britain 7 Flashcards
(10 cards)
- Women’s Role in WW1
6M men left workforce; 1M women entered, 250k moved to war jobs.
By 1918, women = 1/3 of workforce.
80% of shell factory workers were women.
Female transport workers: 18k → 117k.
Middle-class women filled admin/nursing/agriculture roles.
womens royal naval service, women’s auxiliary army corps, the womens Royal Air Force-women helped war effort
- Women’s Working Conditions
Dangerous munitions work: shell explosions, poisonous chemicals.
100+ deaths, long hours, night shifts disrupted family life.
Positives for Women
Challenged passive Victorian views.
Some became breadwinners; gained financial independence.
Fashion shifted (short skirts/hair).
1919 Sex Disqualification Act – women could no longer be barred from a career in the law or civil service.
Negatives for Women
Emphasis on traditional roles: home care-bringing up children, nursing.
Still 1.2M domestic servants in 1918.
Excluded from mining, dock work.
Seen as temporary workers.
1921 workforce % for women were back to 1911 levels.
. Representation of the People Act 1918
All men 21+ could vote; 19+ if they served.
Women 30+ could vote if married to LG register member, university voter, or property owner.
Many working-class women excluded until 1928.
. Miners’ Strike 1921
Govt ended control of mines in March 1921.
No nationalisation; owners cut wages, extended hours.
April 1: miners strike; feared general strike-railway and transport workers backed the strike
Black Friday: rail/transport unions pulled out-due to DLG intervening
Miners struck alone until July; accepted 20% lower wages than in 1914.
. Cultural Change from WW1
Class divide remained; W.C. women → munitions, M.C. → admin.
Churches had bigger wartime role (preach supportive sermons, burials).
War challenged Christianity (some it hard to justify slaughter and after all disaster reconcile with faith in God)
violence between most civillised nations weakened assumptions about the superiority of European values, and strengthened ideas of anti imperialism, and anti colonialism .
Patriotism During the War
Wave of nationalism; Germany seen as threat.
2.5M men volunteered; patriotic propaganda.
Symbols: John Bull, British bulldog.-remind people of strength and importance of britain
1916: Conscription introduced.
Conscientious Objectors (COs)
1916 Act → “conscience clause” allowed men to claim exemption from military service.
Reasons: religious (Quakers), political (anti-imperial), moral.
Tribunals often rejected claims.
16k COs: 10k did non-combat work (ambulances), 5970 jailed.
Public viewed COs as cowards; white feathers given.
Trenches and Soldier Impact
Western Front: 800 miles of trenches.
Dangers: gas, shells, lice, rats, corpses, trench foot.
Routine: guarding, repairing, letters.
6M served: 750k killed, 2M wounded. Shell shock, trauma, amputations common.
