in what different ways did total war impact on civilians? home front project

In what different ways did total war impact on civilians? Home Front Project

In what different ways did total war impact on civilians? Learning Objectives To investigate the impact of WW2 on civilians. To make a judgement on the extent of the impact. Connect: Copy the key terms into your glossary. Home Front: The actions of civilians of those away at war, what was happening at home while the soldiers are at war. Auxiliary: In addition to or extra, supporting something. 2. Think- pair- share: What do you already know about how civilian lives were affected in World War Two. Try to come up with a list of as many ways as you can think of that civilian lives would be affected. Extension: Do you think any of these impacts are more crucial than another or are they all equally important?

Big picture research and home learning task: Your home learning will be to complete a project. This means you need to produce a booklet or PowerPoint to answer the question : In what different ways did total war impact on civilians? You will need to complete independent research to complete this task as well as todays lesson to help you prepare. The main areas you will be investigating are written You need to produce as a minimum one page on at least five of the topics below (you chose). Make it as creative, detailed and colourful as possible. Each of these impacts will make up at least one page of your project. How will I organise my booklet or PowerPoint? 1.Title page : In what different ways did total war impact on civilians? 2.Contents page 3.Air raids 4.Dealing with destruction 5.Coping with death and injury 6.Conscription 7.Rationing 8.Travel 9.Work and employment 10.Evacuation 11.Radio 12. Conclusion to project: 13.Bibliography - A list of the websites or books you have used to help your research Submission rules This homework is due on Tuesday 2 nd July. All sections need to be completed. If you have chosen to complete a PowerPoint presentation it needs to be emailed to [email protected] by Monday 1 st [email protected] Where should I start my research and what websites can I used to help me? The powerpoint from the lesson is saved on www.canonshistory.weebly.com in the GCSE Controlled Assessment section.www.canonshistory.weebly.com www.homesweethomefront.co.uk http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/homefront In what different ways did total war impact on civilians?

Big picture task: Your homework will be to complete this project. This means you need to produce a booklet or PowerPoint to answer the question : In what different ways did total war impact of civilians? You will need to complete independent research to complete this task as well as todays lesson to help you prepare. 1.Air raids 2.Dealing with destruction 3.Coping with death and injury 4.Conscription 5.Rationing 6.Travel 7.Work and employment 8.Evacuation 9.Radio

We are going to investigate the impact of total war on civilians through the main areas listed below. Each of these impacts will make at at least one page of your Home Front project. You need to choose at least 5 impacts. 1.Air raids 2.Dealing with destruction 3.Coping with death and injury 4.Conscription 5.Rationing 6.Travel 7.Work and employment 8.Evacuation 9.Radio

Impact One : Conscription in the Second World War Military conscription was introduced in April 1939 before the war had even begun, this was the first time conscription had been introduced in peacetime. Between May 1939 and the autumn of 1941, all men aged between 18 and 52 could be conscripted. In 1941, the conscription of women was introduced.

Women in the armed forces After conscription was introduced in 1941, women had to register to work and could choose to join the auxiliary (supporting) armed services. The womens armed forces included the WRNS, WAAF, and the ATS. By 1944 there were 450,000 women in these services. What kind of jobs would you expect women to do?

Women in the armed forces Women did routine office, driving and domestic duties and freed them men to do combat duty. Despite not being involved in combat (actual fighting) women did hard and often dangerous jobs too. They worked as mechanics, non combatant pilots, even working on anti aircraft guns although they could not fire them. A total of 335 women were killed in the ATS and another 300 wounded. Women in WW2 Clip

Impact 2: Air raids During the Second World War, the German bombing raids were more serious than the First World War because advances in technology meant that more powerful bombers and more destructive bombs could be used. The attacks were known as the Blitz, in German this means lightening war. The German raids targeted British towns and cities with the aim of destroying civilian morale forcing the British into submission and undermining British armaments production.

Impact 2: Air raids British towns and cities suffered heavy bombing for the autumn of 1940 to May 1941 with the targets usually being military or industrial centres. From May 1941 the attacks became less frequent as Hitler diverted resources to the invasion of the Soviet Union.

What were the effects of the air raids? Effects on industry Bombing of industrial targets was generally not effective. Some factories were isolated unlike housing areas and they could be missed at night. Most factories were able to resume production within a few days of being hit. Effects on civilians The effects o civilians were profound (huge). Estimates vary but over 60,000 people were killed by bombing raid, hundreds of thousands injured and millions were left homeless. Everyday life was seriously affected, not to mention the psychological impact of fear and worry.

Rationing Clip Impact 3: Rationing

What impact did rationing have on daily life and routine during the Second World War?

1.Which world war had a greater impact on peoples lives? Explain why giving specific examples. 2.What is rationing and why was it introduced? 3.Did rationing only affect food? What other items were rationed? 4.How successful do you think rationing was? 5.Essentially what is the government doing by rationing? 6.Alongside rationing what other policies did the government introduce? 7.Could there be any advantage of rationing? 8.What might be the limitations of rationing?

Describe what you can see in this poster? Who is it aimed at? What message does this poster give? Why do you think the government would want to give this message to civilians? Extension: How successful do you think this poster would be in convincing people to grow their own food? Why?

Ration book and an adults weekly rations of basic foodstuffs, 1942. Food rationing began on 8th January 1940 and continued until 30th June 1954. Clothes, sweets and soap were also rationed, and almost all other consumer goods were in short supply. Imperial War Museum

The government was very aware that there was a very real risk of Britain being starved out of the war. Compulsory rationing was thus quickly introduced. In January 1940 the Ministry of Food under Lord Woolton worked out fair rations. Eventually almost all food was rationed. Rationing soon went beyond food, almost every essential item could be bough only with coupons. Everyone had the same number of coupons.

The government used other methods to control food supplies. These were: The Dig for Victory campaign encouraged people to grow vegetables and keep chickens. Private gardens were turned into vegetable patches. Playing fields and railway embankments were ploughed up. There were campaigns to avoid waste.

How far was rationing a success? Which of these statements highlights the achievements of rationing and which highlight their limitations? It was a fair system that ensured the poorer people were adequately fed with generally healthy food. It helped to unite people as they were all, whether rich or poor, sharing the same rations. The quality of rationed clothes was guaranteed by the governments utility mark, this meant they were of a decent standard. The rich could buy extra rations on the black market. Very large families with several ration books were better off than small families with one or no children. Food supplies were more plentiful in certain areas, for example, vegetables in rural areas were not rationed.

Impact 4: Travel What is the message of this poster? Why might the government be trying to portray this message? How might the war affect peoples freedom of travel?

Impact 4: Travel Travel was another area affected by the war. Getting around day to day could be very difficult. There were official travel restrictions put in place by the government. These restrictions depended on where you were and where you were trying to get to. People travelling long distances needed special warrants and had to explain their reasons for the journey before they were granted. The Emergency Powers Act gave police the power to stop and search anyone.

Impact 4: Travel The government encouraged people not to travel unless they really needed to. For those who did travel, they had to consider the following factors: Lack of trains Blackout Destruction of transport Rationing

Impact 4: Travel Lack of trains: The railways were under government control and trains were needed to transport troops and supplies for the war. There were still some trains that were run for civilians but these were often overcrowded and late. Destruction of transport: Bombing badly affected transport in some areas. Roads and railway lines were destroyed. Travel on the underground was even disrupted as some stations were flooded by burst water pipes.

Impact 4: Travel Blackout: During the Blitz, travel within cities was reduced as people were afraid of being hit by the bombs but also because they could not see due to the blackout. Car accidents also increased. Rationing: Petrol was increasingly rationed during the Second World War, which meant that car travel was massively reduced anyway.

Impact 5: Work and employment There were a greater number of women workers than in the First World War. This had a huge impact on the lives of these women, many of whom were married and entered work for the first time taking on traditional mens jobs. However when the war ended they had to leave their jobs and make way for men.

Impact 5: Work and employment Many mens working days did not end with their paid employment. Many joined organisations voluntarily such as the Air Raid Precaution Service, the Fire Brigade and the Home Guard. Women also volunteered for various tasks which were not paid. It was also women who did most of the work regarding housing and looking after extra evacuees. This was on top of running their own homes and looking after their own children. Why do you think people were willing to do such jobs for nothing? Could there have been any advantages of doing such work?

Impact 5: Work and employment Many people were willing to do these things for nothing as they liked to think they were doing their bit for Britain. It was often exhausting but it could be enjoyable too and frequently brought more freedom, especially women who met many new people and did new things.

Impact 6: Coping with death After the horrific shock of the number of deaths in the First World War, Britain was perhaps more prepared. The experiment of Pals battalions, which caused such devastation to communities, was not repeated. The number of military deaths in the Second World War was less than in the First World War. Memorials sprang up all over the UK, in villages. Towns ad cities, often next to WW1 memorials.

Impact 6: Coping with death Military deaths may have been fewer but the second conflict brought death and destruction right onto the streets of Britain. People had to cope, not just with the deaths of soldiers but with the deaths of civilians including women, children and the elderly. Medical needs in Britain were also greater because of the number of civilian casualties. The government set up a national Emergency Medical Service which brought all hospitals under the control of the Ministry of Health. New hospitals were built and new equipment was provided by the state. These hospitals provided free treatment and helped to pave the way for the creation of the NHS once the war was over.

Impact 6: Coping with death The government realised that entertainment would play an important role in keeping up the morale of the British people. The cinema was popular and between 25-30 million seats were sold every week in Britain. The Ministry of Information set up the Crown Film Unit to make official propaganda films. It made information documentaries which all showed the heroic action of the British people.

Impact 7: Dealing with destruction There was an expectation that civilians would be targeted by bombing raids. Therefore, local councils started building air- raid shelters as early as 1935. The Air Raids Precaution Service (ARP) was set up in 1937 and air raid wardens began volunteering. Information about how to build shelters was distributed in many ways including on cigarette cards. Despite these precautions, few civilians would have predicted the extent of the raids.

Impact 7: Dealing with destruction Rest centres only provided a short term solution until people could find alternative housing. Those who could not afford it were given council housing with minimum furniture. It wasnt until the Blitz ended in May 1941 that any rebuilding began at all. Rebuilding did not start properly until the war was over.

Impact 7: Dealing with destruction During the Second World War, bombs were dropped on the same towns every night for weeks, sometimes moths. Buildings were patched up as well as they could be but little could be done while the raids were happening. Many of the homeless found shelter with friends or realties. Others went to rest centres where simple accommodation was provided by the local council. They were run by volunteers, often from the Womens Voluntary Services, who also ran clothing exchanges d canteens to help those who had lost everything.

Impact 8: Radio Humour was an important method of keeping up peoples morale, especially humour that poked fun at the Home Front and government rules and regulations. In particular, Its That Man Again enjoyed a massive following as at poked fun at all the wartime bureaucracy (rules and regulations). The most popular form of entertainment was the radio and it became very important for many people. There was a host of programmes featuring British and American artists including dance programmes.

Impact 8: Radio BBC radio was a key method of government propaganda during the Second World War. The news bulletins had massive audiences and had a reputation for truth, reporting both victories and reverses. Nevertheless, it was subject to censorship, for example reports on the weather were not allowed as they may prove useful to the enemy. Impact 8: Radio

Evacuation was brought in just after the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 this was due to the fear of an attack by air. About 1.5 million people were evacuated from towns or cities to live with families in the safer countryside. Impact 9: Evacuation The British government believed that the Germans would bomb British towns and cities in order to destroy the morale of the people and force Britain to surrender. Therefore evacuation measures were put in place to protect civilians from bombing and attacks. Children were to be protected by being moved from the likeliest targets, the cities, to the countryside where it was thought theyd be safer.

Impact 8: Radio In what kinds of ways did total war impact on civilians? Give some specific examples of how ordinary peoples lives were affected. How much of an impact do you think it had? Explain ypur answer. Consolidate:

Impact 8: Radio In what kinds of ways did total war impact on civilians? Give some specific examples of how ordinary peoples lives were affected. How much of an impact do you think it had? Explain ypur answer. Home learning task.

in what different ways did total war impact on civilians? home front project

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