Unit 3 Flashcards
Martial tradition
- the Webster and Dempster family lost 3 sons - they wanted to emulate their ancestors
Thus- Scot’s volunteered to emulate their ancestors and to gain a reputation back home
Media
- Scottish papers reported Germans were bayonetting babies
Thus Scot’s volunteered because they were surrounded by different things all around them
Unemployment
- 36% of miners in East Lothian were unemployed
Scot’s volunteered because they were desperate to find a way to provide for their families
Propaganda
- the kilted soldier was put on many posters as the model of bravery
Scot’s volunteered because they believed that Scot’s were the best and wanted to prove it
Posters
- there were posters with a kilted soldier that said “Do your duty for king and Country”
Scot’s volunteered because posters were everywhere and so men were always under pressure to sign up
Women’s actions
- suffragette hq in Glasgow stopped campaigning to hand out feathers to men who hadn’t volunteered
Scot’s volunteered because they were publicly shamed and signed up to meet expectations
Pals battalion
- former PM Lord Rosebury created a bantam battalion in Edinburgh
Scot’s volunteered because they believed it would be an adventure with their friends
Celebrities
- McCraes battalion allowed hearts fans to sign up and fight with their hero’s
- Scot’s volunteered because they wanted to meet famous people and escape a boring life
Gas attacks
- the Canadian-Scottish regiment faced 178 tonnes of gas from the Germans at Ypres
- this shows that the Scottish experienced horrible events they hadn’t encountered pre war
Rotation
- the troops in the black watch would spend an average of 4 days on the frontlines before rotating back
- this shows that theexperience for Scottish soldiers was not just on the frontlines and there was some variety
Annoyances
- Scot’s were particularly disadvantaged by lice . They lived in the kilt and bit soldiers
- the Scottish experience was irritating and agitating but poorer soldier may have experienced similar conditions pre-war
Trench foot
- the 51st Highland division claimed lowest number of casualties because thick kilt socks
The Scottish experience was in some cases horrific but for the majority it wasn’t much of a problem
Food
- Scot’s got some luxuries. Men of the Gordon Highlanders complained that their officers hoarded jam
The Scottish experience was boring food but it was 3 square a day which was an improvement for some
Heroics
- five victoria crosses were given out at the battle of loos
- piper laidlaw received one for playing the bagpipes despite being shot
- Scottish experience was inspiring and fostering a national pride in their commitment and role in the national effort
Mental health
- Scot’s were sent to Craiglockhart hospital in Edinburgh for treatment
The Scottish experience was traumatic and life changing, especially those who required medical support
Friends lost
- the Webster family from Broxburn lost 3 sons between 1916 - 1917
Scottish soldiers had positive experience ie forming life long friends (short lives but still)
Somme (1916)
Which divisions ?
9th, 15th and 51st
Somme (1916)
Specific objectives?
The 51st highland division suffered heavy casualties (3500 troops) but succeeded in taking high wood
Somme (1916)
Specific loss
Many boys brigade members joined the HLI and later died
-> ~500 men form the same area
Somme (1916)
16th Royal scots
The 16th royal Scot’s lost 12 officers and 574 soldiers
Somme (1916)
The 9th Scottish division performed well, they lost many (~300 officers and ~7000 soldiers) but morale was high
Loos (1915)
Blackwatch
Blackwatch suffered heavy casualties
-The 9th lost 680 officers and men
Loos (1915)
How many people
30,000 Scot’s took part (36 Battalions)
1/3 of the names on the memorial are Scottish
Loos (1915)
Heroism
5 Victoria crosses were awarded at the battle!
Including Piper Laidlaw!
Loos (1915)
Leader
Douglas Haig is the man in charge of the battle
Conscription
Government intervention in society
> the 1916 military service act conscripted men aged 19 to 40 without their consent
Conscription
Anti war sentiment
The ILP was anti-war and arranged an anti-war protest attended by 5,000 people
Conscription
Religion
70% of Conchies were ILP, socialist atheists so religion wasn’t a factor for their actions
Conscription
Society becomes more left wing
Scottish ILP membership tripled (3,000 to 9,000) during the war
Conscription
Non combatants
7,000 Alternative conchies took non-combat roles (after being conscripted) such as stretcher bearing
Conscription
Prison
5970 conchies were imprisoned during the war
Conscription
Prison - postwar
1300 conchies were still in prison 5 months after the war ended
Conscription
Death/Prison
73 conchies died in prison due to poor conditions in prison
Commemoration
Scottish loss
The national war memorial cost £250,000 and was opened in 1927
Commemoration
Help the living
In leith money for a memorial was used to build a new children’s hospital
Commemoration
New ways to remember the dead
2 minute silence held on 11.11.1919, papers report busy streets in Edinburgh stopping everything
Commemoration
Local loss
Over 1,400 memorials were built in towns across Scotland
Commemoration
Symbol
Lady haigs poppy factory in Edinburgh
Commemoration
Moving forward
Portobello chose not to have a memorial
Commemoration
Mass monuments
Pipers from the Scots guard played at the unveiling of the menin gate (1927)
Commemoration
Equality in sacrifice
Pt. Robertson from Broxburn is buried in cabaret rouge CWGC cemetery, where all the headstones are identical
DORA
Drinking
Drunkenness fell by 70% in Scotland (pub opening hours were reduced)
DORA
Spying
Mona Jeffrey was arrested and taken to court for taking photos of the forth bridge
DORA
Executions
Throughout the war 11 people were executed as spies , one being carl lody arrested in Edinburgh
Women
Overall
The total number of women working increased from 590,000 in (1911) to 640,000 in (1921)
Women
Munitionettes
9,000 women did dangerous work in Gretnas munition factory
Women
Heavy industries
There were 30,000 women working in heavy industry in Scotland
Women
Police
There were 150 female police officers working in Gretna
Rent strikes
Around 25,000 women in Glasgow took part
Rent strikes
Leaders
The key leaders were women, Helen Crawford and Mary Barbour.
Rent strikes
ILP
The ilp was vital to the rent strikes, leader Mary Barbour learned nonviolent techniques from her time in the party
Loss
Glasgow
18,000 men
Loss
Royal scots
Scotland’s biggest + most active regiment, lost 11,000 soldiers and 600 officers
Loss
Boys brigade
Boys brigade pals battalion lost 500 men during the Somme
Loss
Local loss
Small communities were devastated because of the pals battalions. the Isle of Lewis lost 17% of men who served
Loss
Total
An estimated 110,000 men died during/after the war
Shipbuilding
Heavy industries boom
481 ships were built on the Clyde
Metal working
Heavy industries boom
90% of British plate armour was produced in West Scotland
Shipbuilding
Government support
Clyde shipyards like Fairfield’s were taken over by the gov. via the munitions of war act
Shipbuilding
Lack of demand - Bust
1920s : employment in shipbuilding fell by 90%
Metal working
International competition
North British locomotive company’s production declined by 2/3 post-war
Metal working
Not diverse!
Half of Scotlands iron furnaces were dismantled by 1927
Mining
High demand = boom
The Broxburn shale oil company saw a huge increase in profit and demand
Mining
Traditional processes
Mining was a reserved occupation, thus 4/5 tonnes of coal were cut by hand
Mining
Traditional processes
Women worked as miner during the war (creating tension in the work place)
Mining
Traditional practices (bust)
No government support leads to a rush to modernise
1920s - coal industry employs a third less people
Mining
Not diverse
Production fell from 42 million tonnes in 1913 to 30 million in the 1920s
Mining
Heavy industries - Artificial
Broxburn oil company closed down due to lack of orders (1926)
Agriculture
Emigration
Number of farm labourers falls from 107,000 to 89,000
Agriculture
Demand due to army
Acreage devoted to oats increased by 25% during the war to feed horses
Agriculture
Army uniforms
Shepherds wages double, government is buying their wool to make uniforms
Agriculture
No government protection—> layoffs
1926 - there are only 26,000 farm workers which meant farms had to mechanise
Agriculture
Highland difficulties…
The highland land issue - crofters fighting landowners in land raids
Agriculture
Rationing
Rationing continued after the war (guaranteed profit)
Textile
Specialist industries - Jute
Sandbags are in demand, Dundee had 69 factories. Production reaches 7 million a month
Textile
High demand- jute
Dundee papers report “jute strands have turned to gold” such is there value
Textiles
Specific demand - uniforms
Kinloch anderson (a tailor) switched their Edinburgh textile business to produce officer’s uniforms
Textiles
International competition
Jute factories built in Calcutta, India
Textile
Traditional processes
Dundee’s factory’s were using outdated and rundown machinery
Textile
Not diverse
New materials and ways to package goods (paper, plastic) lead to decreased demand for jute
Fishing
Emigration
Prewar 33,000 men worked in fishing compared to 22,000 postwar
Fishing
Not diverse
Herring was in high demand
Over a million barrels of herring were produced throughout the war
Fishing
Global trade
Prewar 2 million barrels of fish had been exported to Germany and Russia
Fishing
Traditional processes
Port Buckie lost 120 steam boats to the army (either never returned or completely damaged)
Fishing
Migration
Fishing experiences a decline . It employs ~33,200 in 1913
But only employs ~26,300 in 1926
Fishing
Global trade
Usual markets in Germany and Russia remain lost due to revolution and economic depression
Land issue
Manifesto
DLG manifesto offered land to men who joined the army, so ex-soldiers felt owed it
Land issue
War issues
The war prevented investment into the highlands worsening the land issue
Land issue
Raids
Men returning from the front felt betrayed that they were not provided homes fit for heroes, this lead to them forcibly occupying land to build crofts
Radicalism
Anti-war
The ilp was fervently anti war, staging a protest 5 days after war was declared attended by 5,000 people
Radicalism
Rent strikes
Radicalism
