THE BRITISH HOME FRONT

In August 1914, Britain was ill-prepared to fight a prolonged war on the Continent. Nevertheless, changes were soon made to rectify this situation.

1. Increasing government control over society and the economy:

  • Britain introduced the Defence of the Realm Act in August 1914, to give the government special powers to run the war.
  • Heavy industry (eg. Steel) was placed under government control.
  • Certain industries were nationalised. These included the coal industry, the railways, the docks and harbours and the nation’s shipping fleet. The government also took over the munitions industry.
  • All foreign shares owned by British citizens were seized, then sold for foreign exchange to pay for imports. Shareholders were compensated with domestic currency.
  • To counter the German U-boat campaign (which had reduced the nation’s food stock to just four weeks in early 1917), the government took over responsibility for agricultural production.
  • The Women’s Land Army was formed to replace workers on farms.
  • The government acquired considerable power to eliminate dissent within Britain. Civil liberties were sharply curtailed.
  • By the beginning of 1916, the supply of recruits had began to slow, so the Military Service Act was introduced to permit universal male conscription – for both the army and labour service. All men between the ages of 18 and 41 were subject to military service.
  • Price controls were introduced in 1917, in a bid to keep the price of food down.
  • Rationing was introduced in 1918, to ensure that everyone had access to the nation’s limited food supplies.

2. Social impacts of the war:

  • Women were permitted (and encouraged) to work in many areas of the economy, including the munitions industry, the service industries and on the land. Women were even allowed to serve as auxiliaries the army and air force.
  • As a result of having paid work, women became more independent financially. Their wages rose to a level much closer to that of men.
  • When the war ended, women over the age of 30 were given the vote, in recognition of their contribution to the war.
  • A second social impact of the war was the reduction in class barriers in Britain. During the war, the servant class all but disappeared.

3. There were three main political consequences of the war.

  • A Liberal-Conservative coalition government was created, led by David Lloyd George.
  • The Labor Party also did well out of the war, receiving considerable support as a result of its opposition to the conflict. It soon overtook the Liberals as the second largest party in the country.
  • In 1918, the vote was extended to all men over the age of 21. This doubled the number of men who could vote, and since most of these new voters were members of the working class, this greatly enhanced Labour’s electoral prospects.