Social issues 1914-22 Flashcards
(19 cards)
How did the suffrage movement change during the war?
They stopped asking for the right to vote and start asking for the right to serve
What proportion of the workforce was women by 1918?
1/3
Name some of the new organisations for women during war
- Women’s Royal Air Force
- Women’s Royal Navy Service
- Women’s Auxiliary Army Force
What was war work like for women?
- Long hours
- Some die from shell factory explosions
- Others die from diseases associated with handling poisonous chemicals
- Long hours, bad conditions
What were the advantages of war work for women?
Often better paid than domestic service/textiles/shop work
Why did unions not want equal pay for women?
Unions were scared that pushing women’s wages up would undermine men’s claims for higher wages
What was the Sex Disqualification Act? When was it?
- 1919
- Meant it was illegal to deny a woman a job in the civil service or local government based on gender
What war legacy ended in 1921? What did this lead to?
- Nationalised coal mines ended
- Resulted in owners cutting wages and adding hours to workers
What was the Sankey Commission?
- Enlisted by DLG to investigate mines
- Called for higher wages, shorter working days (gov agreed to) and nationalisation (gov refused)
How did DLG prevent a general strike in 1921?
- Declared a state of emergency using the Emergency Powers Act of 1920
- Dispatched troops to areas where the miners were striking
- Railwaymen and Transport workers’ unions eventually withdrew support on “Black Friday”
How were people who fought referred to?
Called “The Lost Generation”
How did the role of Churches change in wartime?
- They gained a bigger role
- Chaplains had to travel with the army to cater for spiritual and religious needs of each army
- Burial and religious services needed
What was the vorticism movement? Who founded it?
- Wyndham Lewis
- Before the war, it was a movement driven by fascination in modern tech
- Post-war, it was disillusioned with modern tech
What was the modernism movement?
- Anti-authoritarian
- Nihilistic
- Challenged status quo
What was the Dadaism movement?
- Reaction to the absurdity of the world
- War seen as a destructive force that emphasises societal flaws
What media outlets spread patriotism? What mascots were used?
- Daily Mail
- Literature
- Music halls
- John Bull and Britannia used
How were conscientious objectors treated?
They had to attend tribunals where they’d state why they didn’t want to be sent to the front. If these reasons were judged insufficient, they were simply sent to the front
What did the public call conscientious objectors?
“conchies”
What were the absolutist conscientious objectors? How were they treated?
- Refused to do any war work at all
- Simply imprisoned for this
