Theme 2 a 2 - The impact of the Second World War

Question 1

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<p>What happened to the role of the state due to WW2?</p>

Answer 1

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<p><strong>It enlarged the role of the state!</strong></p>

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<ul> <li><strong>Government</strong>- became <strong>responsible</strong> for <strong>directing the economy</strong> in order to ensure that <strong>troops</strong> and <strong>workers</strong> were <strong>supplied!</strong></li> <li>The state <strong>took on powers</strong> to ensure the <strong>welfare of the population</strong> and <strong>state provision </strong>of welfare <strong>increased significantly!</strong></li></ul>

Question 2

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<p>When was the Beveridge Report published?</p>

Answer 2

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<p>December, 1942</p>

Question 3

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<p>What was published in December, 1942?</p>

Answer 3

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<p>The Beveridge Report!</p>

Question 4

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<p>What did evacuations do?</p>

Answer 4

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<p>Moved children out of cities to the countryside in order to protect them from the bombings!</p>

Question 5

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<p>How many children did the first evacuation relocate?</p>

Answer 5

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<p>1.5 million children!</p>

Question 6

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<p>What was the problem with evacuations? (who was in charge and what did he assume?)</p>

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Answer 6

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<ul> <li>Evacuation authorities, l<strong>ed by Home Secretary Sir John Anderson</strong> - did <strong>not cater</strong> for the <strong>needs</strong> of the <strong>evacuees</strong>!</li></ul>

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<ul> <li><strong>Private charity</strong> was <strong>not sufficent enough</strong> to meet the <strong>needs of the evacuees</strong> and in the initial evacuations, children from poor homes were transported to the countryside <strong>without spare clothes, bedding or food!</strong></li></ul>

Question 7

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<p>What did the government learn from the mistakes of previous evacuations?</p>

Answer 7

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<ul> <li>They ensured that the <strong>children</strong> were provided with the <strong>essentials</strong>!</li></ul>

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<ul> <li><strong>Social workers </strong>were made available to <strong>help children </strong>who were<strong> distressed</strong>!</li></ul>

Question 8

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<p>What did the government introduce which took control of peoples lives more than ever before and brought together sectors of the society that may never have met?</p>

Answer 8

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<ul> <li>They <strong>evacuated children</strong> from <strong>poor urban centres</strong> to <strong>safe areas</strong> in the<strong> countryside</strong>!</li></ul>

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<ul> <li>They introduced<strong> rationing-</strong>made people feel <strong>more equal </strong>as everybody was suffering hardship for the war effort- and yet rationing, with shortages of unhealthy foodstuffs, <strong>made people generally healthier!</strong></li></ul>

Question 9

<p><br></br>When was rationing first introduced?</p>

Answer 9

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<p>January 1940</p>

Question 10

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<p>1) What were the first items to be rationed?</p>

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<p>2) What items followed the course of the next year?</p>

Answer 10

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<p>1) Bacon, butter and sugar ( which British people consumed in prodigious quantities).</p>

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<p>2) Cooking fat, meat, tea, jam and eggs.</p>

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Question 11

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<p>What system was introduced so people could buy items such as biscuits, tinned fruit and fish each month to add more variety to their diet?</p>

Answer 11

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<p>A complex points system!</p>

Question 12

<p><br></br>What food items were not rationed?</p>

Answer 12

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<p>Items such as bread and people grew vegetables in great quantities!</p>

Question 13

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<p>Why did nutritionists believe was the impact of food rationing?</p>

Answer 13

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<ul> <li>Believed that the <strong>British diet improved</strong> as <strong>less healthy foods</strong> tended to be<strong> unavailable</strong> and were <strong>supplemented by healthier foods</strong>- so people were generally healthier!</li></ul>

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<ul> <li><strong>Alcohol and tobacco</strong>, while not rationed, were in <strong>short supply</strong>- the price of a <strong>pint of beer doubled</strong> from <strong>3p </strong>to <strong>7p </strong>between <strong>1939 </strong>and <strong>1942</strong>.</li></ul>

Question 14

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<p>Between what years did a pint of beer double from 3p to 7p?</p>

Answer 14

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<p>1939 and 1942</p>

Question 15

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<p>When were clothes rationed?</p>

Answer 15

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<p>From June 1941</p>

Question 16

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<p>What was the yearly allowance ofcoupons for clothes?</p>

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<p>How many coupons did a womans dress take up?</p>

Answer 16

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<p>66 coupons</p>

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<p>Womans dress- 11 coupons</p>

Question 17

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<p>What clothing was introduced and why was this?</p>

Answer 17

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<p>Utility clothing, based on simple styles to save on material!</p>

Question 18

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<p>Why did washing become problematic?</p>

Answer 18

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<p>There were <strong>restrictions</strong> on <strong>coal</strong> and <strong>fuel</strong> for<strong> heating</strong>, exhortations to only have<strong> shallow baths</strong> and <strong>soap </strong>was <strong>rationed </strong>to a measly <strong>three ounces per month!</strong></p>

Question 19

<p><br></br>What were the effects of rationing?</p>

Answer 19

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<ul> <li>There was a <strong>thriving black market</strong>- and <strong>many items</strong> were <strong>availbale</strong> for a price that only <strong>certain sections of the population could afford</strong>.</li></ul>

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<ul> <li>Genuine feeling that<strong> rationing equalised society</strong> and <strong>enhanced</strong> the <strong>feeling</strong> that everyone was making a <strong>sacrafice for the war effort</strong>.</li></ul>

Question 20

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<p>Improved diet</p>

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<p>What did the governments Food Policy Committee chaired by Clement Attlee authorise?</p>

Answer 20

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<p>Subsidised milk and heating fuel for mothers with small children!</p>

Question 21

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<p>How was there an imrovement in diet due to rationing?</p>

Answer 21

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<p><strong>1 third </strong>of the population who had been unable to eat enough during the depression, found their standards of living improve, even during a period of rationing!</p>

Question 22

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<p>What did the Beveridge report do?</p>

Answer 22

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<p>Set out a vision of post-war Britain in which state welfare conquered the five evils of:</p>

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<ul> <li>Squalor</li> <li>Ignorance</li> <li>Want</li> <li>Idleness</li> <li>Disease</li></ul>

Question 23

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<p>What were the 5 evils in the Beveridge report?</p>

Answer 23

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<ul> <li>Squalor</li> <li>Idleness</li> <li>Want</li> <li>Disease</li> <li>Ignorance</li></ul>

Question 24

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<p>Who was the Beveridge report written by and why?</p>

Answer 24

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<p><strong>William Beveridge in 1942</strong>- as part of broader attempts by the government to plan the reconstruction of Britain after the end of the war.</p>

Question 25

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<p>What did the Beveridge report, 1942 advocate?</p>

Answer 25

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<ul> <li>Advocated a <strong>new relationship</strong> of <strong>co-operation</strong> betweenthe <strong>state</strong> and the <strong>individual</strong>.</li></ul>

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<ul> <li>He was <strong>not suggesting</strong> that the <strong>state should take over the responsibility for the running of peoples lives.</strong></li></ul>

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<ul> <li>He was <strong>keen to provide welfare</strong>, but also <strong>preserve the independence</strong> of the British people.</li></ul>

Question 26

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<p>What benefits did the Beveridge Report advocate and what did it reject?</p>

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<p>What did he argue?</p>

Answer 26

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<ul> <li>Advocated<strong> universal benefits</strong>- <strong>rejecting the means test </strong>introduced in the <strong>1930s</strong>.</li></ul>

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<ul> <li>He argued for<strong> flat rate of contributions</strong> from <strong>all wage earners to pay</strong> for the<strong> welfare benefits </strong>and a<strong> flat rate of benefit</strong> irrespective of <strong>individual circumstances</strong>.</li></ul>

Question 27

<p><br></br>What were the reactions to the Beveridge Report?</p>

Answer 27

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<ul> <li>His <strong>vision</strong> was extremely <strong>popular</strong>, selling over <strong>635,000 </strong>copies!</li></ul>

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<ul> <li>It was used as <strong>propaganda</strong>- British troops stationed overseas were<strong> sent copies </strong>to <strong>encourage them to fight better!</strong></li></ul>

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<ul> <li>It seemed to <strong>articulate the hopes</strong> of most Britons of a Britain free of poverty!</li></ul>

Question 28

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<p>The Beveridge Report</p>

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<p>The Ministry of information monitored public opinion and what did they find?</p>

Answer 28

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<ul> <li>They found the report to have<strong> support from all elements of society!</strong></li></ul>

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<ul> <li>It was well received by all of Britains newspapers too, including <em><strong>The Times</strong></em> and <em><strong>Telegraph</strong></em> which traditionally supported small government and low taxes.</li></ul>

Question 29

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<p>What newspapers supported The Beveridge Report, 1942?</p>

Answer 29

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<p><em><strong>The Times</strong></em> and<em><strong> Telegraph</strong></em>!</p>