How were civilians affected by World War 1?

Aim: To revise key details about the British Home Front during the First World War

A revision presentation from http://www.mrallsophistory.com/

Key pointsKey points

Before the war, the most Before the war, the most common common

employment for a woman was employment for a woman was as aas a

domestic servant. However, domestic servant. However, womenwomen

were also employed in what were also employed in what werewere

seen to be suitable occupations seen to be suitable occupations e.g.e.g.

teaching, nursing, office work.teaching, nursing, office work.

Key pointsKey points

When war broke out in August When war broke out in August 1914,1914,

thousands of women were thousands of women were sackedsacked

from jobs in dressmaking, from jobs in dressmaking, millinerymillinery

and jewelery making.They and jewelery making.They neededneeded

work – and they wanted to help work – and they wanted to help thethe

war effort.war effort.

Key pointsKey points

Suffragettes stopped all militantSuffragettes stopped all militantaction in order to support the action in order to support the

warwareffort.effort.

Key pointsKey points

At first, there was much trade At first, there was much trade unionunion

opposition and the employment opposition and the employment ofof

women had not increasedwomen had not increasedsignificantly before the summer significantly before the summer

ofof1915. In July 1915, a 1915. In July 1915, a ‘Right to‘Right toWork’Work’ ,march was organised by ,march was organised by

aaleading suffragette, Christabelleading suffragette, ChristabelPankhurst.Pankhurst.

Key pointsKey points

The shell shortage crisis in 1915 The shell shortage crisis in 1915 began to change the situation.began to change the situation.Women were taken on to work Women were taken on to work

ininmunitions factories. The munitions factories. The

governmentgovernmentdid a deal with the trade did a deal with the trade

unions,unions,known as the Treasury known as the Treasury

Agreements.Agreements.The unions agreed to accept The unions agreed to accept

femalefemalelabour in place of men labour in place of men ‘for the‘for theduration of the war’duration of the war’..

Key pointsKey points

The introduction of conscription The introduction of conscription in in

1916 led to an increase in the1916 led to an increase in thenumber of women employed in number of women employed in

allallsectors of the economy.sectors of the economy.

Key pointsKey points

Many women were paid good Many women were paid good wages, wages,

especially in munitions especially in munitions factories, but factories, but

in most cases they were paid in most cases they were paid lower lower

rates than men.rates than men.

Improved wages did permit Improved wages did permit greater greater

independence for some women.independence for some women.

Key pointsKey points

Women became more visible in Women became more visible in the the

world of work. They were seen world of work. They were seen to beto be

doing important jobs.doing important jobs.

Key pointsKey points

The armed forces also employed The armed forces also employed women, but the jobs were women, but the jobs were

mainly ofmainly ofa clerical and domestic nature.a clerical and domestic nature.

Key pointsKey points

Women were in great demand Women were in great demand for for

the ‘caring’ side of employment the ‘caring’ side of employment and and

became nurses in the First Aid became nurses in the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, and drivers Nursing Yeomanry, and drivers

andandclerks in Voluntary Aid clerks in Voluntary Aid

Detachments.Detachments.

VAD’s

Recruitment• Women’s

organisations tried to boost recruitment

• White feathers were given to men as a sign of their “cowardice”

• The Mother’s Union urged its members to get their sons to join up

Recruitment

• Initial recruitment used posters, leaflets, etc. to build an army quickly

• What is the message of this poster?

• How would this poster encourage men to join the army?

Recruitment

• Initial recruitment used posters, leaflets, etc. to build an army quickly

• What is the message of this poster?

• How would this poster encourage men to join the army?

Recruitment

• Initial recruitment used posters, leaflets, etc. to build an army quickly

• What is the message of this poster?

• How would this poster encourage men to join the army?

Recruitment

0

100

200

300

400

500

Recru

its (th

ousa

nds)

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Month

Recruitment of volunteers to the army, 1914-15

19141915

Conscription

• Voluntary recruitment was decreasing, but the demand for troops was increasing

• Voluntary recruitment didn’t share the burden between all parts of society

• Conscription introduced in 1916

• All men aged 18-40 had to register

• They could be called up to fight at any time

Conscription

• Conscientious objectors opposed the war for political or religious reasons

• They refused to fight, and were imprisoned – or executed – for doing so

• Others helped the war effort, but not through military action– Field hospitals– Stretched bearers

DORA

• The Defence of the Realm Act

• Introduced in 1914• Gave the government

powers to control many aspects of people’s daily lives

• The priority was to keep industrial production high, but other things were affected too

Dilute Beer

BritishSummer

TimeControl ofMines andRailways

Rationing

Censorship

LicensingHours

DORA

DORA

• Licensing hours were introduced

• Pubs could only open for 2 hours at lunchtime and 3 hours in the evening

• This made sure the workforce was awake and sober for factory work

DORA

• Newspapers and radio broadcasts were censored

• The government could control what people heard about the war

• This made sure the public continued to support the war effort by only hearing good things

DORA• Food was rationed• The government

took over land and used it for farm production

• This ensured there was enough food to feed the public and the army, despite German U-Boat attacks

DORA• Beer was diluted• The government

allowed publicans to make beer weaker

• This ensured the workforce didn’t drink so much as to make them drunk or hung-over while at work

DORA• British Summer

Time was introduced

• The government move the clocks forward by an hour in the summer

• This ensured factories had maximum daylight, meaning they could operate later

DORA• Mines and railways

were taken over by the government

• The government had ultimate control over them

• This meant production of coal, and the movement of trains, would be prioritised for the war effort

Rationing

• In April 1917, German U-Boats were sinking one in every four British merchant ships

• Britain was running out of food

Rationing

• In 1917 voluntary rationing began, led by the royal family

• In 1918 compulsory rationing began– Sugar– Butter– Meat– Beer

Propaganda and Censorship

• All news was tightly controlled (censorship)

• Reports aimed to:– Maintain morale– Encourage civilians to

support the war effort– Create hatred and suspicion

of the enemy

• Newspapers, radio broadcasts, films and even board games were used

Propaganda and Censorship

• The film, The Battle of the Somme, was filmed in 1916

• The Battle was a disaster for the British Army– Failed objectives– Enormous causalities

• What can the film tell an historian about the use of propaganda in WW1?

• Watch the clip (will take a couple of minutes to download)

Propaganda and Censorship

• The film, The Battle of the Somme, is seen by historians as a propaganda triumph

• People at home felt they could see how their efforts were helping the troops

• Although it showed some casualties, it also showed advancing troops, helping morale

Propaganda and Censorship

• The film, Britain’s Effort, was created in 1917

• What was its purpose?• Watch the clip (will take a

couple of minutes to download)

Propaganda and Censorship

• It is hard to measure how effective propaganda was

• BUT– Support for the war was

reasonably constant• Only really changed with the

enormous causalities at the Battle of the Somme in 1916

– People read lots of newspapers, and watched the films, so they were being exposed to it

The Brown Family’s Four War Christmas• What is happening in

each frame?• Explain why these things

are happening, based on what you know about life on the Home Front

The impact of the The impact of the war on womenwar on women

Downloaded from www.SchoolHistory.co.uk

After the WarAfter the War

11 Women were expected to give way to men returning from the Women were expected to give way to men returning from the forces and return to pre-war ‘women’s work’.forces and return to pre-war ‘women’s work’.

22 The assumption that ‘a woman’s place is in the home’ The assumption that ‘a woman’s place is in the home’ returned.returned.

33 The percentage of women at work returned to pre-war levels.The percentage of women at work returned to pre-war levels.

44 More women than before worked in offices.More women than before worked in offices.

After the WarAfter the War

55 Shorter skirts and hair became fashionable.Shorter skirts and hair became fashionable.

66 Women went out with men without a chaperone.Women went out with men without a chaperone.

77 Women smoked and wore make-up in public for the first time.Women smoked and wore make-up in public for the first time.

88 In 1919: being female or married was no longer allowed to In 1919: being female or married was no longer allowed to disqualify someone from holding a job in the professions or disqualify someone from holding a job in the professions or civil service.civil service.

•