DORA

• Defence of the Realm Act (1914) - Gave government wide ranging powers to run the war.The legislation gave the government executive

powers to suppress published criticism, imprison without trial, and to commandeer economic

resources for the war effort.

• DORA was also used to control civilian behaviour. This included regulating alcohol consumption and

food supplies.

Munitions

What was the problem?

Planning clearly inadequate

Chronic shortage of shells and bullets

New soldiers trained with sticks!

Rumours that soldiers limited to three rounds of ammo a day

Publicised by the Daily Mail

What did the government do?

Coalition formed Lloyd George made

minister of munitions. In this role he:

Told essential workers to stay put rather than go where the pay was best

Brought women into the workforce

Opened up the government’s own munitions factories

Crisis was alleviated, and army well supplied

thereafter. Equal pay established for women after Unions

complained that paying them below the odds could lead to men being squeezed out of the market altogether.

Evidence of success

100,000 women registered for industrial work

in 1915 – but only 5000 were given jobs! Women were to be thrown out of their jobs

once the boys came home. Trade unions complained that the bosses

weren’t subject to the same restrictions

Evidence of failure

Rationing

What was the problem?

In April 1917 German U-Boats were sinking 25% of British Merchant shipping

At one stage Britain had only 6 weeks supply of wheat left!

Prices almost doubled between 1914-1917 and easily outstripped wages – strikes and demonstrations

Women’s Land Army set up to in Feb 1917

to recruit women as farm workers Wages of industrial workers raised after

the strikes May 1917: voluntary rationing system

introduced - Royal family publicised the scheme

November: Price of bread restricted to the “ninepenny loaf”,

recipe books produced

What did the government do?

Rationing welcomed as a fair system By the end of the war the diet of many poorer

people had improved as a result of the system!

Evidence of success

None of the measures relieved the food

shortage Early 1918 – compulsory rationing introduced

of sugar, butter, meat and beer Coupon books distributed Stiff penalties for anyone who broke the rules

Evidence of failure

Women & the War EffortWomen & the War Effort

The WSPU and the NUWSS suspended their suffrage campaigns when the war began in 1914. They contributed to the war in a number of important ways, most importantly, they began volunteering to fill the gaps left by the men.

1. Recruitment1. Recruitment

2. Employment

A female conductor on a London bus

3. Red Cross Nurses3. Red Cross Nurses

A Woman Ambulance Driver

A Woman Ambulance Driver

Russian Women Soldiers

Russian Women Soldiers

4. Women in the Army Auxiliary (W.A.A.C)

4. Women in the Army Auxiliary (W.A.A.C)

The Women’s Royal Navy Service (W. R. N. S.)Women’s Royal Air Force (WRAF)

5. Working in the Fields

Women’s Land Army

5. Working in the Fields

Women’s Land Army

6. Munitions Workers6. Munitions Workers

French Women Factory Workers

French Women Factory Workers

German Women Factory Workers

German Women Factory Workers

7. Spies7. Spies

e “Mata Hari”

e Real Name: Margareetha Geertruide Zelle

e German Spy!

e “Mata Hari”

e Real Name: Margareetha Geertruide Zelle

e German Spy!