Scotland And The Era Of The Great War Flashcards
1
Q
Why did men join the Great War?
A
- Propaganda: Posters, adverts encouraging men to enlist
- Pressure: white feathers - cowards
- Pals Battalions: pals enlist together eg 1914 entire Hearts football team signed up - resulted in 500 other men enlisting
- Sense of duty: fight for king & country
- Martial Race: Scots seen as natural warriors - encouraged to prove this
- Adventure: sense of excitement and a desire for adventure esp for young men who believed it would be better than life at home
- Money: Many joined as wages in the army were decent compared to low wages for many working class men
- Conscription: forced to join the army after 1916 - all able bodied men >18
- Professional Recruiters: Horacio Bottomley who called himself an ‘unofficial recruiter of the empire’ used encouraging phrases such as “every past son is automatically wiped out”
2
Q
Describe life for Scots in the trenches
A
- Had to dig trenches deep enough for a man to walk (network of trenches stretched for 400 miles from Channel coast to border w Switzerland - Western Front)
- Trenches often flooded & soldiers used duck boards for walking on
- Rats - running across faces when soldiers slept
- Trench Foot - wet & muddy conditions meant many soldiers suffered from Trench afoot. This was caused by the feet being continually submerged in water - lead to amputation
- Lice - the kilt worn by Scottish soldiers had severe disadvantages in these conditions as it harboured life in the folds
- Often stationed on the front line for long periods of time. For example, the Black Watch once served for 48 days without a break
- Laidlaw played the bagpipes at the Battle of the Somme
- Troops would be sent over the top in frontal assaults, resulting in high numbers of casualties
- Boredom and waiting - often sleep deprivation too
- Shell shock
3
Q
Describe new technology on the Western front
A
- Using a developed railway station - meant supplies could be sent quicker and easier than any other war
- hand grenades such as the Mills Bomb which were used in close combat fighting
- Machine gun - Vickers machine gun could fire 500 bullets a minute
- Artillery - idea was the artillery should fire just ahead of the attacking infantry
- Gas - Ypres 1915 Germans 1st used Chlorine gas - mustard gas used by both sides caused blindness
- Tanks - 1st ones called land ships and firing range 2.5m
- Aeroplanes- mostly for gathering intelligence - later many fighter planes filled w/ machine guns
4
Q
Describe Loos 1915
A
- Historians describe it as a Scottish battlefield due to high numbers of Scottish troops that fought
- 20 Scottish regiments fought at Loos = 300,000 troops
- Scots captures the village of Loos but had to return
- Losses were high eg 1/3 dead = Scottish
- 5 Scots awarded Victoria Cross for bravery at Loos
- Piper Daniel Laidlaw was credited for his courage
5
Q
Describe the Battle of the Somme 1916
A
- Scottish battlefield
- 3 Scottish divisions attacked during the early part of the offensive
- General Haig was Scottish and criticised for his orders (Butcher of the Somme)
- Scots were ferocious which helped lower German morale
- Many Scots died during the disastrous campaign
- Laidlaw played bagpipes to encourage Scots to fight
6
Q
Describe the Battle of Arras 1917
A
- 10 Scottish divisions fought
- 1/3 casualties Scots
- Bc of new technologies attack was more successful
- Scottish battlefield
- Bagpipes
7
Q
Describe DORA
A
- On 8th August, 1914, the British govt passed the Defence Against The Realm Act
- Gave the govt power
- Defend the country from attacks/ spies
- The Act was extended 3 times during the war
8
Q
Describe the military laws from the DORA
A
- Railway and docks came under military law
- Special police were used = not go to war
- Air raid precautions were introduced
- Windows has to be blackened out
- Workers were sent to where they were needed most - eg women sent to work in Gretna Munitions Factory
9
Q
Describe alcohol laws under DORA
A
- Concerns over the effect of drunkenness
- Drunk workers not do a good job
- Pub opening hours reduced: 12-2.30 + 6.30-9
- Pubs were forbidden to open on a Sunday
- Tax increased
- Conviction for drunkenness in Scotland fell by 7%
10
Q
Describe land use laws under DORA
A
- Councils took land to grow more food
- Impact on the Highlands as landowners had land for deer + grouse shooting = :(
- Crofters could bow access this land fro crops
11
Q
Describe the Alien Registration Act (DORA)
A
- Alien Registration Act 1914
- Required all foreign citizens to register as aliens at their local police station
- Restrictions were placed
- Failure to register could lead to a fine or imprisonment
12
Q
What was no one allowed to do under DORA
A
- talk about naval or military matters in public places
- spread rumours about military matters
- spread rumours about military matters
- buy binoculars
- trespass on railway lines or bridges
- melt down gold or silver
- Light bonfires or fireworks
- give bread to horses or chickens
- Use invisible ink when writing abroad
13
Q
Why did the govt introduce DORA?
A
- Give the govt power + control
- Protect the country
- Help the war effort - good workforce = good products
- War affects everyone - universal approach
- Defend Against Spies
- Enough food
14
Q
Why did people get fed up of DORA?
A
- Discrimination
- Trivial, silly, condescending
- Social life - trust? Paranoia
- Landowners
- Separation
- Undermined basic freedoms
- Fear
- Govt kept expanding it
- Restrictions - alcohol
15
Q
Describe the effects of propaganda on the home front
A
- Reports of Germans killing civilians in newspapers
- Anti-German feelings grew
- British royal family had to change its name from Saxe-Coberg to Windsor
- German civilians were arrested as aliens and put in prison
- Dachshund dogs were beaten in the streets
- People refused to sing silent night (originally it was in German)
- People refused to attend concerts featuring the works of Bach + Beethoven
