Home Front Recruitment Restrictions Rationing

Home Front Recruitment & Restrictions & Rationing

n n When the War began there was mass enthusiasm. 900, 000 volunteered in the first 3 months Lord Kitchener, Britains most famous general, was in charge of the recruitment of soldiers. Men aged between 18 and 50 were recruited

All over by Christmas? n n n n Why did people join? Boredom Poverty Unemployment Excitement Visit France Meet French Girls Become a Hero

n n n Didn’t work out like that. Those who didn’t volunteer found themselves victims of psychological pressure Posters about ideas of manhood Defend their women from the ‘beastly hun’ Women to reject men not in uniform White Feathers “symbols of Cowardice”

n Military Service Act 1916 – Unmarried men aged 18 to 51 were conscripted (forced to join) n Viewed as a breach of the individuals rights

Some men were Exempt n n n n Engaged in vital war work. . Shipbuilding etc Weak or in ill health Having dependants, such as an old widowed mother Objections to fighting and killing Religious Objectors Political Objectors Pacifists

n Those who refused to enlist were subject to military discipline n Death Sentence n Prison n Work camps

Restrictions Defence of the Realm Act 1914 It was forbidden to n Give bread to dogs, poultry, horses and other animals n Buy an alcoholic drink for someone else n Buy binoculars n Melt gold or silver n Fly a kite n Send a letter abroad in invisible ink n Talk about naval or military affairs in public n

n This act gave the military the power to arrest civilians and try them in army courts n Censorship was introduced n Newspapers were not to give details of battles where things had gone badly wrong for Britain.

Rationing n n Dora – one of its key aims to prevent food shortages People at the start panic buying Food was brought in from America, Canada and the Empire Germany after 1917 introduced unrestricted submarine warfare which meant less food was able to reach Britain

n Rationing was compulsory for beer, butter, sugar and meat n People received rationing coupons n When their weeks coupon for something ran out they couldn’t buy anymore of that item that week n There were food shortages but no one starved!

n Farmers were encouraged to use more of their land so they could grow more food n The Women’s Land army was set up. Women from the Land army were a big new labour force available to work on the farms.