World War 1 was the first 'total' war to be fought. It started in 1914 and lasted for four years, ending in 1918 on November 11th. During these years millions of soldiers were killed and because of the nature of the 'total' war, which means everybody in the country is involved in the war effort, those people on the 'home front' were also affected in many ways. This essay looks at how the non-combatants at home lived during the war years. The effects they experienced ranged from rationing, limitations on their freedom to how the lives of women changed by this event. A variety of sources are used to illustrate this.
The Government at the end of 1914 passed the Defence of the Realm Act. This gave Parliament the power to control everything that made the country run. Here are some of the things that Parliament could now do;
*DORA involved civilians in the war effort.
*There were restrictions on pub opening hours.
*The government had powers to take over factories and organise industry for war production. Many factories switched to producing munitions and employed women workers.
*Extra land was ploughed up for farming in addition to the existing farmland. Mem
In Britain the outbreak of the Great War was greeted with enormous enthusiasm. People were excited, proud and wanted to show their love for their country.
In November 1918 a change of mood about this issue led to women over thirty being given the vote and being given the right to stand as Members of Parliament. Some people think this would have happened anyway but the way in which women supported the war effort certainly helped to change male opinion.
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