Resource 1 – the eve of war

People

In 1900 Scotland’s population was about 4.5 million – most of these lived in or near big cities like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen.

Urbanisation was taking place, many people were leaving rural areas for the big towns and cities to find regular work or secure better wages.

Cities were hugely overcrowded, 90% of Glaswegians in 1901 shared a toilet with another family. 70% lived in one or two roomed houses. Most visitors to Scotland were appalled at the conditions.

The rural population in areas like the Highlands was falling – farming industry was in decline. For those who stayed, conditions were poor.

In the Highlands, crofters (small farmers) had been evicted and treated badly. The Crofters Act of 1886 stopped forced evictions.

Many Scots were emigrating to America, Canada or the USA but around 1/3 came home eventually

Large numbers of Irish, Italian and Eastern European immigrants were arriving in cities like Glasgow

The Catholic population of Glasgow increased by 100,000 between 1875 and 1900.

In conclusion, the majority of Scots lived in towns and cities and a high number of Scots lived in dreadful conditions in 1914.

Economy

Pre 1914 the Central Belt (Glasgow/ Edinburgh) was a powerhouse for shipbuilding, engineering and the production of coal, iron and steel.

Glasgow was known as the ‘second city’ of the British Empire.

Scotland relied on international trade. Britain only produced enough food at home to feed the population for 2 days a week. Food for the other 5 came from abroad.

Coal was Scotland’s fastest growing industry and 150,000 people worked in coal mines. Scottish mine owners were old fashioned, and failed to modernise. Most coal was still cut by miners using picks and shovels.

Steel was seen as a ‘wonder metal’ and towns like Coatbridge produced millions of tons of it. Only one forge in Scotland could produce quality steel – William Beardmore’s Parkhead Forge.

The company bought huge steam hammers and specialised in making naval ships.

Shipbuilding depended on international trade and the Clyde took orders from all over the world. There were 40 yards on the Clyde. 1 in 5 of the world’s ships in 1914 were made on the Clyde.

Fishing was boosted by the growth of railways as they could carry fresh fish across the country. Fish such as Herring was caught in Scotland and sold to Germany and Russia.

Textiles were a major employer. The Jute (like sack cloth) industry in Dundee was huge and there were over 70 jute mills there alone. Textiles like cotton were also manufactured in large numbers in Scotland.

There was some industry in the Highlands such as tweed, aluminium and whisky. Changing fashions meant industries like tweed couldn’t always be relied upon.

In conclusion, Scotland was reliant on traditional heavy industry in 1914 and on foreign markets.
Politics

The Liberals were the most popular political party in Scotland before 1914. Other parties like Labour, the Conservatives and the Unionists were not very popular.

The Liberals were popular with the ordinary people because they challenged the rich and middle classes. The Liberals also campaigned to help Highland farmers have land rights. The Liberals felt that the government should interfere as little as possible in peoples’ lives (laissez-faire).

New Liberals started to argue that things like a minimum wage and pensions were essential. They promised to improve housing. Therefore, many ordinary men who had just gained the vote supported the Liberals.

The Liberals also appealed to Young Scots through propaganda and the Young Scots Society, who had 2500 members in 1910.

The Conservatives (or Tories) were associated with the rich and wealthy landowners which made them unpopular with the majority. The Tories wanted to put tariffs on foreign products which would make food more expensive for Scots.

The Labour Party was started by Keir Hardie in 1888 after he was rejected from standing for the Liberals. The party campaigned for health & safety in the mining industry and votes for women. The party was very new in 1914. The Labour party wasn’t yet ready to compete with the popular Liberals.

In conclusion, the Liberals were by far the most popular Scottish party in 1914 and for new parties like Labour it was very early days.
Scottish Identity

In 1914 most Scots saw themselves as British. Being part of the British Empire was of great benefit. Most Scots saw themselves as equal partners to the English.

Scotland was also proud of its own identity, proud of Highland dress, bagpipes, scenery etc.

Queen Victoria loved Scotland and this increased the popularity of the country.

Scottish soldiers were seen as brave, loyal and trustworthy who would fight to the end. Scots soldiers were also seen as aggressive types who would terrify the enemy. They were also viewed as hardworking and committed.

Even to other Scots, the Highlands seemed an intimidating place due to the ancient Clan system. The British government had removed the powers of clan chiefs and done away with clan tartan but they were still keen to recruit Scots soldiers.

Highland soldiers wore the kilt as part of their uniform. They marched to the sound of bagpipes wherever they were in the British Empire.

When war broke out in 1914 the British Government focussed on the heroic deeds of past Scots soldiers to encourage men to enlist. The government brought back the ideas of Highland clans to appeal to the patriotism of Highlanders.

Scots signed up for war in huge numbers in 1914.

The Scots’ casualty rate far exceeded that of the UK.

In conclusion, Scots felt British as well as Scottish and were proud of their heritage. The Scots army regiments were seen as brave and loyal warriors.

Resource 2 – Voluntary Recruitment

  1. All young men aged 19-35 were asked to volunteer via a massive government propaganda campaign such as Kitchener’s ‘Your Country Needs You’ poster and it was a huge success, by 1915 almost 1¼ million men volunteered.
  2. More Scots volunteered in proportion to the population than any other part of Britain e.g. by the end of August 1914 over 20,000 had volunteered to fight from Glasgow alone.
  3. Many joined due to Patriotism/Belgian atrocities – doing your duty for Scotland and Britain and the fact that the censored media told horror stories of German troops raping women as they invaded Belgium – increased hatred of ‘The Hun’
  4. Peer pressure – friends volunteered, girlfriends etc – many men didn’t want to miss out on an adventure that all their workmates/ classmates/ brothers were going on. Fathers/ Grandfathers encouraged young boys. Wives and Girlfriends often encouraged men to become war heroes – men didn’t want to be the only one not going
  5. Guilt, fear of white feather – many men felt that they were letting their country down by not volunteering; they felt a duty to ‘King and Country’ or to protect their town or village. The White Feather movement humiliated men not uniform; no one wanted to be a victim of it
  6. Sense of adventure – get away from mundane lives. Many men had boring manual labour jobs and no prospect of ever leaving their town/ city. Joining up was a chance to see Europe and have experiences that they never thought possible.
  7. Money – many men worked in difficult jobs and worked long hours for little money i.e. shipyards, therefore joining up was a chance to make a living and enjoy a decent income
  8. Scottish martial (fighting) tradition inspired many. Many grew up hearing stories of the Scots regiments and bravery – many men were inspired and wanted to become the next Scots war hero
  9. Scotland suffered higher unemployment and more widespread poverty than most areas in Britain. The army was a chance for a regular job and wage.
  10. Over By Christmas – according to the Press, Britain would win the war in a matter of months. Men didn’t want to miss their chance to fight for their country and become a hero therefore rushed to join up

Resource 3 – Battles

Loos

The Battle of Loos began on the 25th September 1915. French and British forces worked together to fight against the German army. The British forces were led by Field Marshal Sir John French and Field Marshal Douglas Haig. Loos was the first major battle for many of the newly recruited soldiers of “Kitchener’s Army”. (Soldiers who had volunteered when war was announced.) Many of the soldiers involved in the battle were from Scottish regiments.

The area of Loos was considered to be very poor for an army offensive. The German forces held the best areas surrounding the battleground. They had taken control of old towers that had been used by coal miners. In addition to this, ammunition supplies were low. This meant the artillery bombardment that would have weakened the German forces before the soldiers attacked was very poor.

Before the British attacked, chlorine gas was dropped on German troops for the first time. However, it had limited impact. Much of the gas was blown back into British trenches and soldiers were affected by the chemicals. As gas masks were a relatively new invention, some soldiers couldn’t see out of the eyepieces, whilst others took the masks off as they struggled to breath. In many places British artillery had failed to cut the German barbed wire in advance of the attack. Advancing over open fields within range of German machine guns and artillery, British losses were devastating.

On the first day of the attack, the British did manage to take the French town of Loos. However, on the second day the German forces were ready. Out of 10,000 men, 8,000 had been killed or seriously injured within 4 hours. The British retreated back to their starting position. Several attacks continued over the following weeks. The battle finally came to an end on 13th October 1915. By the end of the battle, 50,000 men had been injured and at least 20,000 were dead.

Many of the soldiers had signed up as part of “Pals Battalions”. As a result some towns and villages in Scotland lost the majority of their male inhabitants.

Somme

The Battle of the Somme began on 1st July 1916. The battle involved both British and French troops fighting against German forces. The British forces were led by Field Marshal Douglas Haig and the French were led by Commander in Chief, Joseph Joffre. Many of the soldiers involved in the Battle of the Somme had signed up to the army as part of “Pals Battalions”.

The British attack was simple. They blasted the Germans with artillery guns for seven days and nights using shrapnel shells in an attempt to cut the barbed wire. The noise of the guns could be heard in London. In places the British had dug tunnels or ‘mines’ under the German lines and packed them with up to thirty tons of high explosives. At 7.30am on 1st July, the artillery stopped firing and the mines were blown up. This created huge craters filled with toxic fumes. The generals thought that very few Germans could have survived the attacks.

The generals didn’t really trust the new soldiers as they weren’t professionals. The generals thought the soldiers would run across no-man’s land and lose their formation. “Kitchener’s army” (men who had signed up when war was first announced) were ordered to walk across no-man’s land and occupy the remains of the German trenches.

However, the German trenches were much deeper than the British. When the bombardment stopped the Germans quickly ran out of their trenches, assembled their machine guns and mowed down the advancing British troops.

In the first 10 minutes 12,000 men were killed or badly wounded. There were 60,000 casualties (20,000 of whom were killed) on the first day alone. These were the heaviest losses of any army in one day during WWI.

The battle didn’t end there. Haig carried on stubbornly determined to beat the Germans. In September, he used tanks for the first time. This was a major error as the tanks had not been fully tested and the conditions at the Somme meant that the tanks became stuck in the mud. Haig had exposed the British forces secret weapon to the Germans.

When the battle ended on 13th November 1916, the British had suffered 420,000 casualties, the French 200,000 and the Germans 450,000. Many of the soldiers had come from the same towns and villages which meant that some communities lost almost all of their male inhabitants.

Resource 4

Role of Scottish military personnel

Douglas Haig – war hero or villain?

Year and Place of birth: Edinburgh, 1861

Appointments during WWI:

Field Marshall, Commander at Somme in 1916

Evidence to suggest Haig was a war hero / Evidence to suggest Haig was a villain
  • Led thousands of new recruits/ volunteers into an army which won the war
/
  • Old fashioned – underestimated new technology i.e. machine gun – thought cavalry was still important

  • Started charities – Earl Haig fund/ British legion
/
  • Responsible for many casualties & deaths but few gains

  • Wanted to prepare more – but under pressure from French/ politicians
/
  • In charge of worst ever battle in British military history at Somme – 400,000 dead

  • Eventually broke deadlock in 1918 with so many German casualties
/
  • Historians have said he was insensitive to deaths/ casualties

  • Request for 150 tanks at Somme denied – only 50 arrived
/
  • Middle class, privately educated, privileged – out of touch with his men

  • Many claim that David Lloyd George was responsible for character assassination - spoke out against Haig in his autobiography
/
  • ‘Butcher of the Somme’ nickname - ‘lions led by donkeys’

Resource 5

Role of Scottish military personnel

  1. More Scots volunteered in proportion to the population than any other part of Britain e.g. by the end of august 1914 over 20,000 had volunteered to fight from Glasgow alone.
  2. Due to the nature of the war on the Western Front (e.g. so many bodies were left in no man’s land) it proved impossible to accurately calculate the number of war dead.
  3. Over half a million Scots served in the war. Figures on Scottish dead vary from 74,000 to 100,000.
  4. The Scots had a casualty rate of 26%, roughly 1 in 4 Scots soldiers were killed or wounded, among the highest of any nation.
  5. The Battle of Loos became the ‘Scottish Battle’ due to the massive involvement of Scots regiments such as the Black Watch, Cameron Highlanders, the Cameronians, the Scots Fusiliers and Gordon Highlanders
  6. The Battle of the Somme signalled the end of ‘Pals Battalions’ due to the devastation it caused for many Scots towns and villages such as Cranston’s and McCrae’s Battalions of Edinburgh. Many smaller villages lost most of their male population.
  7. Of the 16th Battalion of the HLI (who were mainly ex Boys Brigade members), 500 alone were killed on the Somme
  8. General Douglas Haig was a key leader at both Battles of the Somme and Loos – born in Edinburgh, he had been in the army for 30years when war broke out. He was old fashioned and spoke highly of the use in cavalry in war but it was his decision to use the Tank at the Somme
  9. Critics have hit out at Haig’s leadership, saying he sent hundreds of thousands of men out to their death in the Somme – he is often known as the ‘Butcher of the Somme’
  10. After the war Haig made efforts to see justice done for veterans, helping create the British Legion and the Earl Haig Fund to help ex servicemen

Resource 6

Conchies

Case 1 Jim Preece

When I got the letter through the door to report for service in 1916 I was devastated. I loved my country and I wanted to play my part but I just couldn’t pull that trigger. I was a Quaker, you see, and part of my religion was pacifism – never supporting war. We had been taught at the meeting house as kids that only God had the right to take someone’s life. I wrote a letter back explaining this to the War Office. I had to attend a tribunal in October 1916 in Edinburgh to have my case heard. There were four men on the panel and I had to argue my case as to why I couldn’t fight. It was awful – I had never felt under so much pressure and I burst into tears after it. I could tell they were judging me and they made me out to be a traitor to the country. They let me off with fighting as long as I went to the war as a medic. If I didn’t agree I would have gone to jail.

Case 2Archie Walsh

In my opinion, compulsory military service was wrong. I wouldn’t do it. I was a pacifist. War is wrong and I wasn’t willing to be part of it. I appealed to the War Office and I had a tribunal. You could tell they didn’t sympathise and I knew I wasn’t going to get the outcome I needed. Eventually they said I could do other work of national importance and told me I’d be working in a coal mine up in Bellshill.I just couldn’t do that – the coal from that mine fuelled the tanks and ships that took the lives of the Germans. I was told I was an ‘absolutist’ – one who absolutely refused any involvement in the war. In 1917 I was sent to a military prison in England. It was horrendous. I don’t know how I kept my sanity. Many of my fellow prisoners died from the hard labour and the terrible treatment from the guards – beatings and kickings every day. I honestly don’t know how I survived. When I eventually came back to Lanarkshire in 1920 I had to start a new life. My old pals refused to speak to me and my brothers disowned me. My old job was in a factory in Belshill – they told me never to show my face at their door. It would have been easier to just go and fight I suppose.