The British Home Front during the First World War.

Question	Answer
When did Britain declare war on Germany?	2 August 1914
When was the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) introduced?	8 August 1914
When and what was the first instance of bombing of British civilians?	16 December 1914 German warships shelled North-East coast of Britain. 119 killed in Scarborough.
When did the first air raids by German Zeppelins occur?	1915 19 January: bombs dropped on East Anglian towns 31 May: first air raids on London
When did the munitions crisis start and what did David Lloyd George do to increase the munitions output of the factories?	July 1915 Government set up ministry of Munitions. Lloyd George and Emmeline Pankhurst organised a march encouraging women to go work in munitions factories.
Why did the trade unions oppose women workers?	1. Women were paid less and unions worried that when men took up these jobs again, they too would be paid less. 2. Unions were afraid there would be no jobs left for men when they returned from fighting in the war.
When was conscription introduced, and what was the name of the bill which introduced it?	25 January 1916 First Military Service Bill Conscription of all single men aged 18-40
When was the Second Military Service Bill introduced and to whom did it extend conscription to.	16 May 1916 Married men
When was the Battle of the Somme, and how many British casualties resulted from it?	1 July 1916 to 18 November 1916 1/2 million British casualties
When was the government's feature film 'The Battle of the Somme' shown in cinemas?	August 1916
When did Lloyd George become Prime Minister and who did he replace?	7 December 1916 Herbert Asquith
When did Germany begin its campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare?	February 1917
How many British merchant ships were being sunk by German U-boats in 1917?	One in four
When was voluntary rationing introduced, and when was compulsory rationing introduced?	Voluntary: November 1917 Compulsory: 25 February 1918, extended to whole country in April. Bread was not rationed.
When was the Armistice signed?	11 November 1918
How were conscientious objectors processed?	They appeared before a tribunal and had to convince the tribunal that they had genuine reasons for objecting (not just cowardice). If convinced, the tribunal could order the objector to do non-combatant work at the Front. Men who refused to help the war effort at all were imprisoned or sent to labour camps. If a man was ordered into the army and refused, he could be shot.
What did the Defence of the Realm Act enable the government to do?	Make laws bypassing Parliament Seize and land or buildings Take over any industries Censor
How many people saw the patriotic film 'For the Empire'?	9 million
Why did men volunteer to fight in the war?	--to go on an adventure --thought war would be over in 6 months --get away from a dead end job (coal mines) --patriotism and dislike of Germans --get away from slums and large families
How did the British government respond to the shelling and bombing of the east coast?	Many feared that the Germans were preparing an invasion force. In response, the government installed searchlights, anti-aircraft guns, and barrage balloons, Detailed, highly secret instructions were sent to military commanders on the east coast.
How did the government take control of the coal industry, so that it could be run for the benefit of the war effort?	--Profits of the coal owners were fixed --The Treasury took any surplus --Miners were not conscripted --National wage agreements ensured that all miners were paid the same
How did the government respond to the munitions crisis (exposed by the Daily Mail July 1915)?	There was a chronic shortage of shells, bullets, and guns on the Western Front. The government set up the Ministry of Munitions (under Lloyd George) to increase munitions production. New National Shell factories were built, and existing munitions factories controlled and their output coordinated. The latest mass production methods were installed throughout the industry by the ministry.
When Lloyd George became PM he set up a Ministry of Shipping. What was its purpose?	--requisitioned merchant ships for vital imports --co-ordinated the activities of the docks and railways --increased the rate of construction of merchant ships --a convoy system of merchant ships and battle ships sailing together was imposed to protect against German U-boats
How did Lloyd George tackle the food shortage crisis which occurred in 1917?	1. He tried to persuade farmers to turn their pasture land into arable land. By 1918, 3 million acres of arable land had been brought into cultivation. 2. Ministry of Food set up: --price of bread subsidized, keeping the price down. Bread was never rationed, but posters encouraged people to eat less of it. --voluntary rationing attempted. RF announced they would do this --compulsory rationing introduced
Which industries saw the biggest increase in number of women workers?	munitions factories banking commerce metal-working jobs
What social effects did the increase in women workers have?	As women became more financially independent, they began to act more socially free. Many shortened their skirts and smoked in public etc.
Why did the government introduce conscription?	--falling number of volunteers --demand for troops increasing --too many miners were joining up, it was damaging Britain's industry --unfair system, people could avoid the war
How did books contribute to propaganda?	Leading authors (HG Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling) all signed a Declaration by Authors in support of the war. The history department at the University of Oxford produced a five-volume explanation of why Britain was justified in going to war. This book, nicknamed the Red Book, sold 50,000 copies.
Give an example of a newspaper which the government closed down.	The pacifist newspaper Tribunal.
What was the British Topical Committee for War Films?	A group of film companies who got together to make and sell films to the War Department. Films created by the Committee included 'For the Empire', and 'The Battle of the Somme'.
By the end of the war, how many women had taken up work in engineering industries?	800,000
Which jobs did women take on during the war?	Farm labourers Coal delivery Bus conductors and drivers Postal workers Grave diggers Road layers Welders and steel workers
What was the Representation of the People Act?	An act which was passed in the House of Commons in 1917 by a 7 to 1 majority, and passed by 63 votes in the House of Lords. It became law in 1918. All men over 21 and all women over 30, who were also householders or married to householders gained the vote. Full voting rights for women were not granted until 1928.

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The British Home Front during the First World War.

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