WW1 Society and Culture

Question 1

What can you talk about in recall?

Answer 1

DORA, Recruitment and Conscription, Pacifism and Conscientious Objectors, Role of Women and Rent Strikes, Losses and Commemoration.

Question 2

Conscription

Answer 2

Introduced in Jan 1916- Military Service Act brought compulsory military service for single men aged 19-40
May 1916- extended to married men
Exempt men from military service if they were ill/worked in mining
Added to the anti-war feeling - increased no. of Conscientious Objectors

Question 3

Why was Conscription introduced?

Answer 3

Recruitment had fallen from 300,000 each month in Oct 1914 to 120,000 each month by early 1915

Question 4

DORA

Answer 4

Introduced Aug 1914 - 5 days after the beginning of war

Authorised the government to do anything necessary to help the war effort

Question 5

What did DORA prohibit/begin?

Answer 5

Censorship of newspapers, to maintain morale
Limited pub opening hours from 13 hours a day to 5 hours
Prohibited- buying of binoculars, lighting fireworks/bonfire, trespassing on railway lines or bridges

Question 6

Describe Pacifism

Answer 6

• Believe in Peace and that it is wrong to kill another

<1,500 refused all military service - Absolutists - who opposed any work that helped the was effort

Question 7

Describe Conscientious Objectors

Answer 7

• Claimed exemption on political or religious grounds

7,000 agreed to take part in non-combat duties eg. stretcher bearers on the front line

Question 8

What happened to Pacifists/Conscientious Objectors?

Answer 8

• If you refused to fight you were sent to prison or forced to do hard labour
• In 1916 approx 14,000 conscientious objectors appeared before tribunals - Almost 6,000 were sent to prison
• After the war when life returned to normal conscientious objectors were shunned by family and refused jobs

Question 9

Describe the Role of Women during the War

Answer 9

• Women replaced men in jobs to keep the economy going eg. In 1917 1/3 of women had substituted men
• By 1916 18,500 women worked in heavy industries
• Women largely worked in munitions and without them the industry would not have been able to keep up with the demand from the war. E.g. Purpose built factory in Gretna with 9,000 women working munitions

Question 10

Describe Rent Strikes

Answer 10

• Landlords increased rent after men went to war in industrial areas e.g. Glasgow, led to women having more financial problems which led to strikes
• In 1915 Glasgow Women’s Housing Association resisted rent increase and the evictions proposed the rent strikes, run by Mary Barbour
• By May 1915 25,000 Glasgow tennants had joined the Association

Question 11

Describe Scottish Losses

Answer 11

• Scotland had the 3rd highest casualty in the world during the war of 26%
• Black watch lost 10,000
• Gordon Highlanders lost 9,000
• Greatest loss was from the Royal Scots who lost 583 officers and 10,630 men
• Scotland lost approx 110,000 men

Question 12

Describe Scottish Commemoration

Answer 12

• Local memorials over Scotland e.g.. Edinburgh Castle built in 1927
• Act of remembrance on 11th of Nov @ 11am