London And The Second World War 1939-45 Flashcards
Why was London an important target?
It had a major port
Seat of government
Home of the royal family
Heavily populated
Capital city
What preparations in 1939 did Britain make for the war?
Gas masks issued to everybody
Air raid precautions required
Local ARP wardens set up
London children all evacuated
How was propaganda used at the start of the blitz?
It was used to maintain morale
Influence attitudes
‘Blitz spirit’ created
What and when was black saturday?
7th Spet 1940
The true start of the first blitz
What types of bombs were used between 1940 - 1941?
Incindiary bombs - started fires and used as beacons
High explosive - pure damage
Mines - very powerful and silent as dropped by parachute
What were the impacts of the v1 and v2 bombs?
Heavily lowered civilian morale
More evacuations began and the undreground filled with civilians
Gov popularity fell - civilians felt unprotected
30,000 houses destroyed
29,000 people killed or injured
What was the v1 rocket and what was it used for?
Unmanned, flying bomb that was fast and didnt set of air raid sirens. Caused hih damage and deaths.
What was the v2 rocket and what was it used for?
First ever ballistic missile. It was hypersonic and continued launching till launch sites were found and captured in france.
What was the v2 attack on deptford 1944?
First reported v2 attack hit a large woolworths and killed around 160 people.
How did air raid precautions change during the blitz?
Many tube stations were opened up as civilians felt safer inside. Communal shelters were often overcrowded.
What leisure activities continued into the blitz?
The use of cinema grew and was used for propaganda.
Dance halls.
Football was still played but crowds were limited to 8000
Theatre still went ahead and gov subsided lunches were v popular.
What was the south hallsville school disaster 1940?
1000 homeless people were staying in a school when it was hit by a bombing raid. Reporting of the incident was banned.
What was the Bethnel green disaster 1943?
People in bethnal green were rushing to a tube station due to an expected attack. New nearby anti air rockets were fired but people got scared and rushed into the station. A woman with a baby fell and 173 people died. Gov investigations were kept a secret until after the war.
How was daily work and life affected during the blitz?
Rationing for food and clothes introduced
Population of central london fell as those who could move, did.
Limited transport and blackouts made commuting difficult.
Bombing distrupted gas and water supplies
250,000 made homeless in first six weeks.
Unexploded bombs kept people away from their homes.
More that 54,000 killed and injured between Sept 1940 - May 1941
How did London respond to the war? (Within Britain)
The royal family stayed in London boosting morale
The government remained in London and operated from the cabinet war rooms - didn’t abandon Londoners
Protected landmarks and artwork - art galleries and museums stored treasures elsewhere (survival of st pauls cathedral became symbol of resistance)
‘Dig for victory’ and use of public spaces increased morale and food supply
