Breadth Study 2: civilian population

Question 1

what impact can an army have on a civilian population when moving through an area?

Answer 1

soldiers can be physically threatening, steal valuables or food
they can leave a local population facing starvation

Question 2

what was the only war that had previously had a major impact on civilians in the countryside?

Answer 2

English Civil war

Question 3

what was the impact of war on the civilian population before 1914?

Answer 3

they only heard about it through conversations and newspapers, there was no disruption to daily lives

Question 4

what is total war?

Answer 4

involves the whole population in the war effort and affects all aspects of daily lives
very different to the usual experience of war

Question 5

how many total wars has Britain experienced?

Answer 5

2, both world wars

Question 6

name 2 important changes to British society in the 19th century

Answer 6

industrialisation
population increase

Question 7

british population in 1800

Answer 7

10 million

Question 8

British population in 1900

Answer 8

40 million

Question 9

how did war benefit the economy?

Answer 9

demand for food and goods increased
prices rose, jobs increased

Question 10

how did war negatively impact the economy?

Answer 10

it disrupted trad and so exports dropped
causing downturn In some sectors so some worker were laid off

Question 11

how did improvements to communications and literacy change the involvement of the public in war?

Answer 11

increased literacy and less dispersed population brought war closer to people
during the war with France, people may be aware but largely unknowing of the details. compared to them digesting daily news in the Boer war
compared to the huge sacrifices made in WW1

Question 12

how did warfare change social mobility?

Answer 12

social structure was rigid in the French wars, but meritocracy overruled aristocracy by the first world war
e.g. wellington was a son of an aristocrat and educated at Eton, Haig and David Lloyd George were of middle class background

Question 13

how did the government raise funds/fund war?

Answer 13

taxes
the economic boom for most of the 18th century meant the government had enough money, but the government was having to take out loans for the expansion of the armed forces

Question 14

what was the role of the Bank of England initially?

Answer 14

it was a way that the government could manage its dept
it was responsible for issuing government bonds- the way that the government borrowed money

Question 15

why did the government bond/bank of england system give the government an advantage over other countries?

Answer 15

they didn’t have to pay with cash
they could pay with a promissory note when they commissioned work because the British people were confident in the Bank of England

Question 16

promissory note

Answer 16

a piece of paper promising the debt will be settled on demand
the idea developed into paper money

Question 17

what did the government issue in addition to standard bonds?

Answer 17

consolidated annuities (consols)

Question 18

what were consols/ how did they differ from standard bonds?

Answer 18

there was no fixed period where they had to be repaid
meaning in theory the government didn’t have to repay capital investment- but they did sometimes pay off consols

Question 19

how did consols benefit the investor?

Answer 19

every quarter would receive an interest payment
also when the rate of inflation was low, consols guaranteed a return of 2.5/3% so where highly tradable on the stock market

Question 20

when were consols first issued?

Answer 20

1750su

Question 21

initial interest rates on consols?

Answer 21

3.5%

Question 22

what was the interest rate on consols reduced to?

Answer 22

2.5%

Question 23

when were consols issued most?

Answer 23

when the government needed money
e..g. 1855 in Crimea, 1920s when the country was trying to deal with the debt from WW1

Question 24

What made investing in government bonds more appealing?

Answer 24

growth of the industrial revolution, so growth of British trade, so more wealthy landowners and merchants invested

Question 25

why were government bonds appealed him?

Answer 25

having a guaranteed return over a fixed period seemed like a sound investment. it wasn't a quick way to make a lot of money, but the government still had enough investors

Question 26

what did the ability to borrow large amounts of money that the British government had, mean they could do?

Answer 26

it affected how they fought wars, they could take on large enemies with lots of battleships, as well as financially support allies

Question 27

how did the government fund the French wars?

Answer 27

the same way they had done with any previous campaign, but the scale of the war put an unprecedented strain on the economy

Question 28

what did the British prime minister, William Pitt, do after the American war of independence?

Answer 28

put in place a series of indirect tax reforms to increase government revenue

Question 29

how much did William Pitt's indirect tax reforms increase government revenue

Answer 29

12.7 million in 1783 18.6 million in 1792

Question 30

by 1792, how much had Pitt reduced national debt?

Answer 30

from £243 million to £170 million

Question 31

what methods, other than indirect tax reforms, did the government use in the French wars to improve tax revenue?

Answer 31

- new tax on inheritance - suspension of gold payments by the bank of England -reduction in import duties however outgoing was still growing faster than revenue

Question 32

because outgoings were still more than revenue, what did Pitt have to do in the French wars?

Answer 32

impose an income tax on individuals for the first time

Question 33

how much was the income tax that Pitt implemented in the French wars?

Answer 33

2 old pence in the pound, on incomes over £60 year 2 shillings in the pound, on incomes over £200

Question 34

who was affected by Pitt's income tax?

Answer 34

targeted wealthy businessmen and landowners, who were in a position to afford it (but reluctant to pay) most working people weren't affected because the average wage was below £60

Question 35

when was the Income Tax act passed?

Answer 35

1798 as a temporary measure

Question 36

how much extra income did the treasury get from income tax in the first year they were implemented? how does this compare to what was expected?

Answer 36

£6 million but it had been hoped for £10 million

Question 37

why was the extra income from taxes not what was expected?

Answer 37

people declared wages were under 60 quid in order to avoid it

Question 38

when was income tax suspended and then reinstated?

Answer 38

1802-when peace was signed 1803- when war broke out again

Question 39

what were most of the wars between 1815-1914?

Answer 39

colonial wars they were relatively cheap because only small amounts of troops were needed

Question 40

what were the wars in the 19th century that required heavy government borrowing?

Answer 40

crimean war (54-56)- partially funded by a large issue of consols Boer war (99-02)

Question 41

what consequences were there because of issues with financing the crimean and Boer war?

Answer 41

politicians stressing for army reductions Cardwell and Haldane reforms aimed to increase efficiency, which would reduce the financial burden

Question 42

what did the government have to do to keep the British forces going in WW1?

Answer 42

massive increase in national debt/ level of taxation

Question 43

by how much did the national debt increase by during WW1?

Answer 43

1914: £625 million 1918: £7'800 million

Question 44

how did the government borrow money to fund WW1?

Answer 44

international institutions like the USA via government bonds and offering good return on investment also direct loans from countries like the USA

Question 45

what was another source of government borrowing other than from other countries, that was used to fund the First World War?

Answer 45

special war bonds that were offered to the general public they were investment bonds that could be bought by indviduals during the war, on the understanding that after the war the government would pay them back plus interest

Question 46

initial interest of the first issue of war bonds in the First World War?

Answer 46

5%, later reduced to 3.5%

Question 47

what was the price of war bonds, which made them affordable for the general public?

Answer 47

£5

Question 48

what did the post office do regarding war bonds?

Answer 48

allowed ordinary people to open war savings certificate accounts, where you bought stamps for 15 shillings and sixpence on the understanding you would get £1 back in 5 years

Question 49

what factors meant the government were so successful in raising millions to support the war effort in WW1?

Answer 49

the British people trusted the government, and their commitment to repaying the debt London was also a strong and reputable centre of international finance this made selling government stock to foreign investors viable

Question 50

other than war bonds, how did the government increase income during the first world war?

Answer 50

increased taxation

Question 51

by how much did the rate of income tax increase by during ww1?

Answer 51

3.75% in 1914 30% in 1918 all 3 chancellors of exchequers increased taxation

Question 52

how much had business tax increase to by 1918?

Answer 52

80%

Question 53

how many people paid income tax in 1914?

Answer 53

1.5 million people

Question 54

how many people paid income tax in 1918?

Answer 54

7.7 million

Question 55

why did so many more people pay income tax in 1918 compared to 1914?

Answer 55

the exemption level was lowered from £160 to £130 and wages had increased over the course of the war

Question 56

how did the Bank of England support the government in the First World War?

Answer 56

it stopped issuing gold in exchange for bank notes ,and kept the gold as emergency reserves it also issued more bank notes than it had gold to back up this meant the economy could continue to function and the government could make payments it also put inflationary pressures on the economy this affected interest and made borrowing more expensive

Question 57

who were camp followers?

Answer 57

the large body of people that had no official role in the army, but for different reasons, followed the army on campaigns. be this because they were related to the soldiers or saw it as a way to make money

Question 58

what could wives of soldiers do?

Answer 58

accompany them on campaigns, but numbers allowed were limited

Question 59

how many wives were allowed per company for the lower ranks in the French wars?

Answer 59

6 selection made by ballot these women were listed on company strength, and subject to army rules there were no restrictions on officers bringing wives.

Question 60

there were unofficial camp followers as well as the unofficial ones, who could this include?

Answer 60

wives not selected as official spouses women and children local women who became attached to soldiers and followed

Question 61

what were the differences between official and unofficial camp followers?

Answer 61

official women had tents and rations but unofficial camp followers had to fend for themselves

Question 62

what impact did war have on women/wives back home, especially in the earlier campaigns, like the French wars and Crimea?

Answer 62

many women 'lost' their husbands to the army may have felt there was little chance of seeing him again she would have to either follow the army or work in a work house for income they often had little of it, also taking into account that pay in the French wars was 1/3 of usual and deliver irregularly, many soldiers were drunks or criminals who never. sent it home anyway, forcing the women to work

Question 63

what removed the legal barrier for gender equality between men and women?

Answer 63

the sex disqualification Removal act of 1919 they were still maintained by cultural attitudes though

Question 64

what did the army focus on before the 20th century, and what was the impact of this?

Answer 64

solely on fighting battles, not the other activities that meant it could function e.g. medical care and catering they were neglected by the authorities so usually provided by camp followers

Question 65

when did medical care in the military begin to become more professional?

Answer 65

crimea was a shard focus for the need of better medical care, but full scale professional care wasn't seen until the late 19th/ early 20th century

Question 66

what was the medical care arrangement before crimea?

Answer 66

bandsmen as stretchbares, and there was one surgeon attached to each battalion nurses did most of care, a role done by camp followers, but there was an overwhelming number of men who needed care

Question 67

why was the medical care in the armed forces not professional?

Answer 67

for a doctor, a job in the army was the least desirable position to attain, so it attracted the worst surgeons in the country

Question 68

how were most sick and wounded soldiers treated?

Answer 68

women camp followers had often been taught folk remedies e.g Mary seacole

Question 69

other than medical care, how was culinary skills a valuable role of female camp followers?

Answer 69

men had to cook there rations themselves- a skill they lacked due to fixed gender roles, so it made sense for them to have someone accompany them who could cook

Question 70

how were army uniforms kept serviceable, given the poor quality?

Answer 70

camp followers were better with needle and thread than soldiers

Question 71

what was the other motivating factor, other than care that resulted in camp followers?

Answer 71

possible to make money e.g. prostitutes,selling alcohol, cobblers,cutlers

Question 72

what type of camp followers had always followed an army?

Answer 72

prostitutes for many women, it was their only means of survival

Question 73

how many servicemen did the government estimate had contracted venereal disease in the 1850s?

Answer 73

1 in 5

Question 74

what did the government do as a result of estimating the number of servicemen with venereal disease?

Answer 74

an investigation that resulted in the contagious diseases act in 1864

Question 75

what did the contagious diseases act mean for women?

Answer 75

women were examined and if they were found to have a venereal infection they could be detained for up to 3 months it was initially limited to ports and army towns but was extended to other areas in 1866

Question 76

who was not examined under the contagious diseases act?

Answer 76

clients of prostitutes which made the act controversial

Question 77

what did women do in response to the contagious diseases act?

Answer 77

1869 the Ladies National Association for the Repeal of the Contagious Diseases Act was formed by social reformer Josephine butler

Question 78

when was the contagious diseases act repealed?

Answer 78

1886