Political effects of the War

Liberal Party
1. Shell Shortage led the Liberals to believe that state intervention was more necessary if the war to be won This led Asquith to the decision of forming a wartime coalition
  1. War Coalition horrified many Liberals and IN They didn't want the input of Labour and especially not the Conservatives
    1. Maurice Debate - Lloyd-George replaced Asquith 1918 False report that British Army was weak after the news it was about to break the line Split Liberals
2. Weaknesses
  1. Home Rule/Easter Rising
  2. Failure of navy to defeat the German in battle of Jutland Casualties in the battle of Somme were extensive
  3. Bad Leadership - Asquith was criticised for his lack in decision making and leadership Lloyd-George was applauded for his energy and drive
    1. War Cabinet set up by Lloyd-George to which Asquith was not made present
Conservative Party
1. Although politically weak at the beginning of the war their pro-war attitude gained them more support over the war years
Labour Party
1. The Labour Party almost split in 1914 over whether they should support the war or not Most decided that they would
2. Ramsay MacDonald was Mercilessly criticised in the press over their opposition to war and militarism
3. Cabinet and Trade Union success
  1. Arthur Henderson, first Labour politician to be given a place in the cabinet Cooperation of Trade Unions also led to the Labour Parties war effort recognition. Trade Union membership doubled to 8 million
4. The war brought about a wider franchise, more working class men could vote and this meant that the Labour party - the working class party- received more support
5. War brought about the idea of equality after rationing and industrialisation, points which the Labour Party had always supported
Irish Nationalists
1. Home Rule on hold
  1. Sinn Fein - Extreme Republicans Wanted independance for whole of Ireland not just Ulster Easter Rising 'black and tans' turned many people towards the Sinn Fein
    1. Easter Rising - Over-taking of important buildings Violent repression by the British Army 'Black and tans' which many people opposed
Coupon Election
1. Lloyd George and Asquith were rivals throughout the war Lloyd-George fought the war coalition stating that he would keep the coalition including the Conservatives
  1. Those who supported the formation of the coalition were issued a certificate signed by Lloyd-George and Bonar-Law
2. Lloyd George gained 133 seats Liberals gained just 28 seats Labour won 63 seats
State Intervention
1. Conscription - 2 million men had volunteered between 1914-16
  1. Military Service Act - Asquith resisted conscription until Jan 1916 Single Men 18-41 After battle of Somme it extended to married men After Russia pulled out against Germany in February 1918 it extended the age to 50
2. Censorship
3. Rationing
4. Trade Unions -Dilution Agreement Train semi-skilled or unskilled women to do jobs that men would usually take up from 1915 onwards
  1. Demanded from Trade Unions in agreement to the Dilution agreement - Fixed prices; wages, profits and rents also emanded that men would return to their old jobs after the war and highly-skilled workers would be exempt form conscription
5. Before 1918 - based on property, residence and gender Far from mass democracy War brought change to the electoral system, women were recognised for their war efforts in taking up the roles of men Men were recognised in the role of war as many working class men soldiers were fighting for Britain but unable to vote
State and the Economy
1. Armament - 2 million shells climbed to 187 million 270 machine guns in 1914 to 120,870 in 1918 Also supplied war materials for Allies Huge demand for transport to increase and protect the provision of food and fuel
  1. Effects - Pushed up prices Caused shortage Failure in Britain's first attack on Germany due to shell shortage
    1. DORA
  2. Ministry of Munitions - Lloyd-George Oversaw the purchase, production and supply of all war material Encouraged factories to turn from peacetime to wartime production
    1. Effects - Huge wartime enterprises Leeds employed 16,000 25million shells a year
2. Railways, Docks and Mines became nationalised By 1918 LG controlled 250 state industries, 20,000 facotries and 4 million employees
3. British Summer Time - long hours in the day to maximise work time
4. Pubs Reduced strength of alcohol Limited open hours for public houses
5. Department of Food Production Encouraged home grown foodstuffs subsidies for farmers to plough up waste land, allocated scarce fertilisers, supplied prisoners of war with work on the land and encouraged women to volunteer for farm work
  Anmerkungen:
  - Encouraged home grown foodstuffs subsidies for farmers to plough up waste land, allocated scarce fertilisers, supplied prisoners of war with work on the land and encouraged women to volunteer for farm work
6. Balanced Budget - Had to be abandoned £200million in 1913 £2600million in 1918
  1. Taxation - Borrowed money from it's own people through taxation increase and neutral countries
  2. Trade Profits Exports blocked off by U-boats Imports ceased to be available
  3. Borrowed money and war material J.P.Morgan supplied a loan form the bank of New York of $5 million per day Britain faced bankruptcy and complete reliance upon USA

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Political effects of the War

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