WW1 - Impact at home Flashcards
Recruitment and the First World War
-The scale of WW1 changed the nature of recruitment
-It was clear from the start the BEF did not have the manpower to make a significant contribution and it was felt that a British and Commonwealth force of 70 divisions was needed to stop the Germans from having an overall advantage
-Massive Recruitment drive made from late 1914 to early 1915
-Soon the British and Commonwealth forces numbered millions compared to the professional force of around 100,000
‘Pals’ Battalions
-As part of an initiative in September 1914, each town was asked to provide a battalion of men, these became known as the ‘Pals’ battalions
-The Pals battalions played an important role in the Summer 1916 Battle of the Somme as regiments, such as the 11th Battalion East Lancashire Regiment losing 80% of the battalion, showed the devastating effect heavy losses could have on local areas
-Therefore the use of Pals battalions was ended
The precursor to Conscription
-In September 1915, Lord Derby was placed in charge of a scheme to encourage men to enlist
-Every man from 18 to 41 was asked to promise to join up if they were needed
-In the end, only 50% of all single men, and 40% of married men were willing to do so
-One of the conditions of the scheme was that single men would be called up first, therefore there was a flurry of weddings at the start of 1916
-Without the numbers that the government had hoped for, the felt that conscription was the only option left
The Introduction of Conscription
-January 1916
-The 1st Military Service Act was passed with an overwhelming majority (due to many MPs believing that, despite public opposition, the circumstances warranted it) in January 1916, which allowed for the conscription of single men
-The 2nd Military Service Act in May 1916 extended conscription to married men
Conscription’s failings
-Conscription didn’t produce the vast numbers expected by the government but it did keep up a steady stream of recruits
-Within months, there were 750,000 applications for exemption, most of which were upheld by the authorities
-Conscription was not enforced in Ireland due to unrest and threat of revolution
Conscription’s successes
Despite issues, 1.1 million men were drafted into the armed forces in the first year
By the end of the war, 2.5 million men had been called up through conscription
