Scotland & The Great War Flashcards
1
Q
What were the reasons for men joining up?
8
A
- Propaganda: a huge recruitment campaign was launched (54 million posters) which made men feel duty bound
- Patriotism: Scotland had a long military tradition - men loved the appeal of wearing a kilt in battle
- Peer Pressure: men faced immense pressure to join up, women gave men white feathers as a sign of cowardice
- Pals: pals battalions meant men could join up with friends and serve with eachother
- Employment: Jobs were often uncerain, had low wages and were in poor conditions so many saw war as gaining better employemet
- Anti-Germans: Scots not fond of Germans - wanted to defeat them
- Short War: many believed that the war would be over by Christmas
- Adventure: many young men hadn’t left Scotland, so saw war as an opportunity to travel and perform heroic deeds
2
Q
What were the difficulties of trench life?
6
A
- Diseases such as trench foot & fever were spread fast due to large quantities of men and bad trench conditions (e.g: water)
- Food rations were of poor quality, which meant many relied on food packages from home
- Lice would spread diseases and were hard to get rid of as they got caught in the pleats of Scot’s kilts
- Weather was problematic: rain would flood trenches and heat would cause sunstroke
- Shell shock was caused by constant artillery attacks, and led to men shaking uncontrollably and being unable to follow orders
- Trench life was often boring as soldiers lacked activity or productive things to do in periods of rest
3
Q
The Battle of Loos events
4
A
- 100,000 soldiers, led by General Haig, would attack the Germans along a four mile front
- Chlorine gas was used by the British for the first time
- Scottish soldiers prepared too advance but were held up by gas and shellfire
- Piper Daniel Laidlaw played the bagpipes to encourage Scottish soldiers
4
Q
Significance of The Battle of Loos
6
A
- 1 in 3 of Soldiers killed were Scots - large effect on Scottish communities
- 30,000 Scottish soldiers participated, making it a very Scottish battle
- Five victoria crosses given to Scots, showing extraordinary bravery
- Douglas Haig, a Scot, became the new leader of the British army
- Daniel Laidlaw played the bagpipes, which encouraged Scots to fight - patriotic
- 19th and 15th Scottish divisions suffered 13,000 casualties - a lot for a short period of time
5
Q
The Battle of the Somme events
4
A
- 750,000 men were sent to the battle
- At 7:20 AM 40,000 pounds of explosives detonated under a German machine gun position at Beaumont Hamel
- Explosives failed to destroy the barbed wire
- Tanks were first used at the Battle of Somme
6
Q
Restrictions introduced by the Defence of the Realm Act
6
A
- Shooting homing pigeons was banned as they were used to spread messages
- Ban on bonfires and fireworks to avoid giving up positions to the enemy
- British Summer Time extended by 1 hour for longer working days
- Purchashing binoculars was banned over fear of German spies
- Parks and football pitches were dug up to be used for growing crops
- Whisky and beer was watered down to prevent after effects of alcohol and increase productivity
7
Q
Defence of the Realm Act:
Censorship
4
A
- Casualty figures played down and names blocked out
- Misleading accounts of battles implying greater success
- False German atrocities widely broadcast
- Gruesome photos rarely published, and only of enemy corpses if published
8
Q
Defence of the Realm Act:
Secrecy
4
A
- Could not talk on naval / military matters in public spaces
- No trespassing on railway lines or bridges
- No spreading rumours of military matters
- Lighting bonfires and fireworks was banned
9
Q
Defence of the Realm Act:
Productivity
4
A
- Buying rounds of alcohol was banned
- Government could take over any land
- Wages were either lowered or kept the same
- BST introduced for longer working days
10
Q
Defence of the Realm Act:
Munitions
4
A
- Shortages as companies were too small and there was a lack of materials
- Factories could be taken over by force to be used for production of materials
- Men in vital industries were not able to quit their jobs
- Unimportant workers could be re-directed to jobs with bigger significance
11
Q
Defence of the Realm Act:
Punishments
4
A
- People who spoke out were branded as unpatriotic
- New courts set up to harshly punish rule breakers
- Military law attached to railways and docks, so punishments were equal
- Punishments included long prison sentences and execution
12
Q
Why rationing was introduced
6
A
- U-Boat warfare sunk food, so not enough was reaching Britain
- Food queues caused riots and lowered morale
- Panic buying caused many shortages
- Not enough food was being grown voluntarily
- Soldiers took priority, so not enough food was available for the home front
- Malnutrition was often seen in poorer communities, but richer people could afford food
13
Q
What the Government Did to Help Ration
6
A
- Women’s land army provided extra voluntary labour on farms to produce food
- Propaganda created to encourage food growth
- Encouraged people to reduce food consumption overall
- Introduced events such as ‘Meatless Mondays’ and ‘Wheatless Wednesdays’ to discourage people from eating certain foods daily
- Scheme for voluntary rationing taught people to reduce their food consumption and not waste food when cooking
- Compulsory rationing introduced in 1918 to make sure that everyone received a fair share
14
Q
Changing Role of Women:
Transport
4
A
- A prominent new area of employment for women
- Women began working as bus conductresses, ticket collectors, porters, carriage cleaners and bus drivers
- Number of women working in transport went from 9000 to 50000
- Opportunities closed after war as servicement returned to their jobs
15
Q
Changing Role of Women:
Police
4
A
- First women police officers served during the First World War
- Main responsibilities were to maintain discipline and monitor women’s behaviour around hostels and factories
- Carried out inspections on women to make sure they didn’t take anything into factories that might cause explosions
- Patrolled public areas such as railway stations, streets, parks and pubs
16
Q
Changing Role of Women:
Factories
4
A
- After 1915, demand for shells increased so women were brought into munitions - by 1918, a million were employed
- Well paid, especially for women with domestic service experience, but was often unpleasant and dangerous
- TNT could cause toxic jaundice which earned women the nickname ‘canaries’
- Devastating explosions caused many casualties
17
Q
Changing Role of Women:
Women’s Land Army
4
A
- Government’s Board of Agriculture tried to change mens prejudice by organising demonstrations to show women’s ability to do farmwork
- Women’s land army recruitted, trained and put healthy young women into farmwork
- ‘Land Girls’ took on milking, care of livestock and general farm work for 18-20 shillings a week
- By 1918, 300,000 women were working on land
18
Q
Changing Role of Women:
Women’s Armed Auxillary Corps & Armed Forces
4
A
- Women pressured for their own uniformed service in August 1914
- Became prominent that many jobs done by soldiers could also be done by women
- Women’s royal navy service & women’s royal air force were established
- 100,000 women joined armed forces during war
19
Q
Changing Role of Women:
Nurses
4
A
- Queen Alexandra’s imperial military nursing service had over 10,000 nurses by the end of the war
- Nurses were not warmly welcomed in the working environment
- Professional nurses were unhappy with the new, unqualified volunteers
- Nurses were poorly paid and often did domestic jobs instead of proper healthcare
20
Q
Use of Propaganda
4
A
- Encouraged men to join up and fight in the war
- Promoted limiting the use of certain products such as bread
- Showed women an opportunity of importance by becoming a nurse
- Asked women to do their bit at home whilst the men were at war
