6: Post War Economic Issues BRT Flashcards
(72 cards)
Britain’s wartime economy: why was the former emphasis on ‘laissez fairs’ moved away from
The size of the war effort required state intervention
Britain’s wartime economy: why did size of war effort require state intervention
- increase in production of weapons
- had to supply vast quantities of war materials to its allies
- huge demands for transport
Britain’s wartime economy: what effect did the huge demand posed by the war have on the economy
Pushed up prices and created shortages of materials and workers in 1914
Britain’s wartime economy: why did the state begin commandeering stocks of vital war materials and fixing prices
Private industry couldn’t cope on its own
Britain’s wartime economy: what did LG persuade parliament to grant in 1915
More state powers over industry by extending DORA
Britain’s wartime economy: what did the ministry of munitions do
- set up central purchasing system for buying essential war materials
- organised British achieve to help war effort
- encouraged factories to convert from peacetime to war production
- built own national factories
Britain’s wartime economy: which industries came under state control
Key industries such as railways, docks and coal mines
Britain’s wartime economy: what were women encouraged to do
Enter jobs previously done by men
Britain’s wartime economy: what did ministry of munitions CONTROL
Prices wages and profits
Rationed essential foods
Bought 90% of all imported
Had charge of transport and fuel
Britain’s wartime economy: how did the state alter the clocks
By introducing British Summer Time
Britain’s wartime economy: what did the state reduce the strength of
Alcoholic drinks
Britain’s wartime economy: what did state limit opening hours for
Public houses
Britain’s wartime economy: why was a department of food production set up
-to increase amount of home grown foodstuffs
Britain’s wartime economy: how did government encourage food production
- subsidised farmers to plough up wasteland
- allocated scarce fertilisers
- prisoners of war to work on land
- encouraged women to volunteer for farm work
Paying for the war: gov spending increase 1913 to 1918
1913: £200 million
1918: £2600 million
Paying for the war: what were governments traditionally meant to do
Balance the budget
Paying for the war: what did gov have to do instead of balancing the budget
Had to borrow money from it’s own people and from neutral countries (particularly USA)
Paying for the war: what did gov have to do as well as borrowing
Increase taxation
Economic impact of war on workers: what were workers hit by as well as increased taxation
Rise in cost of living
Food prices rose by 10% in first month of war and continued to rise
Economic impact of war on workers: what did workers benefit from there being
More work
Economic impact of war on workers: pre war unemployed or casual part time workers position during war
Working full time
Economic impact of war on workers: how did unskilled workers benefit from war
Had real bargaining power because of labour shortages and consequently earned more
Economic impact of war on workers: how did those already in war increase their earnings
They were able to do more overtime
Economic impact of war on workers: how were better living standards evident for poorest in working class
Fall in poor relief applications and lower working class morality
