In what ways were the lives of people at home affected by the Second World War?

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In what ways were the lives of people at home affected by the Second

World War?

 

World War II (1939-1945) changed the lives of the British people. By

analyzing various sources which range from eyewitness accounts,

photographs, Government posters and newspaper accounts, I will be

evaluating the extent of these effects.

 

World War II started on the 3 September 1939. It affected many people

around the world. Men from all over Great Britain signed up to join the army

and everyone at home, ranging from women, old men and children,

contributed to the war effort.

One of the major effects of World War II was rationing. It begun in 1940,

and was introduced so richer people did not buy all the food, and so it could

be shared out equally. Bacon, sugar and butter were among the first foods to

be rationed. The government set up a special department to deal with

rationing called “The Ministry Of Food” and its main purpose was to help

people not to waste food. This can be illustrated in source A1. It is a primary

source, and is a pamphlet made by The Ministry Of Food. It informs people

about the reasons why they should ration. These reasons were:-

*        Rationing prevents waste of food.

*        Rationing increases our war effort.

*        Rationing divides supplies equally.

*        Rationing prevents uncertainty.

This source has both good points and bad points. It is very reliable, because

it was produced by the government and is purely information. It is also clear,

and very concise. Its weaknesses are that it doesn’t say how people were

effected by rationing, and how successful the pamphlet was during World

War II.

 Blackouts were another effect of World War II. Blackouts were used so

German aeroplanes couldn't see large, populated cities. Street lights were

turned out, people had to buy thick dark curtains and had to drive without

headlights on. This meant that is was difficult to drive. Traffic lights were

also blacked out, and in some circumstances people talked without knowing

who they were actually talking to. If you did shine a bright light, then people

would think you were a spy, signaling to German aeroplanes. You could be

fined. The problems associated with blackouts is illustrated by source A3. It

is a public notice, telling people what times they have to follow the blackout

precautions. The source is useful because it is a primary piece of evidence,

which means it was used during World War II, it is informative and it shows

you what the government organized in their efforts to win the war against

Germany. However, the source indicates the effects of blackouts, but it

doesn't describe them, and the source doesn't tell us anything about how

effective the blackout times were.

  Another major effect ofWorld War II was air raids. Many bombs were

dropped during World War II, and to protect people, air raid shelters were

made. Most were made from steel, and were buried in the back garden. They

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were uncomfortable, damp and dark. Sometimes, the air raid sirens would

start in the middle of the night, and people would be half asleep as they ran to

the air raid shelters. As well as personal shelters, the government built public

air raid shelters. Many people disliked using these because they were dirty,

smelly and badly built. A source which illustrates the effects of air raids is

source A4. This source is an eyewitness account, and it secondary, even

though it is based on primary information. It tells us what happened during

one ...

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*** 3 STARS This is a well organised and logically structured essay/revision aid. It is a thorough and detailed attempt to answer the question and it also repeatedly analyses the effectiveness of the primary sources used. Shows evidence of individual research and intelligent summarising.