Chapter 7: Social and Cultural Impact of WW1

how many male workers were taking out of the economy?

6mil

how many women entered the workforce in ww1?

1mil; (1/3 of total workforce by 1918)

a further 250k switched from peace to wartime jobs (working class women in agriculture/munitions - 80% of shell factory employees)

women in work statistics?

transport female employees: 18k (1914) to 117k (1918)

banking + finance increased 600%

where did middle class women work?

administrative jobs + nursing

drivers, secretaries and clerks

women in the armed force

women's royal navy service

the auxiliary army corps (150,000 by 1918)

non-combatant jobs

negatives of war work for women

dangerous, especially in munitions factories

100+ women died from the hazardous chemicals

worked long hours and had to accept shift work

disrupted family life and put relationships under strain

still better paid than domestic service/textiles

results of the war effort for women

challenged victorian view that women were passive and weak creatures as women became breadwinner

middle class women experienced financial independence from their husbands

1919 sex disqualification act + change in fashion

continuation for women after war

strong emphasis remained on traditional roles (mother + wife)

domestic service: fell by 400,000 during war but still 1.2mil servants during war

in 1921 female workforce little different from that of 1911

women returned to pre-war jobs/their homes

why was RPA passed?

election coming up; it would have been unthinkable that soldiers who served in the war would not have been able to vote when they returned

representation of the people act, 1918

all men over 21 can vote

men over 19 that served in war can vote

women over 30 could vote if they were a local gov/married to a local gov member, a graduate or owned property

post-war position of unions

huge demand for extra workers - gave trade unions for extra bargaining power

key roles in labour due to 1918 consititution

labour mp on sankey committee

miners felt 'deceived, betrayed, duped'

1921 miners' strike

1 april 1921: miners' strike began and would seemingly escalate into a general strike

gov declared state of emergency: armed forced called upon

on black friday, rwm + transport backed down as LG intervened

result of the strike for the miners

had to strike alone and continued until 1 july

forced to accept 20% wage cuts

impact of war on children

300,000 left fatherless

education disrupted - many had to leave war early to meet the labour demand

impact of war on cultural values

challenged assumptions on morality, especially on the innate superiority of european values (anti-impersialism/colonialism)

victorian strict values loosened and never returned

class divisions after war

command bond of suffering and loss

class divisions not broken down: different jobs of working/middle class women and the different levels of status in the army

churches during and after war

greater public role; chaplains needed for armed forces

churchmen conducted supportive services + burials

both secular and religious beliefs undermined; some thought this war god's plan others thought it was evidence of his non-existence

church attendance during war

35% (1901)

18% (1935)

examples of patriotism during war

fed through daily mail e.g. germany was the enemy of britain

fight for 'king and country'

children's toys, games and songs incorporated patrioitism

extended to business; businesses accused of german connections

british bulldog

how many men signed up for war?

1mil by end of 1914

2.5mil altogether

no-conscripton fellowship

set up in 1915 (conscientious objectors)

successfully campaigned the conscience clause in 1916 conscription act - men had right to claim exemption from military service

why did COs refuse to fight?

religious reasons (quakers)

political reasons (anti-imperialism)

moral reasons ('because they consider human life to be sacred')

success of conscience clause

not very successful as tribunals unsympathetic

'absolutists' were imprisoned

over 6000 arrested and sent to prison

women gave them white feathers as a sign of cowardice

how many COs participated in war work?

10,000/16,000 e.g. driving ambulances

battle of the somme (1916) and third battle of ypres (1917)

ended in tens of thousands of deaths and yet gained little for either side in terms of territory

conditions of the trenches

extremely unsafe, unsanitary, 200,000 died from the conditions alone

how many died?

out of 6mil soldiers, 750k died and 2mil wounded

effects of the war on soldiers

shell-shock, mental and physical trauma

many found it hard to talk about their experiences

conveyed through art e.g. wilfred owen (collective protest against traditional glorification of war)