The Home Front
- Created by: SGriffin49
- Created on: 04-07-21 10:48
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- The Home Front
- Evacuation
- The government were concerned that the Germans would bomb British cities and many people would die. They encouraged parents to send their children to the countryside to keep them safe.
- Evacuation began on 1st September 1939. Millions of children, pregnant women and mothers with babies were evacuated. School children often travelled with their teachers.
- However, due to a lack of bombing in the early months, many children returned home before Christmas.
- A second evacuation had to take place before the Blitz began in mid-1940.
- Children all had different experiences with evacuation. Many were happy with their host families and learnt new things.
- Some children were made to work for their host families and did not have a very positive experience.
- Many children found it difficult to adjust to country life.
- Rationing
- Rationing was introduced in 1940 to make sure that no one went short of food during the war.
- Food including, meat, butter, milk, eggs and sugar were rationed as well as clothes and furniture.
- Spare land was dug up to grow food.
- Families were encouraged to grow their own produce.
- Winston Churchill
- Churchill had been a soldier and government minister in World War One.
- During the 1930s Churchill had opposed appeasement (peaceful negotiation). He did not trust Hitler and wanted Britain to prepare to fight Germany.
- Churchill became Prime Minister in 1940 and formed a coalition government. He convinced his government to fight Germany and not negotiate.
- British propaganda portrayed Churchill as a strong leader who would win the war for Britain.
- Churchill made many speeches throughout the war to boost the morale of the British public and the armed forces.
- The Blitz
- Germany bombed London almost every night from September 1940 to May 1941 and again from June 1944 to March 1945.
- Tens of thousands of people were killed and millions made homeless.
- Life during the Blitz was tough. It became hard to get food, electricity, gas and water.
- Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool were also bombed.
- On 14th November Coventry destroyed 1/3 of the city and killed hundreds of people.
- The Blitz did not achieve its aims. It caused less deaths than expected and failed to destroy morale or force Britain to surrender.
- Blackouts were introduced to stop German pilots being able to see big cities. Windows had to be covered and streetlights and headlights were turned off.
- Anderson shelters were built in peoples gardens to protect from bombing. London underground stations became air raid shelters for those without gardens.
- The Media
- The Ministry of Information was set up to carry out censorship of the media.
- The MoI controlled what stories and photographs newspapers could print. All post from abroad was opened and read.
- Propaganda campaigns were used to boost morale. A campaign called 'Careless talk costs lives' told people not to gossip about the war.
- Evacuation
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