Recruitment, conscription, censorship, propaganda

Question 1

How many infantry divisions did the British have in August 1914?

Answer 1

6

Question 2

What were the branches of the British army in 1914?

Answer 2

British Expeditionary Force (small, professional, regular) and British Territorial Army (part-time reservists)

Question 3

How many did the British government expect would voluntarily enlist each month?

Answer 3

100,000

Question 4

Between early August-September, how many men enlisted during the ‘August Madness’?

Answer 4

500,000

Question 5

Who founded the Pals Battalions?

Answer 5

Lord Derby

Question 6

What was an indication of declining British enlistment numbers by mid 1915?

Answer 6

22,000 men enlisted in a month

Question 7

What was the first measure taken after enlistment numbers declined in 1915?

Answer 7

Physical requirements, such as height requirements, were relaxed; age increased from 30 to 40

Question 8

What was the Derby Scheme, and was it successful?

Answer 8

National register; upon being called up, men were requested to voluntarily enlist

Question 9

When was conscription first introduced?

Answer 9

Military Service Act 1916 (January)

Question 10

Who was conscription first introduced for?

Answer 10

Single men 18-40, excluding clergymen, Irishmen, those working in essential industries, etc.

Question 11

When were conscription laws modified?

Answer 11

Military Service Act 1916 (May)

Question 12

What were conscription laws modified to?

Answer 12

Included all men, married or single

Question 13

How many conscientious objectors registered over the course of the war?

Answer 13

16,000

Question 14

What were the potential consequences of conscientious objection?

Answer 14

Court martial and could be gaoled

Question 15

How many conscientious objects were gaoled at least once throughout the war?

Answer 15

16,000

Question 16

What was the age range for German conscription before the war?

Answer 16

Every 17-45 year old male liable for service

Question 17

During August 1914, how many army divisions were there in Germany?

Answer 17

94

Question 18

Was the system of German recruitment effective?

Answer 18

Upon commencement of hostilities, martial law. Reservists and new armaments quickly added–highly effective

Question 19

What was the size of the German army by 1916?

Answer 19

Peacetime size of 800,000–>5.8 million by 1916

Question 20

What was the impact of DORA on censorship?

Answer 20

Almost unlimited ability to suppress and control information

Question 21

Which organisation controlled information, including that provided to the press, during early war in Britain?

Answer 21

Secret War Propaganda Bureau

Question 22

From February 1917-1918, which government department controlled war information in Britain?

Answer 22

Department of Information

Question 23

Which departments did the Department of Information amalgamate?

Answer 23

Foreign Office News Department, Neutral Press Committee

Question 24

From February 1918 onwards, which government department controlled war information in Britain?

Answer 24

Ministry of Information

Question 25

Who was the Ministry of Information headed by?

Answer 25

Lord Beaverbrook, newspaper tycoon

Question 26

At the height of the war, how many letters were censored per day?

Answer 26

375,000

Question 27

How were soldiers censored on the war front?

Answer 27

Mail censored to varying degrees by regimental officers-details of value to the enemy; forbidden to keep diaries, but some men did so illicitly

Question 28

How was information censored in Germany?

Answer 28

German War News from the military only. Information from the front tightly controlled; news of peace moves, international movements to broker peace etc. censored

Question 29

How was information about casualties conveyed to the German people?

Answer 29

Casualty figures extensively falsified from 1916. Death figures not published.

Question 30

How did the British attempt to create an impression of the impartiality of their propaganda?

Answer 30

Used commercial companies such as the Oxford University Press to make publications such as pamphlets appear impartial

Question 31

What were the main purposes of British propaganda?

Answer 31

Maintaining home front morale, promoting voluntary enlistment, attacking those not seeming to sufficiently support the war effort, promoting anti-German feeling and the war as a moral crusade

Question 32

What was a main feature of German propaganda?

Answer 32

Many artists from conservative middle class–poster themes often deeply rooted in romantic/mediaeval legends

Question 33

What was one of the main failures of German propaganda?

Answer 33

Failure to connect with many ordinary citizens-use of elitist figures (intellectuals, military authorities) to transmit message

Question 34

What was one of the primary differences between German and British propaganda?

Answer 34

Germans did not need to promote recruitment

Question 35

What was one of the primary purposes of German propaganda?

Answer 35

Justify German actions-encirclement; argued that invasion was a defensive response