Civil servants
Why was being part of the war effort challenging for women?
- They had to juggle work and home.
- cooking, cleaning, washing, shopping and child care took up a lot of time on top of their long hours at work.
- This was a major change as before the war women had surrendered their rights to work by getting married
How did the war affect children’s health?
- Children’s health benefited from the war
- children from the poorest areas who were evacuated generally ate better food and lived in a healthier environment
How was schooling affected by the war?
- most schools in urban areas were closed, because it was expected that most children would be evacuated with their teachers.
> only 50% were. - For children who were evacuated, schooling continued, but not always in a school ; village and parish halls were used as well as scout huts
How did children suffer during the war?
- Lost family and friends
- Disease
- Accidents
- Separation from their family for long periods of time
- Some treated badly at their evacuation home
What did the BEVERIDGE report identify?
- Five giant evils in a British society > Disease > Ignorance > Squalor > Want > Idleness
What were Beveridge’s principles?
- Universality; all British people would eligible for benifits
- National Insurance
- Family Allowance
- Free health care
- Benefits for the unemployed and sick
Who introduced the NHS?
- The labour health minister, Aneurin Bevan
