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
