parliament and the people 1914-1980 Flashcards
What was the DORA act?
The defence of the Rome act August 8, 1914, which stated that no one was allowed to:
- Talk about naval or military matters in public places spread rumours about military matters
- to buy binoculars, use invisible ink when writing abroad to avoid spies
- Give bread to horses or chickens and meltdown, gold or silver, which would keep prices down because it were reduce the black market
- By brandy or whiskey in a railway refreshment room, opening hours in pubs were cut, beer was watered down, rounds of drinks weren’t allowed either which limited peoples freedom
- The government could take over any factory or workshop
- Introduced British Summer Time to give more daylight for extra work (daylight savings time)
What was conscription like in the First World War?
- Soldiers were volunteers at first and recruitment campaign was successful to begin with - half 1 million men died in one month and by 1916, 2 million were enlisted - not enough though
- conscription happened in 1916 so men of the certain age were forced to go to war
- Government had agreed that women were paid the same as men until the war ends
What were conscientious objectors?
- They refused to fight
- Either put in prison or sent out to do other work
- On moral grounds, they won’t kill due to religious influence or morals
What was propaganda censorship like in the First World War?
- Government controlled information, so journalist, had to submit articles to be approved by censors
- books and film censored
- historians, think British propaganda was effective
- In 1915, the government informed the press to publish casualty list that were of acceptable levels and not to print the truth
How did food and rationing work in World War I?
- Compulsory rationing started in 1918
- Increase of food production
- Improve the health of population
- Blockades were used by both sides to prevent supplies from reaching their destination
- Household were told to use their gardens to grow vegetables. Many people also kept animals that could be used as food like chickens.
What was the home defence like in World War I
- Government, restricted uncontrolled more coastal areas
- Defence against air raids
- Government encouraged people not to talk about any kind of war work for fear of spies
What was conscription and war work like in World War II?
- Conscription began in 1938 before the war began
- Men of the age of 16 or above conscripted into coal mines
- Trade unions stood up for rights, working conditions and pay of their members
- Women conscripted into war effort, in 1941 - 8 times as many as World War I
- In 1941 over half the population was employed by the government
- Coalition government was formed so that the people from all political parties were running the country
- Women needed for work, so the government introduced flexible working hours and childcare
What was propaganda censorship like in World War II?
- BBC created and it censored itself despite not being government owned. It also had a key role in informing the public and keeping up morale.
- Churchill became ‘legendary figure’
- Local media still however, had more control than National
- Control what films, photographs and written reports people saw
What was food and rationing like in World War II?
- Rationing introduced at the start of the war - things like clothing and fuel, as well as food
- Black market existed
- Improvement of the health of the population
- Recycling was encouraged
- The government set up ‘swap shops’ for clothes
What was the home defence like in World War II?
- there was a fear of German invasion
- They took control of coastal areas, built fortifications, and planted mines
- there was extensive air raiders from Germany, so the government recruited air raid precautions (ARP)
- Enforced blackouts
- There were air raid shelters
- home guard set up in 1940 – they were a group of volunteers, who acted as a reserve force
- Huge fear of bombing - blitz
When did the women over 21 get the vote?
1928
How did evacuation put pressure on the government?
Revealed the differences in wealth and living circumstances to many people which put pressure on the government to provide more welfare
When did the labour party win and what did they do?
- They won by landslide election in 1945
- Implemented a welfare state, as recommended by the Beveridge report of 1942
- Historians say they won the election due to their promises of a new start for the people
What is the evidence of people accepted government intervention in the world wars?
they thought the government did, what was right to protect the population.
- 2 million volunteers offered to join the fight
- Voluntary rationing until 1917
- Most people obey and backed the government
- People believe the government control was for the greater good
In war, it wasn’t a time for the country to be divided
- Coalition government in World War II - no opposition party
- World War II unions supported the war
- conscriptions to coal mines with union blessing
Standard improved, and it was fair
- Conscription, generally widely supported as seen as fair
- BBC censored itself in World War II
- Propaganda was accepted
What was the evidence for people objecting to the governments involvement?
The right to choose whether or not to go to war were taken away
- some MPs voted against conscription
- Conscientious objectors
- Many appeals against conscription
Lack of resources/money
- Strikes over wages and hours of workers in World War I
- Clashes with trade unions
- Local newspapers did not always stick to censorship in World War I
- Rationing was made compulsory in 1918, and throughout World War II, which resulted in black markets
