Britain between the Wars 1931 – 1951 Revision Guide Gaynes School History Department Citizenship Faculty

Contents

1. The Impact of the Depression

2. Britain at War 3. The Home Front 4. Labour in Power 5. Checklist – how much do you know?

6. How to answer the questions – mark scheme

7. Exam Practice

Remember: The British paper consists of FIVE QUESTIONS. The questions are focused upon source skills. The topic for the exam could be on any of the material we have learned. You need to be sure of your own knowledge and also of your skills. Read through the booklet carefully.

Nature, Origin, Purpose When you examine a source, remember to consider the NOP!! Nature – WHAT is a source? Is it a photograph, a painting, a book extract, a speech, a newspaper article? Origin – WHERE is it from? What is the date? Which country does it come from? Who wrote it/created it? Purpose – WHY was it written/created? Is it propaganda? Information? Entertainment? WHO is it aimed at? What is in the source, and how does that contribute to the purpose?

The impact of the Depression 1931–39 Unemployment in the 1930s The Depression was triggered by the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The areas that were hardest hit in Britain were those of “heavy” industry – shipyards, steel, coal mining. By 1932 – 34.5% of miners and 62% of shipbuilders were unemployed. 80% of new factories built were in London or the South East. These were new industries – car making. They meant unemployment in London/South East was kept

low. Government Reactions 1929 – Labour Government. Prime Minister – Ramsey MacDonald. The Government made big spending cuts and could not cover the 1929 unemployment rates. August 1931 – Benefit rates were cut by 15% and a Means Test was set up. Officials could examine whether a claimant needed the money. National Government This was a coalition of moderate Labour, Liberal, and Conservative MPs. It won the General Election in October 1929. It cut the benefit rate by 10% 1930 Unemployment Insurance Act – had to prove you were seeking work 1931 Means Test introduced – 271,000 failed the means test in the first 10 weeks = no benefits 1934 Unemployment Act – made the division between National Insurance payments

and the dole 1934 Special Areas Act - £2 million aid for Scotland, Tyneside, Cumberland and South Wales 1937 Special Areas (Amendment) Act -gave tax cuts/low rents to businesses that moved into those areas.

Being unemployed Experiences of unemployment varied. Everyone had to go to the Employment Exchange once a week to register for looking for work. 1933: British Medical Association study showed it cost 5s 1d to feed a person the minimum of food needed for health. By 1938 44% of those on dole money had to manage on less than this. People joined savings clubs for necessities. The Jarrow March

Jarrow is a town in Tyneside, in the North East. Its main trade was shipbuilding, which was heavily affected by the Depression. 1934: National Shipbuilders' Security Ltd (NSS) closed Palmers' Shipyard. It got far too little money in the Special Areas Act of 1934. 1935 – 64% of people were unemployed in Jarrow. 1936 – the National Unemployed Workers' Movement organised a National Hunger March to London from Jarrow. 200 of the fittest unemployed men were chosen for the march. They took a petition signed by over 1000 people to asking the Government to provide work. The march was called the Jarrow Crusade and banners were made of black and white cloth – this was to give the march respectability. The march covered 291 miles in 22 stages. They walked 21 miles a day in between stops. They held public meetings to state they were looking for work, not charity. Public reaction to the marchers – varied. Some towns let them use cinemas and swimming baths for free; council or church groups gave them tea/food. Some towns ignored them and they slept in workhouses. Impact of the Jarrow Crusade Saturday 31 October – Jarrow Crusade reached London. Stanley Baldwin refused to accept the petition/see the marchers.

The Government stopped the marchers' benefit payments whilst they were on the march. This was because they were “not available for work” whilst on the march. There were only small gains from the march – several marchers were offered work. Sir John Jarvis, MP, took an interest in Jarrow – he set up a steel works in Jarrow in December 1937. It only employed 200 men. The Jarrow march did not achieve its aim – the Government did not act at once. Unemployment dropped due to the country re-arming for World War II. The crusade became a by word for public protest.

Section 2: Britain at War Going to War 1 September 1939 – Germany invaded Poland. Britain and France had accepted Germany's invasion of Czechoslovakia – this was the policy of Appeasement. 10 May 1940 – Winston Churchill became Prime Minister. Churchill is noted for inspiring people to keep going during the fight against Germany. Blitzkreig! Blitzkreig = “lightning war” 9 April 1940 – Germany invaded Norway and Denmark (both neutral countries) 10 May 1940 – launched Operation Yellow – invasion of Western Europe. Germany's blitzkreig was a new militaty tactic. It had a simple pattern: Planes bombed the area to be occupied; Tanks (Panzer Division) moved in and took over the area; German troops moved in and occupied (covered with artillery fire) This gave troops in the countries under attack little time to prepare for invasion. Belgian/British/French troops had no plan. The Germans had a very clear plan. Blitzkreig moved more swiftly and effectively than Hitler had

intended. Dunkirk 21 April 1940 – first retreating Allied troops reached Dunkirk The British Navy planned to rescue as many troops as it could before the Germans reached Dunkirk. Operation Dynamo – began on 26 May. Owners of small boats were asked to go to Dunkirk to take the soldiers to big ships. 300 boats were doing this by 29 May. Over 338,000 troops were brought home. This was a large part of the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) and Allied troops as well. Dunkirk is important because: it saved the lives of many soldiers who could fight again It boosted British morale Churchill promoted Dunkirk as an example of how the British people could pull together to produce victory in the face of near certain defeat. “Dunkirk Spirit” - meant keeping going in the face of giant obstacles. Battle of Britain 22 June 1940 – France surrendered. Operation Sealion – Hitler decided to invade Britain by sea – he needed the Luftwaffe to destroy the RAF first so it could not attack invading troops. There were four stages to the Battle of Britain: 10 July – 7 August – Luftwaffe attacks on British Coast 8 Augut – 6 September – Luftwaffe attacks on British airfields 7-15 September Luftwaffe attack London 15 September – Luftwaffe defeated 17 September – Hitler called off Operation Sealion

Britain won because of: Radar More fighter planes Spitfire planes were the most efficient design The “Dunkirk Spirit” kept British pilots flying D-Day 7 December 1941 – The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour, USA The US entered the war – they suggested a quick plan for the invasion of Europe. Operation Overlord – Date was set for the night of 6 June 1944 D-Day succeeded because of the following: Attacks on radar stations along the channel and up to Norway Coded radio messages and other leaked information that stated the invasion would be near Calais Several complicated plans led the Germans to believe that large numbers of troops were landing in other parts of France Other key factors: Parachute troops Pluto Fuel Pipeline Rapid ferrying of troops and supplies Air and Sea backup to the invasion. Defeat of Germany Germany was under pressure from all sides after D-Day The Allies pressured Germany by: Bombing industrial sites/militaty bases/cities in Germany Using radar to find enemy submarines Keeping resistance movements to fight the Germans/sabotage road and rail links

Allies – did make military errors September 1944 – the Allied armies suffered high losses at Arnhem when they tried to liberate (free) the Netherlands (Holland)/control road networks/cross the Rhine into Germany Some German officers tried to assassinate Hitler – this failed December 1944 – the Germans launched a counter attack westawards, known as “the Battle of the Bulge” The Germans lost men – the Allies brought in replacements April 1944 – Soviet (Russian) troops were closing in on Berlin Hitler killed himself – Germany surrendered The Blitz 7 September 1940 to May 1941 – Luftwaffe bombed British cities London was bombed the most heavily – the Germans also targeted Liverpool and Coventry The raids targeted civilians deliberately Reasons for the Blitz: Disrupt daily life Kill civilians Break British morale Did it succeed? 43,000 Civilians were killed 2 million people were made homeless Water/gas/electricity supplies were affected There was a second evacuation

BUT – THE BLITZ FAILED TO BREAK MORALE!!! New Dangers End of the Blitz – heavy bombing of cities stopped. April 1942 – Baedeker raids began. The Germans chose their targets from towns which had 3 stars in the German Baedeker tourist guide to Britain. Big Baedeker raids were on: Exeter, Bath, York, Norwich. June 1942 – Germans bombed Canterbury, the RAF had bombed Cologne. Luftwaffe suffered heavy losses – a bomber and four crew members were lost for every 5 civilians killed. V1s and V2s – ways to bomb Britain from a distance They had no pilot – they were launched from the French coast. 12 June 1944 – first V1s launched. Over 9000 were launched – they killed 6000 people and about 1.5 million left London as a result. September 1942 – the V2 was used. 5000 were launched – only about 1000 reached Britain, killing approx 2700 people. Section 3: The Home Front Preparing for war: 1935 – Local councils told to build Air Raid Shelters 1937 – Air Raid Precautions Service was set up 1939 – Over 1.5 million had volunteered to be ARP wardens. The wardens put sandbags round buildings to stop bomb damage Barrage balloons were put up to stop German planes flying low ARP Wardens organised the blackout – no lights on after a certain time! Anderson shelters were given out – people put them together in their

gardens. 19 May 1940 – Local Defence Force volunteers were asked for. August 1940 – 1 million volunteers became known as the Home Guard. They helped rescue workers, cleared up bomb damage, removed or painted over road and station signs, and put obstacles in large fields and barbed wired the beaches. All of these were methods to prevent the Germans landing/arriving. They also trained to fight a German invasion. Government Control Government control over everyday life tightened during the war – freedoms were restricted and limited. New Ministries were launched: Ministry of Supply – took over Iron and Steel industry to organise production of war supplies. Ministry of Labour and National Services – organised the armed services and war effort on the Home Front Ministry of Information – set up on 5 September 1939 – responsible for propaganda and censorship. Censorship – stopping certain information from being published – in newspapers, radio broadcasts, private letters, and conversations. The aim – to stop information reaching the enemy and demoralising the British people. Letters going out and coming into the country were censored, as was the troops' mail. Propaganda – information designed to make people think or behave in a certain way. The Ministry of Information made posters/leaflets to persuade people to do or not to do things during the war

“How To Do This” films were made as well – you could learn how to dig a vegetable plot or move safely in the Blackout. Patriotic short films/newsreels were shown. Talks were broadcast on the radio. Feature films were made to encourage patriotic feeling. Rationing Pre-war – 55 million tons of food a year was imported by Britain. This was 70% of all the food people bought! November 1936 – Ministry of Food started to plan to control food supplies, as they feared the Germans would sink ships that supplied Britain. January 1940 – German submarines had sunk over 100 ships carrying food to Britain. 8 January 1940: Rationing began You had a ration book of coupons – you registered this with a shop and the coupons used were recorded by the shopkeeper. Three kinds of rationing existed: Rationing by weight – butter, jam, meat. Rationing of dried goods – flour, biscuits, cereal, and tinned goods on a point system. Government control of foods such as orange juice/milk – babies, pregnant women, or the sick were given supplies first. People were encouraged to grow their own food and keep chickens/rabbits Local parks became allotments to grow crops on. Food was scarce, and little variety – a black market in which you could sell rationed goods at a high price flourished.

Evacuation People were evacuated before war was declared as a precuation Evacuees included children, mothers of children under school age, pregnant women, and blind people. Vulnerable groups were kept safe – parents and carers were freed to work in volunteer groups – ARP or WVS. From 1938 – the Government encouraged people to think about evacuation. Some people made their own arrangements with friends or family. Most children were evacuated with their schools. 1 September 1939 – evacuation began By December 1939 – no bombing had begun. Many evacuees returned home for Christmas. Women during the war July 1939 – Women's Land Army reformed. 8 December 1941 – conscription introduced for all unmarried women aged 20-30. Older single women and married women were conscripted as the war continued. Women could choose to join the armed services, civil defence, or industry. 1943 – over 100,000 women were working on the railways, from collecting tickets to driving trains! Armed Services – women had their own sections: ATS – Army WAAF – Air Force Wrens – Navy At first – their work was almost entirely cleaning, cooking, or paper work As the war progressed – women worked on anti-aircraft posts, as radio operators, motorbike messengers, and as spies.

Women after the War War ended - men and women were discharged and had to find civilian jobs. Women had to give up jobs when servicemen returned. It was seen as more important to find men work.

4. Labour in Power 23 May 1945 – Churchill resigned – an election date was set for 5 July Election campaign – The Conservatives focused on Churchill. Churchill caused offence when he compared Labour's Socialist policies to the workings of the Nazis. This badly affected the Conservative's campaign – Labour won the election on 26 July. Beveridge Report William Beveridge was head of a Committee to report on how to improve life in Britain. 1 December 1942 – The Beveridge report was published – it was over 300 pages long. It sold over 70,000 copies in the fi rst few days – huge amount of public support. The recommendations stated the State should support people from the Cradle to the Grave – from birth until death. The state had to fight the “five giants”: Want – lack of basic needs, like food Ignorance – lack of proper education for all Disease – lack of proper medical care for allotments Squalor – poor living conditions Idleness – unemployment

Fighting the 5 Giants! The National Government put permanent measures in place to fight the 5 giants: 1944 – Education Act of 1944 – provided free education to the age of 15 1945 – Family Allowance Act – paid mothers 5 shillings a week for every child after their first one. The Labour Government came into power in May 1946 – it put other measures in place to give everyone state support. National Health Service Beveridge suggested a free NHS Doctors at all levels were suspicious of state control of medicine. Doctors were paid by patients. Those who lived in rural areas were concerned it would reduce their income. The British Medical Association had a history of disputes with the Government BMA – disliked the 1911 introduction of free medical care for those who paid National Insurance contributions. 1946 – Aneurin Bevan was the new Minister of Health. He consulted the BMA – but also pushed through the National Health Act in November 1946. The National Health Act was due to come into force in January 1948. Disputes with the BMA delayed it until July 1948. Using the NHS: The NHS was extremely popular – but the cost was badly underestimated by the Government. 1949 – the National Health Service Act set a 1 shilling prescription charge – if you were old, poor, or disabled you did not have to pay. Bevan resigned as Minister of Health because of it.

1951 – Another act put a charge of 1 shilling towards the cost of glasses o half the cost of false teeth Changes were imposed – but those who needed free treatment could now get it. Revision tips: Check you know key dates Check you know key people – who they were, and what they did. Make sure you understand key words – their meaning and their context.

Checklist: Topic I know it all! I know most of it! I don't know

much! Unemployment in the 1930s

The Government and unemployment

Experiences of the unemployed

Reasons for the Jarrow Crusade

Impact of the Jarrow Crusade

Beginning of World War II

Dunkirk and its importance

Churchill and the evacuation from Dunkirk

Battle of Britain

The Blitz

What was D-Day?

Reasons for D-Day's success

Reasons for Germany's defeat

Blitz on Coventry

New Dangers – V1 and V2 Rockets

Government preparation for war

Propaganda and Control

Evacuation

Rationing

Women at War

Women post-war

Labour come to power 1945

The Beveridge Report

The Five Giants

The National Health Service

Impact of the NHS until 1951

Practice Questions If you complete these, please hand them in to be marked! Question 1: Study source A. What can you learn about the reasons for the Blitz from Source A? 6 marks Question 2: Study Source B and use your own knowledge. What was the purpose of this poster? Use details of the source and your own knowledge to answer the question. 8 marks Question 3: Using your own knowledge, study Source C. What can you learn about British morale from this source? 10 marks Question 4: How reliable are sources D and E as evidence of how Londoners reacted to the Blitz? Explain your answer and use your own knowledge. 10 marks Question 5: How far do you agree with the interpretation “the Blitz on London failed?” Use sources D, E, and F, and your own knowledge, to explain your answer. 16 marks

Sentence scaffolding These sentence starters are designed to help you start your answers. You do not have to use them. Question 1: “From this source I can infer that...” “My evidence for this is...” Remember – TWO supported inferences = 6 marks! Question 2: “The purpose of this source is...” “Evidence from the source is...” “My own knowledge supports this...” “The reason this content was chosen was because...” Question 3: “From this source I can learn that...” “My evidence for this is...” “From my own knowledge...” Question 4: “This source is reliable/unreliable...”

“The Nature/Origin/Purpose of the source are...” “The content of the source is...” Question 5: “Evidence to support this interpretation is...” “From my own knowledge...”