Migrant Experiences in Britain During Wartime c.1914-c.1945

Migration Themes

  • Identifying themes for migration.
  • Matching migrant groups to reasons for coming to Britain during World War One and World War Two.

Learning Objectives

  • To assess the experience of migrants during wartime Britain, c.1914-c.1945
    • Gold: Compare experiences of migrants in Britain during World War One and Two.
    • Silver: Explain why migrants had positive and negative experiences.
    • Bronze: Identify which groups had positive or negative experiences.

Migrant Groups and Their Experiences:

  • Belgians: Fled to Britain as refugees when their home country was invaded by Germany in 1914.
  • Germans: Some arrived as prisoners of war; attitudes toward them shifted during the wars.
  • Indians: Many recruited to work as lascars in the British merchant navy during World War One.
  • Jews: Fled Nazi control; some came as part of the Kindertransport program.
  • Chinese: Recruited to work as lascars in the British merchant navy.
  • Poles: Escaped Nazi control; played a key role fighting Germany in the Royal Air Force.

Factors Influencing Migrant Settlement

  • Factors influencing how well a migrant would settle in Britain:
    • Reason for coming to Britain
    • Racial or ethnic group
    • Skills relevant to Britain
    • Time of arrival
    • Settlement location
    • Media influence
    • Wealth
    • Prevailing political attitudes
    • Availability of work/housing
    • Religious or political beliefs
    • English language proficiency
    • Age and gender

Anti-Migrant Sentiments and Groups

  • False Beliefs: In the early 20th century, some believed certain races were superior.
    • Darwin's Theory of Evolution misused by racists to justify these beliefs.
  • Resulting Attitudes: Negative attitudes towards some racial groups and immigrants increased, spreading across Europe, including Britain.
  • British Union of Fascists (BUF): Founded by Oswald Mosley, sharing anti-Semitic ideas and hatred of immigrants.
    • Also known as the Black Shirts (due to their military-style uniform).
    • Gained popularity in areas with high unemployment and poverty, blaming immigrants for these issues.
    • Mosley’s speeches about the