The British Home Front

What was the home front like in Britain in the First World War?

The First World War was the first war to have such a significant impact on the lives of civilians and non-combatants in Britain.

How did the law change on the home front in Britain in the First World War?

In 1914, the British government passed the Defence of the Realm Act, otherwise known as DORA. This gave it widespread and far-reaching powers to control the behaviour of the public in order to protect the war effort.

What was the effect of conscription on the home front in Britain in the First World War?

As the war progressed, Britain introduced more measures to ensure that a sufficient number of men joined the army:

• ❖ For the first two years of the war, Britain relied on volunteers, and approximately 3 million men had been recruited by 1916.
• ❖ Because of the number of casualties on the Western Front, conscription was introduced for single men aged between 18 and 41 in January 1916.
• ❖ In May 1916, conscription was extended to include married men aged between 18 and 41.

How was food affected on the home front in Britain in the First World War?

Britain was vulnerable to food shortages because it imported most of its food. The German U-boat blockade had 4 serious consequences:

• ❖ Imports of food from the USA were increased.
• ❖ The government attempted to keep the price of bread at 9d a loaf, and wealthier people were discouraged from buying it, as it was a staple food for the poor.
• ❖ The amount of farmland was increased. Parks were requisitioned for the growing of food.
• ❖ Rationing was introduced for sugar and meat in January 1918, with other products rationed later in the year.

How were women on the home front in Britain in the First World War affected?

The war affected women in Britain in the following ways:

• ❖ The proportion of women in the workforce rose, from 24% in 1914 to 37% in 1918.
• ❖ Women took on new roles, in munitions factories, engineering and transport.
• ❖ When men returned from the war, most women were forced out of work into their pre-war positions.
• ❖ Women in Britain were granted the vote in 1918, ostensibly as a reward for their war work.

How many people were killed on the home front in Britain in the First World War?

The dangers of life in war-time meant that many civilians lost their lives.

• ❖ 16,829 civilians from Britain and her empire were killed as a result of enemy action during the war.
• ❖ Nearly a million civilians across the world are estimated to have been killed by fighting during the First World War.
• ❖ 5.9 million civilians across the world are thought to have died of disease, malnutrition and accidents as a direct result of the First World War.
• ❖ A pandemic of Spanish flu at the end of the war may have killed up to 50 million people globally.