OCR Specification focus:
‘Attitudes to war; the impact of war on the Home Front’
The First World War brought unprecedented pressures on British society. Public attitudes shifted between enthusiasm and disillusion, while the Home Front underwent sweeping changes in work, life, and politics.
Public Attitudes to War
Initial Enthusiasm, 1914
At the outbreak of war in August 1914, there was widespread patriotic enthusiasm. Large crowds gathered to cheer departing soldiers, and recruitment was initially high.
Many men volunteered, inspired by nationalism, adventure, and duty.
Propaganda fuelled optimism, presenting the war as a short campaign.
Alfred Leete’s 1914 poster depicts Lord Kitchener pointing directly at the viewer, a powerful call to voluntary enlistment. It exemplifies how patriotic propaganda shaped early public enthusiasm. The clean composition and commanding gaze distilled the message of duty into a single, persuasive image. Source
Early battles, such as Mons and the Marne, reinforced belief in British resilience.
However, enthusiasm was uneven. In industrial and rural areas, some were reluctant to enlist, and conscientious objectors resisted war service entirely.
Conscientious Objector: An individual who refuses to participate in military service due to moral, religious, or political beliefs.
Growing Realism, 1915–1916
As the war dragged on, attitudes began to change:
Heavy casualties on the Western Front created a sense of disillusionment.
The introduction of conscription in 1916 showed that voluntary enthusiasm was waning.
The press and propaganda were used to maintain morale, but censorship limited the full truth about battlefield losses.
Public opinion shifted from excitement to grim determination, with many supporting the war out of necessity rather than optimism.
Disillusion and War Weariness, 1917–1918
By 1917, several factors led to growing war weariness:
The slaughter on the Somme and Passchendaele eroded confidence.
Food shortages and hardship on the Home Front strained patience.
Russian withdrawal and American entry in 1917 altered expectations, raising hopes for an eventual Allied victory.
Despite exhaustion, there was no major collapse of morale comparable to continental powers. Public resilience, though tested, remained a crucial factor in Britain’s war effort.
The Impact of War on the Home Front
Recruitment and Conscription
Initially reliant on volunteers, Britain introduced conscription in 1916 through the Military Service Act:
Applied to single men first, then extended to married men.
Conscientious objectors were often punished, imprisoned, or assigned non-combatant roles.
Conscription ensured the army had sufficient manpower to sustain long campaigns.
Women’s Work and Changing Roles
The war transformed women’s roles in society:
Women entered traditionally male jobs in munitions, transport, policing, and agriculture.
Women workers inspect and handle shell cases on a Vickers factory line in 1917. The image demonstrates the scale and industrial discipline of wartime production. It directly illustrates the expansion of women’s paid work into heavy industry during the war. Source
The Women’s Land Army helped sustain food supplies by working farms.
By 1918, nearly 1 million women were employed in munitions factories.
Munitions Workers: Labourers, often women, who produced ammunition, shells, and explosives vital for sustaining the war effort.
These shifts challenged pre-war gender norms, laying foundations for post-war debates about women’s suffrage and equality.
Economic Strain and State Intervention
War placed immense pressure on the economy:
Rising prices and shortages created discontent.
Rationing was introduced in 1917–1918 for sugar, meat, butter, and bread.
The government intervened heavily in industry, particularly in coal, railways, and shipping.
DORA (Defence of the Realm Act) 1914 gave the state sweeping powers:
Control of communications, censorship of newspapers, and restrictions on alcohol.
Regulation of industry and working hours to maximise efficiency.
Civilian Hardship and Morale
Civilians endured bombing raids from Zeppelins and later aeroplanes, which brought the war to British cities:
London, Hull, and other industrial centres experienced attacks.
Fear and destruction tested civilian morale, though resilience remained strong.
The government used propaganda and censorship to bolster unity. Films, posters, and newspapers portrayed the war as just and necessary, while downplaying defeats.
Trade Unions and Labour Relations
The war transformed industrial relations:
Increased demand for war production gave trade unions greater leverage.
Strikes occurred over wages and working conditions despite government appeals for unity.
The government worked with unions through dilution agreements, allowing unskilled workers and women into previously restricted jobs.
Social and Political Changes
The Home Front became a laboratory for social change:
Welfare provisions expanded to support soldiers’ families and disabled veterans.
The shared sacrifice of war fostered demands for greater social reform.
The Representation of the People Act 1918 extended the vote to all men over 21 and women over 30, acknowledging their war contribution.
Regional and Class Differences
The war’s impact was uneven:
Industrial regions like South Wales and Clydeside endured strikes and hardship due to inflation and food shortages.
Rural areas faced depopulation as men enlisted, but women and older workers filled labour shortages.
Middle- and upper-class families suffered heavy losses among officer ranks, intensifying perceptions of shared national sacrifice.
Public Attitudes Linked to Home Front Impact
Public morale and attitudes to war were deeply connected to conditions on the Home Front:
Enthusiasm was maintained when civilian life felt manageable, but hardships eroded support.
Propaganda and censorship were crucial in preventing mass disillusionment.
By 1918, the war was seen as a struggle for survival rather than glory, but commitment endured until victory.
FAQ
Censorship carefully controlled what civilians could read in newspapers or hear in public reports. Bad news such as large casualty numbers or failed offensives was minimised, while victories were emphasised.
Letters from soldiers were also censored to prevent sensitive military details or descriptions of poor conditions reaching the public. This helped sustain morale on the Home Front but also meant the public often had a distorted view of the realities of trench warfare.
While posters like Kitchener’s were iconic, the government also produced short propaganda films shown in cinemas. These films portrayed soldiers as heroic, women as loyal supporters, and the enemy as brutal aggressors.
The medium of film reached a mass audience, often including working-class viewers who might not have been reached by print media. Moving images made the war seem both more immediate and more manageable, strengthening popular commitment.
Zeppelin air raids began in 1915, bringing the war to British soil. Although casualties were relatively low compared to the Western Front, the psychological effect was significant.
Civilians experienced fear and uncertainty, especially during night raids.
Anti-aircraft defences and blackout measures were introduced, changing daily routines.
The raids strengthened the government’s justification for censorship and propaganda, presenting the need for unity and resilience.
Germany’s policy of unrestricted submarine warfare threatened to cut off vital supplies reaching Britain. Imported food and raw materials became scarce, increasing the strain on civilians.
This pressure led directly to the introduction of rationing in 1917–1918. It also fostered a sense of vulnerability at home, reinforcing the link between events at sea and conditions in British households.
Conscription from 1916 removed large numbers of men from households and workplaces. Families faced the emotional burden of separation and the financial strain of lost breadwinners.
Communities saw changes in workforce composition as women, older men, and young people filled gaps left by conscripted soldiers. While some supported conscription as necessary for national survival, others viewed it as state intrusion into personal freedom, leading to pockets of local resistance.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks)
Name two ways in which the British government controlled the Home Front through the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) during the First World War.
Mark Scheme:
1 mark for each valid point up to a maximum of 2 marks.
Acceptable answers include:
Control of communications (e.g. censoring letters or telegrams).
Censorship of newspapers.
Restriction of alcohol consumption/opening hours of pubs.
Regulation of industry and working hours.
Requisition of land or buildings for war purposes.
Question 2 (6 marks)
Explain why the role of women on the Home Front during the First World War was important to Britain’s war effort.
Mark Scheme:
Level 1 (1–2 marks): General description with limited reference to the war effort. For example, “Women worked in factories” with little explanation of importance.
Level 2 (3–4 marks): Some explanation of significance, linking women’s work to sustaining the economy or army. For example, “Women worked in munitions which provided the shells the soldiers needed at the front.”
Level 3 (5–6 marks): Developed explanation with clear and detailed links to the war effort. Answers may cover a range of roles such as munitions, the Women’s Land Army, and roles in transport or policing, and explain their significance in maintaining supplies, food production, and industrial capacity. For example, “Women’s employment in munitions was vital as it produced the ammunition for the army; at the same time, the Women’s Land Army kept food supplies going, reducing the risk of starvation and sustaining morale on the Home Front.”
