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History Josh > London and the Blitz > Flashcards

London and the Blitz Flashcards

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1
Q

London as a target - the government

A

London was the centre of the British government and the destruction of government buildings and the killing of civil servants will slow the war effort and there was a chance of leading figures being killed

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2
Q

London as a target - a port

A

London was an important port for the country as Britain depended on international shipping for food and military supplies. Destroying the docks will slow the war effort and lower food supplied leading to the lowering of civilian morale

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3
Q

London as a target - industry

A

London was a heavy and light industrial centre for Britain. Destroying facotries and transport will damage the war efforts

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4
Q

London as a target - population

A

The population of London in 1939 was 8.6 millio. To kill enemy civilians would damage morale

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5
Q

London as a target - Geography

A
  • London is closer to Europe which made bombinf squadrons fly less distance.
  • The Thames made a perfect route finder as the moonlight would glint of it
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6
Q

London City Council

A

Responsible for the fire serce, ambulance service and heavy rescue service
Under the aire raid precautions act, they were required to set up an air raid precaution system

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7
Q

Boroughs

A

Responsible for first aid and setting up air raid wardens (1 for every 500)

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8
Q

Evacuation

A
  • The plan to move all children and most mothers out of the city so they would not get bombed
  • This needed to happen before the war as air raids were expected to be imminent
  • Schools were evacuated
  • Families would be asked by the national service to take in children, they were paid for this
  • Began on 1st September 1939
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9
Q

Gas Masks

A
  • Gas attacks had been expected due to the Germans using them in World War One
  • The government made an order for them after the Munich crisis
  • Men were tsken off work to speed up the process of assembling them
  • They were issued for free and people were expected to carry them at all times. A replacement cost £5
  • However people stopped carrying them when no gas attacks occured
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10
Q

Air raid shelters

A
  • The government did not want to large air raod shelters, so they asked for small subsurface shelters with one per household
  • The government insisted they would reduce casualties
  • They also insisted that that people would be more willing to leave these than deep level shelters
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11
Q

Anderson shelters

A
  • Shelters made out of earth and corrogated iron
  • Sunken into the ground
  • Designed by John Anderson, Home Secretary
  • For the working class family
  • Designed to act as a shock absorber
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12
Q

Morrison shelters

A

Inside versions of Anderson shelters that were steel cages

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13
Q

German air raids

A
  • Started in September 1940
  • Lasted until May 1941
  • Killed 28,556 and injured over 25,000
  • Hitler’s originial plan was to soften up London for an invasion by destroying military installations, industry and energy supply centres
  • However his plan changed
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14
Q

Hitlers’s new targets

A
  • Hitler aimed for civilians and their homes to lower morale, create a high death rate and cause lots of damage
  • He also targeted national treasures such as St Paul’s cathedral
  • He also targeted industry and communications to hinder war efforts
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15
Q

Black Saturday

A
  • Started at 5pm on Saturday 7th September 1940
  • 400 killed and 1600 injured
  • Concentrated on the East End where there was a high military presence so that they could invade easily
  • The invasion was cancelled so the attacks spread over the rest of London
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16
Q

Sources to use for a case study - Memories

A
  • Memories of events were collect from people who loved through the event
  • May not be accurate on details but will fit context and create a vivid image
17
Q

Sources to use for a case study - Diaries

A
  • Only recorded what people knew

- But do make it clear what people thought at the time

18
Q

Sources to use for a case study - official records

A
  • Were classified at the time
  • Reliable
  • They were what the government knew
  • Does not show effect on civilians
19
Q

Sources to use for a case study - Newspapers and radio transcripts

A
  • Shows what was public information and what was censored
  • Reliable statistics
  • Not necessarily first hand
20
Q

Sources to use for a case study - ARP

A
  • ARP sections recorded each bomb that fell and showed the damage
  • Plotted on a map that showed the overall damage in the LCC bomb damage
21
Q

The South Hallsville school disaster

A
  • In the first nights of the Blitz, 16,000 people became homeless in the East End, more than the planners had prepared for
  • Many schools were used as temporary relief centres
  • Over a thousand were put into South Hallsville school to be prepared for evacuation
  • The buses did turn up whilst an air raid was in progress, the buses went away and planned to evacuate the day after. That night the school was bombed
22
Q

Impact of the South Hallsville disaster

A
  • Some EastEnders left without official evacuation
  • People blamed the Civil Defence Systems
  • The government banned it in the press as it was too damaging for morale
23
Q

Mass shelters

A
  • Many people were not happy with the provision of shelters amd the government policies of dispersion
  • In the East End, there were few spaces for shelters and did not feel safe in them
  • Underground stations and crypts of churches were used
  • A famous was built under the Spittalfields fruit and wool exchange
24
Q

Mickey’s shelter

A
  • The shelter in Spittalfields was large enough to fill in 5000 people, however this went over and conditions were hot, sweaty and people fainted
  • Optician Mickey Davis’ shop had been destroyed
  • He was out of work and he needed a job
  • So he took over the shelter
25
Q

Mickey’s reforms

A
  • Organised beds and cleaning
  • Persuaded a GP to visit and provide free healthcare
  • Persuaded a canteen to be built by Marks and Spencer
  • Used the profit from the canteen to provide free milk for children
  • Persuaded the local authority to recognise it as a shelter and put in toilets and bunks
26
Q

Incendiary bombs in World War Two

A
  • Dropped by the first wave of bombers
  • Started fires and they were used later as targets
  • Fires got out of control and enflicted more damage
27
Q

High explosives in the Blitz

A

Dropped to have a delayed explosion and then kill rescue workers

28
Q

Mines in the blitz

A

Bombs dropped with parachutes to make them silent. Exploded when they touched metal so they often did not detonate

29
Q

Problems dealing with incendaries

A
  • Incendaries needed to be put out quickly pr they could wuickly burn down a house
  • People were encouraged to keep a water bucket or a sandbag handy
  • But this meant they had to sit outside the shelter to monitor their houses during air raids
  • Residential areas set up rudimentary fire brigades but business premises were vulnerable which led to the Second Fire of London on 29th December 1940 in which 1500 died in fired were reported in centeral London
30
Q

Fire Brigades in the Blitz

A
  • The fire brigade was stressed in the Blitz with people working 48 hours on, 24 off
  • People putting out their own fires was not working
  • On 31 December, home secretary, Herbet Morrison, asekd people to volunteer for fire-watching
  • This still was not enough so conscription was introduced
31
Q

Changes in government policies on shelters

A
  • Air raids were almost comtinuous from September to May
  • The government realised Anderson shelters were not enough so they admitted undergrounds needed to be used
  • Facilities were improved with thousands of bunks set up by spring 1941
32
Q

Disprupted life for Londoners

A
  • Transport was disrupted
  • The Blackout made night travel difficult
  • Gas, electrical and water supplied were disrupted
  • Homelessness, in the first six weeks of the blitz 250,000 Londoners were made homless and only 7000 were rehomed
  • There was looting of bombed houses and people lost sleep
33
Q

Concerns about morale

A
  • The government was concerned about morale during the blitz as there was a large class conflict as the bombed properties were in the East End which was the target and were the lower classes lived
  • Thousands moved west and demanded to use the Savoy Hotel’s luxury shelter where there were journalists. This story was not printed due to censorship but the War Cabinet discussed it the next day and agreed to relax class laws
34
Q

Shelter life

A
  • Conditions in communal shelters were poor as people could not wash themselves
  • People had to use chemical toilets
  • But people felt safe and the bombs could not be heard in the underground

History Josh (13 decks)

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