The Home Front

When the war started hordes and dfroves of men went to fight, aswell as many during the war. This left places that needed to be filled.

These places were filled by women. of all types, even the suffragettes stopped campaigning to help. They began doing many jobs that men had previously done and that had been seen as traditionally men's jobs.

They became: Bus drivers, Policewomen, Drivers, Involved in Agriculture, Ship building and above all munitions workers

War work changed very noticeably tyhe attitudes of women. It made them more independant both more socially and financially.

It also gave women more of a sense of their own value and changed views permenantly.

But it was until 1918 when the women were rewarded for their efforts with the vote if they were over 30 and owned a house, or were married to someone that did.

Women and the War, Propaganda and the Home Front

Women and the war

Propaganda

Late in the war a government agency was formed by David Lloyd George in order to co-ordinate the efforts and make it more effective.

Propaganda itself is using the media to make people think a certain way.

Government's use propaganda in war times to ensure that people's attitudes remain positive to the war effort.

This agency was formed to: Provide propaganda to change opinions Supervising propaganda in cinema's Gathering political intelligence and to control war news.

This department fufilled it's role and later became the ministry of information in March 1918 under Lord Beaverbrook, owner of the Daily Mail.

One technique of propaganda is 'Chinese Whispers'. This is how simple, harmless news becomes warped by the media to make the public think a certain way.

The Home Front and Conscription

At the beginning of the war the British public supported the war, and were very anti-german., added to by accounts of their terrible actions in Belgium So much in fact that propaganda was hardly needed.

Rationing was a large part of the war and was one of the reasons the allies won, infact this is the reason Germany surrendered; they ran out of food.

DORA was the defence of the realm act introduced during the war. It gave the governemnt extra power such as: Watering down beer (to improve work rates) They could control the media and could force people to stay in vital jobs.

Many foods were rationed and many schemes were introduced. The first food to be rationed was sugar, shortly followed by meat, tea and butter.

Conscription was introduced because not enough people were joing the army or supporting the war effort, so they forced people to join.

At first the Derby Scheme was introduced which invited soldiers to promise they would join the army if needed, telling them that unmarried men would be asked first.

This Derby Scheme was a complete failure and so forced conscription was introduced in two acts, called the Military Service Acts. The first one just for unmarried men and the second for every male of fighting age (18-41).

If people didn't join, they were imprisoned. These were known as conscientous objectors. However men in vital jobs were not forced to go fight.