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The second world war and its effect
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The second world war and its effect
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The Second World War was an event that could only be measured against the first Great War that had barely finished two decades prior. The concept of the ‘People’s War’ arose in Britain because the front line began to leak onto the home front and civilian lives were structured by the war. With the threat of attack and invasion many people accepted the policies of the government including controlled propaganda, volunteer Home Guard, evacuation and air raid shelters. Once the reality of the threat was realised and the false alarms became valid warnings, the Blitz became a part of everyday life for women, children and families of the cities. The burden of war had fallen onto the population of Britain and they were to unite once they found a collective national identity. Therefore to evaluate the extent of the ‘People’s War’ all of these elements must be analysed. To understand if a social change occurred, the class, gender and minority divisions would had to have been leveled to some degree, where the entirety of the population worked together for one purpose, to defeat Germany. The population of Britain were anxious but relieved when the ‘People’s War’ erupted in the twentieth century. The Second World War began for Britain on September third 1939 when Prime Minister Chamberlain confirmed at 11.15am “this country is at war with Germany”. The movement of people around and from Britain as well as a national character being formed created the idea of a ‘People’s War’. To identify if Britain was in a ‘People’s War’ and to what extent it stretched a definition must be understood. A ‘People’s War’ according to the Oxford English Dictionary is defined as a “war in which the common people are regarded as fighting against the ruling clas... ... middle of paper ... ...ol, J. ‘The Evacuation of School Children’, in H. Smith, ed., War and Social Change: British society in the Second World War (Manchester, 1986), pp. 3-31. Overly, R. Battle of Britain, Myth and Reality (New York, 2000). Smith. H. ‘The Effect of the War on the Status of Women’, in H. Smith, ed., War and Social Change: British society in the Second World War (Manchester, 1986), pp. 208-229. Summerfield, P. ‘The ‘Levelling of Class’’, in H. Smith, ed., War and Social Change: British society in the Second World War (Manchester, 1986), pp. 179-207. Winter, J. ‘The Demographic Consequences of the War’ in H. Smith, ed., War and Social Change: British society in the Second World War (Manchester, 1986), pp. 151-178. Yelton, D. ‘British Public Opinion, the Home Guard and the Defence of Great Britain, 1940-1944’, The Journal of Military History, 58 (1994) pp. 461-480.
World War Two triggered a significant change in the attitudes that people had towards one another. With all the death and destruction, one would assume that the lives of the citizens of Bexley would be run by fear during this terrible time, especially as Bexley happened to be an area that received a great deal of bombing. However, this was not the case. A temperament known as the ‘Blitz Spirit’ was widely adopted, encouraging the citizens of Bexley to rally together and face the war with courage and optimism.
Waites B.A. "The Effect of the First World War on Class and Status in England, 1910-20," Journal of Contemporary History, Vol. 11, No. 1. (Jan., 1976), pg. 34.
"World War II." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr. 2nd Ed. Vol. 9. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 147-151. World History In Context. Web. 19 Feb. 2013.
Along with the blitz came the Myth of the Blitz, as explained by Angus Calder in his book, The Myth of the Blitz. The Myth of the Blitz was the idea that the people of London united across classes into a heroic force against the bombings and Nazi Germany, as advertised in the propaganda distributed by the British government. The Myth asserted that Londoners as a whole kept calm and carried on despite the massive destruction and high numbers of casualties. However, as with any myth, the Myth of the Blitz was not entirely based on fact and incorporated some invented ideas. Despite the Myth’s gross exaggerations, it still held a core of truth. The blitz did bring people of the same class together through shared experien...
“The Spirit of 1914” gives a comprehensive examination of the opinions and feelings felt during the beginning of the Great War by the German people. This monograph goes into extensive detail on the complexity of the German nation’s reactions and response to the vast, “patriotic outbursts…which many contemporaries and historians categorized as “war enthusiasm.””(2) The content of the book also centers on how German unity was portrayed. “Conservative journals claimed that these crowds spoke for public opinion…what had transformed a materialistic, egotistical German “society” into an idealistic, fraternal, national German “community.””(231)Verhey challenges the myth that all Germans wanted to go to war in 1914 by methodically explaining each of the different regions, classes, and political parties’ reactions and responses. The argument of his work comes down to how well he is able to answer the questions of:
Mobilization was put into place in Great Britain, gathering both men and women to aid in manpower and in the production and safeguard of supplies. “Half a million women joined the uniformed services, and millions more worked in the factories and on the land. Both men (from 1939) and women (from 1941) were conscripted” (The Home Front – ‘Doing your bit’ par 1) and many of those voluntarily enlisted. In addition to the government drafting citizens into armed forces, ot...
Pat Barker's novel Regeneration explores the effects that World War I has on the human condition and more specifically on the condition of the British people. One particular area of exploration is the detrimental presence of class distinctions within the ranks of the British military. This issue of class distinction is addressed specifically on pages 66 and 67 of the novel through a conversation between Billy Prior and Dr. Rivers. The characters' discussion reinforces Barker's theme of the injustices of these class distinctions and the harm they produce on the war front.
In nearly every culture, certain distinctions exist which elevate particular members of society above others. These distinctions may be based upon age, wisdom, ancestry, gender or profession, but more often than not, class lines seem to be drawn on the basis of wealth. While the existence of these status groups may be harmless, when prejudice prevents the movement of individuals or social groups between and within classes, valuable human resources are being put to waste. This issue was of concern during the First World War. While the class system in place in Western Europe did allow for a certain amount of social mobility, distinctions among classes were nonetheless evident and well defined. Both Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front and Evadne Price’s Not So Quiet… call attention to the idea that social position should be of little or no significance in the face of wartime’s human pain, suffering and death.
World War I is quite possibly the most influential event of the 20th century world-wide. Britain was no exception. The global powerhouse had seen copious amounts of loss in the forms of death, destruction, and economics to name only a few. In the rubble of aftermath, the people of the world’s greatest empire were starving for explanation, solace, and hope. In a response to the trauma of the Great War, the people of Britain created new cultures that utilized the new idea of modernism to push forward and forge a new path into the future. From the phenomenon of the radio and BBC, to the London Underground, Commonwealth, and recreation of the youth, it is clear that the interwar period in Britain was something different entirely.
In December 1941, the government conscripted single women aged 20-30 as auxiliaries to the Armed Forces, Civil Defense, or war industries… Government figures show that women’s employment increased during the Second World War from about 5.1 million in 1939 (26%) to just over 7.25 million in 1943 (36% of all women of working age). Forty six percent of all women aged between 14 and 59, and 90% of all able-bodied single women between the ages of 18 and 40 were engaged in some form of work or National Service by September 1943. (Anitha)
World War II is an event that has marked history like no other. Originating from a European struggle, war broke out in 1939 and continued for six years. From the years 1939 through 1945 more than half the earth's surface was battling in war. American society was greatly affected. People of every age, race and class were deeply affected. Women's place in society took a leap forward like it never had before. As an effect of the second world war women's traditional roles in society were drastically altered.
“World War Two: Government Posters. How did Britain encourage people at home to help win the war?” The National Archives. 2008. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/education/propaganda.pdf
Although there were many different individual and group experiences during and after the war, “the generation of 1914” may be used to collectively regard the suffering and sacrifice that all participants of this “generation” endured. Both Vera Brittain’s Testament of Youth and Robert Graves’s Good-bye to All That express a common theme of suffering, sacrifice, and the betrayal of their generation. Brittain wrote extensively about her generation’s loss and endurance of so many physical and mental hardships. Parents sacrificed sons, wives sacrificed husbands, and soldiers sacrificed their lives. Much of Europe had to endure under a constant atmosphere of death, loss, and other hardships, like food shortages, and military occupations. This suffering was an important element in Brittain’s definition of her generation. She wrote that if her fiancé had been of the postwar generation she could not have married him, because “a gulf wider than any decade divides those who experienced the War as adults...
Women were not only separated by class, but also by their gender. No woman was equal to a man and didn’t matter how rich or poor they were. They were not equal to men. Women couldn’t vote own business or property and were not allowed to have custody of their children unless they had permission from their husband first. Women’s roles changed instantly because of the war. They had to pick up all the jobs that the men had no choice but to leave behind. They were expected to work and take care of their homes and children as well. Working outside the home was a challenge for these women even though the women probably appreciated being able to provide for their families. “They faced shortages of basic goods, lack of childcare and medical care, little training, and resistance from men who felt they should stay home.” (p 434)
Men were by far the most affected by the war, due to the Conscription Act that was passed in 1916. This included all men aged 18-40 who were able to fight against the triple Alliance. The number of volunteers were decreasing, because of circulating news reports of the horrifying experiences and the living conditions the men were expected to live in. War’s glamorous side was destroyed and replaced with fear. With Britain’s army diminishing, they had to bring in conscription to maintain the necessary numbers of troops. Not all men agreed with this measure and those who opposed conscription were known as conscientious objectors. These men were usually pacifists or highly religious individuals, who were treated like criminals by society; many were assaulted and publicly humiliated. These men were forced to take on jobs that aided the military. The men that refused this alternative to fighting were either sentenced to death or put in solitary confinement. This exhibits the extreme mea...