OCR Specification focus:
‘Measures to protect workers during the First World War; social issues during wartime.’
The First World War significantly reshaped British society as government policies sought to balance industrial demands, labour relations, and welfare during unprecedented pressures.
Government Intervention in Labour and Industry
The outbreak of war in 1914 forced the state to intervene directly in the economy. Traditional laissez-faire principles gave way to state regulation designed to sustain war production and protect workers. Measures included:
Munitions of War Act (1915): Placed key industries under government control, limiting strikes and restricting workers’ mobility.
Dilution agreements: Allowed unskilled and semi-skilled workers, including women, to undertake jobs traditionally held by skilled men.
Wage controls and tribunals: The government introduced compulsory arbitration to prevent disputes from halting production.
Dilution: The policy of employing unskilled workers, often women, in roles previously reserved for skilled male labourers, especially within munitions and engineering industries.
These measures ensured essential supplies for the front but also raised tensions over workers’ rights and industrial freedoms.
Protection of Workers’ Rights
Although industrial discipline was tightened, the state introduced schemes to maintain morale and avoid social unrest.
Fair Wages Clause (1915): Guaranteed minimum pay levels in government contracts.
Rent controls (1915): Introduced to prevent profiteering from housing shortages in industrial towns.
Welfare provision in munitions factories: Canteens, medical services, and welfare officers were appointed to improve conditions.
Such measures reflected recognition that workers’ support was essential for sustaining the war effort.
Women in the Workforce
The war transformed women’s economic role. With men at the front, women entered previously male-dominated occupations, including munitions, transport, and clerical work.
Female “munitionettes” manufacturing heavy artillery shells at a Vickers factory, May 1917. The image exemplifies dilution in practice and the industrial roles women assumed under state direction. Source
By 1918, around 1 million women were employed in munitions alone.
The Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) and related services provided roles in administration, driving, and communications.
Trade unions often resisted dilution, but necessity forced acceptance.
Dilution Crisis: The tension between skilled trade unions and government policies that enabled women and unskilled workers to take over jobs in protected industries.
Women’s contribution challenged traditional gender roles, creating long-term implications for suffrage and equality debates.
Industrial Unrest and Strikes
Despite government controls, wartime Britain experienced episodes of industrial unrest:
The Clyde Workers’ Committee and strikes in engineering highlighted discontent over dilution and pay.
Food shortages and rising prices created further grievances.
The government relied on the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) to suppress dissent, censor strikes, and regulate production.
Defence of the Realm Act (DORA): Emergency legislation (1914) granting the government sweeping powers over industry, censorship, and civil liberties to safeguard the war effort.
While labour unrest threatened production, most unions cooperated, prioritising victory over industrial conflict.
Public Health and Welfare During War
The war also highlighted social inequalities and encouraged greater state responsibility for welfare.
Rationing (introduced in 1917–18): Ensured fair food distribution, addressing shortages caused by U-boat attacks.
Government poster outlining offences and penalties under wartime rationing, underscoring how the state enforced equitable food supply. The poster includes extra detail (specific penalties) beyond the syllabus focus, but it clarifies the coercive mechanisms accompanying rationing policy. Source
Housing shortages: Industrial migration led to overcrowding in cities; temporary housing schemes attempted to alleviate the crisis.
Health concerns: War industries exposed workers to dangerous chemicals, leading to government provision of protective equipment and medical supervision.
These measures reflected concerns about national efficiency and the need to preserve the workforce’s strength.
Impact on Families and Children
Social policies also addressed the home front’s challenges:
Separation allowances were paid to soldiers’ wives and families, preventing widespread destitution.
Child welfare schemes expanded, including school meals and medical inspections, to support poorer households.
War charities, such as the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Families Association, supplemented official relief.
Separation Allowance: A state-funded weekly payment given to the dependants of serving soldiers and sailors to replace the lost income of the family breadwinner.
These schemes prevented widespread hardship and strengthened civilian loyalty to the war effort.
Legacy of Wartime Social Policy
By 1918, the war had entrenched state responsibility for welfare and labour relations. The temporary emergency measures laid foundations for post-war reform:
Normalised the role of government in regulating wages, rents, and food supply.
Advanced the case for social reform and women’s suffrage.
Exposed persistent poverty and housing issues, prompting further investigation into social conditions.
The wartime experience demonstrated that protecting workers was not only a matter of fairness but also of strategic necessity for sustaining total war.
FAQ
Enforcement relied on a system of ration books issued to households in 1918. Butchers, grocers, and bakers had to check coupons before selling food.
Local Food Control Committees monitored compliance and reported breaches. Severe penalties, including fines and imprisonment, were used to deter illegal sales and black market activity.
Trade unions were initially wary of dilution but cooperated under pressure of national emergency. Leaders agreed to suspend restrictive practices in return for government assurances.
Workers gained guarantees of reinstatement after the war.
Union influence grew, as government sought consultation through bodies like the Ministry of Munitions.
Yes, casual labourers and agricultural workers often missed out. Separation allowances and wage guarantees focused mainly on industrial and military-linked families.
Domestic servants, still a large employment sector for women, had fewer protections compared to those in munitions or transport.
For many working-class families, measures such as allowances, rent controls, and rationing marked the first direct and visible intervention of government in daily life.
This expanded expectation of state responsibility helped shift attitudes towards post-war reform and legitimised further state involvement in welfare.
Rapid migration to industrial towns created overcrowding and strained local resources. Tensions arose between incomers and established residents.
Some temporary housing schemes were provided, but conditions were often poor. This highlighted long-standing inadequacies in housing, fuelling debates over post-war reconstruction and reform.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks):
What was the purpose of introducing rationing in Britain during the First World War?
Mark Scheme:
1 mark for identifying that rationing ensured fair distribution of food supplies.
1 mark for noting that it addressed shortages caused by German U-boat attacks.
Question 2 (6 marks):
Explain how the British government protected workers and their families during the First World War.
Mark Scheme:
Award 1 mark for each relevant point explained, up to a maximum of 6.
Introduced separation allowances to support soldiers’ dependants (1 mark).
Brought in rent controls to prevent profiteering during housing shortages (1 mark).
Established fair wages clauses to guarantee minimum pay levels (1 mark).
Provided welfare measures in munitions factories, such as canteens and medical services (1 mark).
Introduced rationing to ensure equitable access to food (1 mark).
Improved child welfare through school meals and medical inspections (1 mark).
