London And The Second World War 1939-45

Question 1

When did ww2 start?

Answer 1

1939

Question 2

When did the ‘blitz’ begin?

Answer 2

7 September 1940

Question 3

How did the WW2 begin?

Answer 3

Broke out in 1939, london was expected to be a target for german attack. After a few test raids, the ‘blitz’ finally began on 7 September 1940 as hitler prepared for an invasion of britain.

Question 4

The context of london in the second world war?

Answer 4

Important target for the germans. It was a seat of government, capital city and home of the royal family. It was also a major port and transport hub , a centre for industry and it was densely populated. Londons fall could have a dramatic effect on britains empire

Question 5

What was the problem with the thames?

Answer 5

Made an easy route finder for pilots. In night raids, the moonlight shone on the thames, which was clearly visible from the air. The area was also close to the channel and therefore near to occupied europe.

Question 6

What was the Ministry of information?

Answer 6

Created in September 1939, was the central government department responsible for propaganda and publicity

Question 7

How did London prepare for the war?

Answer 7

• gas masks issued to all Londoners following munich crisis
• air raid precautions act required local government to set up air raid precautions
• LCC organised fire, ambulance and heavy rescue services and care for homeless
• boroughs set up local ARP wardens
• recruits called civil defence, they were volunteers
• London’s children evacuated into country side
• national service brochure offered fees for rural families willing to take evacuees
• policy of dispersal, families offered Anderson shelters if did not have garden

Question 8

Who shared the planning for the war in london?

Answer 8

Between london county council and 28 borough councils

Question 9

Who controlled the propaganda?

Answer 9

Londons civil servants created propaganda and ensured censorship effectively controlled public information.

Question 10

Why was propaganda used?

Answer 10

To maintain morale and encourage people to support the war effort. Part of this aimed to influence attitudes about the blitz

Question 11

What was the ‘blitz spirit’?

Answer 11

Government helped create it, where a united british population , from worker to royalty , weathered the storm together and stood defiant

Question 12

How long did the first blitz attack last and what happened?

Answer 12

• 12 hours, over 400 were killed and 1600 seriously injured.

- attacks focused on London’s east end, especially the docks , industries and railways

Question 13

What was the first blitz called?

Answer 13

Black Saturday.

Question 14

After 19th September what was the blitz’ aims?

Answer 14

High death tolls, serious urban damage and disruption of essential services. Conventional heavy bombing killed 28000 and wounded 25000

Question 15

What were the types of bombs used 1940-41?

Answer 15

• incendiaries
• high explosives
• mines

Question 16

What are incendiaries?

Answer 16

Dropped mainly by the first wave of bombers, started the fires used by bombers as targets , fires caused about 90 % of the bombing damage

Question 17

What are high explosives?

Answer 17

Mainly dropped by later waves, some had delayed fuses to harm rescue workers

Question 18

What were mines?

Answer 18

Most powerful , dropped by parachute so attacks were silent and hard to detect.

Question 19

What were the stages of the blitz

Answer 19

1940: targeted bombing of military bases , industry , energy supplies and communication.
1941: shift to attacking morale: civilians and homes, national treasures, industry, communications
The ‘lull’ may 1941-1944: irregular, retaliatory raids, not every night
Baby blitz 1944: few raids got though in these attacks, but monthly casualties jumped from 58-948
V1 and v2 raids, 1944-1945: german attacks switched to pilotless aircraft

Question 20

What was the impact of V1 and V2 rockets?

Answer 20

• civilian morale very low and factory workers were often absent from work
• more evacuations began and underground filled with civilian seeking shelter.
• governments popularity fell as people felt unprotected
• almost 30000 houses were destroyed and almost 29000 people were killed or inured

Question 21

What was the V1 ‘flying bomb’?

Answer 21

Hit london targets in daytime, caused extensive damage and deaths, didn’t trigger air raid warnings because they flew so low, so getting to air raid shelters was difficult , most casualties were caused bu flying glass from the explosion

Question 22

What was the V2 rocket?

Answer 22

First ballistic missile (rocket carrying a warhead), so fast that it exploded before people heard it coming , attacks continued until the launch sites were captured by the allies in europe

Question 23

What was the V2 attack on deptford in 1944?

Answer 23

First V2 attack to be widely reported hit new cross, deptford. Woolworths , a large store was struck on a Saturday lunchtime when many were shopping. About 160 were killed and 200 injured

Question 24

How was civilian life effected?

Answer 24

Civilian daily life was effected every way possible. Many efforts were made to carry on life as normal people could in the circumstances , including keeping up morale by enjoying leisure time.

Question 25

How were air raid precautions dealt with?

Answer 25

Government policy on shelters changed over time. Underground stations were opened due to public demand for deep shelters. Conditions gradually improved and beds were set up . Although the public felt safer in underground stations , some were hit by bombs.

Question 26

Problem with communal shelters?

Answer 26

Dirty and overcrowded. Fights and drinking

Question 27

What was mickys shelter?

Answer 27

Local optician formed a committee to run the local shelter. Providing cleaning, beds, gp services and a canteen.

Question 28

When did the Morrison shelter come in?

Answer 28

March 1941

Question 29

What did the government do when there were disasters?

Answer 29

Censored them to stop morale being hurt.

Question 30

What happened at the south hallsville school disaster?

Answer 30

• 1940
• about 1000 homeless Londoners were staying at school on 10 September 1940 when it was hit in a bombing raid. They had been due to evacuate the day before. The reporting of the incident was banned because of the impact on morale. Casualty reporte varied widely.

Question 31

What happened at the bethnal green disaster ?

Answer 31

• 1943
• after a heavy allied raid over germany, 1500 people used the bethnal green tube shelter as they expected a revenge attack. New anticraft rockets were fired from nearby, causing panic. A woman with a baby fell, and 173 people died as people pushed to get to safety. Government investigations were kept secret until after the war

Question 32

What were continuing leisure activities during WW

Answer 32

Cinema: wartime audiences increased by more than half, a useful tool for promoting propaganda and unity
Dance halls: large dance halls stayed open through the war
Football: crowds were limited 8000 in london. Many professionals played in exhibition matches
Theatre: later afternoon performances and government subsidised lunch concerts proved very popular

Question 33

How did the blitz affect morale and how did the government react?

Answer 33

First weeks of the blitz intensified class tensions as the working class east end suffered most. The underground was focused in the richer west end , and thousands went their focus.
Governments censored the information released to the public. Propaganda campaigns were used to boost morale, encourage 'safe' behaviour , increase support for the war and warn against spies

Question 34

How daily life and work was disrupted?

Answer 34

• system of food and clothes rationing was introduced
• unexploded bombs kept people away from their homes until were made safe
• civil defence volunteers dealt with death and horrific injuries on a massive scale.
• more than 54000 people were killed and injured from September 1940-may 1941
• population of inner london fell as those who could , moved to safer areas
• limited transport and night time blackouts made getting to work and travel difficult
• bombing disrupted gas, electricity and water supplies
• first six weeks of the blitz around 250000 Londoners were made homeless

Question 35

How did continued presence of the royal family help with londons response?

Answer 35

• stayed in london during the blitz : stayed visible , visiting bombed communities , boosting morale
• king George VI And Queen elizabeth were pictured among the rubble at Buckingham palace following a hit there
• presented britain as united with even the most privileged suffering ‘equally’

Question 36

How did cabinet war rooms help london cope?

Answer 36

• government stayed in london so as mot to be seen as abandoning Londoners
• cabinet war rooms sheltered churchill and his wartime government from the blitz
• from these rooms , the government led the war . The map room was the centre of activity

Question 37

How safeguarding art and buildings helped london cope?

Answer 37

• protecting landmarks and national collections was important for morale
• some museums and galleries set up special underground storage:national gallery sent paintings to a welsh quarry; british muesem stored treasures in an unused tube station
• sand bags were used and stained glass windows removed to protect key buildings , but some were destroyed
• survival of st pauls cathedral became a symbol of londons resistance, with special firewatchers and stores of water set up in the building.

Question 38

How the use of public spaces(dig for victory) helped london cope?

Answer 38

• dig for victory was a government campaign set up by british ministry of agriculture . Civilians across country were encouraged to grow their own food because of shortages and rationing
• public spaces , like victoria park in hackney , were turned into allotments . The green areas in front of the tower of london were turned into vegetables patches
• posters and leaflets were produced as part pf a countrywide propaganda campaign intended to ensure that people had enough to eat and that civilian morale was kept high.