John Reith and The British Broadcasting Company
The turn of the 20th century was a time of drastic change. The world was experiencing its first World War, cultural changes in music and clothing , and the League of Nations was established. Radio broadcasts first aired in 1920 covering these events. In October 1922, John Reith established the British Broadcasting Company to broadcast to the British nation.
John Reith, born of George and Adah Reith, was born on July 20, 1889 in Stonehaven, Kincardineshire. John spent most of his young life scraping through school. At fifteen, he apprenticed under an engineer. He went on to pursue a job in London at the engineering firm S Pearson and Son five years later. (John) In 1914, Britain joined the first World War. (Terraine) Reith was called up and stationed in France. One day while helping his major inspect the trenches, he was shot in the face by a German bullet. He was then finished with active duty (John).
John went to America with his former engineering firm (Pearsons) to work at an arms company in Philidelphia. He led an inspection team that checked rifles for the war effort. This year and a half time period gave him experience and exposure as a public figure. Reith met powerful figures such as John D. Rockefeller and spoke at many prestigious universities. In 1917, John Reith returned to Britain to work with the Royal Marine Engineers. During this time, he became engaged to local Muriel Odhams. (John)
The Morning Post advertised a job posting for the general manager of the British Broadcasting Company in 1922. It was being organized by several local radio stations to broadcast to all local radios. John Reith applied and was then hired as general manager. (John) ...
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The 1920s was a decade of rapid expansion, wealth, envy, and greed. This is a time during which life felt as if it was moving in fast forward. Its basis was money and the extravagances that money could buy. America went under a radical change and social reform. America is becoming more industrialized, more Americans lived in cities than in the countryside. The development of technologies like radios, mo...
"Queen's University Archives - World War I." Queen's University Archives - Home. Web. 23 July 2010.
Between the years of 1914 to 1918, the whole of Europe was locked in arms, not only for pride but mostly for survival. The years of war brought devastation upon all societies. Men were massacred in droves, food stuff dwindled, and at times an end seemed non-existent. The foundation of the first Great War, one can muse, began as a nationalistic race between rival nations. By the onset of 1914, once the Archduke Frendinad had been assassinated in Saravejo, the march for war became not just a nationalistic opinion, but now a frenzy to fight. In battle, unlike previous wars, new weaponry caused drastic alterations in strategy. No longer will armies stand to face their rivals on the plains. Now the war will be fought in trenches, hidden underground from the new, highly accurate artillery. In many respects, World War I was a war of artillery, gas, and mechanization. Except as new weapons were becoming essential for battle, the leaders, on all sides, appeared too inept to fight this new style of warfare. Generals, or any leader for that matter higher in the chain of command, sent their troops in massive assaults. Regardless of their losses there were no deviations from the main ideology of sending massive waves of men and shells to take a position. On an individual level, the scene of repeated assaults and mayhem of the front line did little to foster hope for their superiors or even for the naiveté of their fellow countrymen who were not fighting. I submit that in times of sheer madness and destitution, as during World War I, men banded together to form make-shift families for support and companionship when all seemed lost; as exemplified in the novel All Quiet on the Western Front.
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As a nation coming out of a devastating war, America faced many changes in the 1920s. It was a decade of growth and improvements. It was also a decade of great economic and political confidence. However, with all the changes comes opposition. Social and cultural fears still caused dichotomous rifts in American society.
The 1920s were a time of change for the United States. Following the First World War there was a rush of new cultural, social, and artistic dynamism, partly fuelled by the Progressivism movement that was cut short when American entered the Great War. This decade was defined by a change from more rural farm life to industrialism in big cities. The shift from the frugality and traditional family values or previous generations to the happy-go-lucky consumerism and metropolitan life occurred more rapidly than any other social shift in living memory. These swiftly changing tides caused cultural clashes and confrontations throughout the decade as America struggled to define for itself a fresh national identity in the wake of its new position as a world power.
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World War I, also known as “The Great War”, was a global war that revolved mainly around Europe. It took place from 1914 to 1918. This was a very brutal war that caused many casualties. The soldiers who survived experienced severe trauma and mental discomfort. This trauma was a direct result of the violence and agony they experienced during the war. Motivation for this war was the idea of nationalism and the pride in one’s country. This war was the cause of disillusionment among many of the soldiers that were involved in it.
Zieger, Robert H. (2000). America’s Great War: World War I and the American Experience. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc.
Through out the 1920’s many inventions were created that altered human civilization. Transportation was successfully mastered. Radio communication was becoming more common and medicine was saving more and more lives every day.
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