In what ways did the Second World War affect the lives of ordinary people at home?

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In what ways did the Second World War affect the lives of ordinary people at home?

                          World war two was officially started with the invasion of Poland, September 1939 where the British being an ally of Poland and disagreeing with Hitler’s actions, declared war against Germany. The war lasted for 6 years in Europe until 1945. It managed to involve most of Europe and Asia, America, Canada, Australia, Africa. Debatably more the 30 million perished as a direct result of the war and generally it was the war that the world collectively lost more in than any other through out history. Not surprisingly it was proclaimed to be ‘ the war to end all wars’.

                      In my essay I will be discussing and evaluating how the turning points of Dunkirk, battle of Britain, battle of the Atlantic and D-day affected the British home front. I will also go into more detail on the subjects of evacuation, rationing and women’s role. I will justify my statements by analysing and evaluating sources relating to the titled subjects.  These factors of the war that I am going to research are relevant because; - each turning point in the war would have had a major effect on the morale of people, and roles of women, rationing and evacuation were all aspects in which significant changes in societies attitude were provoked.

The war was described as a ‘Total war’ because the complete economy and populations of the participating nations were geared in to the production and support of the war effort. This made warfare totally reliant on the industrial capacity of its country, forcing everyone to be included somehow. In the case of Britain, this unified the citizens and strengthened its spirit through hardships. Without co-operation on the home front we would not have succeeded in the war. The government encouraged people to get involved in helping the war even if it made no difference, to try and keep the British moral high. Organisations like the local defence volunteers, first aid post and the home guard provided people with opportunities to help the community in the times of trouble. Many communities rallied together for church and town hall meetings in order to discuss the organisation of blackouts and the suitable procedure in such circumstances. Often reliable people were given certain jobs to do like warning people of air attacks by going through their street and shouting the message.

                         

                           The war opened new opportunities for women, who suddenly realised they could be independent and faced responsibilities like earning money for the family and being in control. The government still did not treat women equally and were reluctant to give them jobs, but they realised they needed the extra employees so paid them 2/3 the men’s wage, most women accepted their duties and many jumped at the chance to prove their worth in skills previously thought of as purely for men.  The unfair wages angered a few women as they felt they deserved the same as men considering they were producing the same quality work as equivalent male employees, some even refused to work sticking to their traditional values and way of thinking.

                       

                        Propaganda had a major role in influencing the national opinions of certain events. It often disguised or bent the actual facts of war situations in order to maintain the desperately needed public positive moral. This cunning deception encouraged patriotism. The government used radio, newspapers, posters, leaflets etc, so you could not escape its views and interpretations. For normal people these were the only methods of finding out the current events concerning the war, this dependence on one source of information lead to the country not really experiencing the failures as well as the successes. Without the governments optimism roused from Churchill the country could have sunk into despair and admitted defeat to surrender, particularly in the battle of Britain where the war was brought to the home front.

 

                    British soldiers are often stereotyped as courageous and determined this was partially due to the sparkling speeches and propaganda produced during the war in order to boost a sense of national pride and the righteousness of defending your country until the death. Churchill became a figurehead of national identity because he organised the war and had an excellent charisma that could motivate people.  Another stereotype, the British bulldog, represents peoples view of Churchill; fierce, loyal and brave.   By defending your country against the nazi dictatorship you were seen as truly Christian, fighting for liberty, democracy and your king. This is reflected in the increase of church congregations during the war. Also people turned to God in this time of crisis in order to find solace from their panic and seek answers concerning divine intervention as it seemed the situation could not be settles between humans.  

 

         

Turning points

Many events and battles occurred during the war, which had immense effects on the mentality of the British people. The stories shown in the papers or radio broadcasts were often altered and polished interpretations of events, presented to the public in an optimistic, enlightening manner. Key turning points for Britain, such as Dunkirk, battle of Britain, battle of the Atlantic and D-day were conveyed as heroic successes even if the overall impact on Britain’s military status had depleted their strength dramatically. People were unaware of the government’s censorship of the press and there fore their ulterior agenda to manipulate the emotions of the country.

     

                   However, with- out this intervention the press could have destroyed the courageous attitude that millions clung to, by publishing negative articles that would depress people and there fore affect the countries efficiency and determination as loss of hope set in. A perfect example of a catastrophic military mistake that evolved into a remarkable rescue attempt exhibiting British compassion, ingenuity and bravery is Dunkirk. Hailed by the press as ‘the Miracle of Dunkirk’.

                            The battle lasted from approximately May 25th to June 3rd.   The battle of Dunkirk occurred as the British expeditionary forces and the French army combined, were forced back by the Germans bursting through the Ardennes. They were cornered and trapped at the coast of the Franco Belgium border because the Germans had so rapidly captured Calais. They could not escape by sea because the harbours had been destroyed; their only option was to continue fighting, so the allies had practically lost already.

                     In the eyes of the media the focus was not so much on the overwhelming defeat and retreat of nearly 350,000 troops but the amazing rescue of the men by the Skylark navy. Emphasis was put on the fact that many of the vessels were leisure cruisers and a rabble of fishing boats collected from the south coast by ordinary people to complete a heroic mission to save their comrades and fellow allies. Individual tales were shown in papers to relate it on a personal and more emotional level to the public, thus bringing people together. Many explained how the British soldiers were singing and lining up calm and organised for their turn to get a board the boats, whilst faced with bombing and battle conflict all around.

                          The evacuation persevered constantly with a fleet of 700 vessels for 8 days while The Germans attacked from all directions destroying all military bases. The allies were resisting purely defensively. All they had to do was wait patiently until their chance to escape the body littered devastation that had been created on the French coast.

                               Information on the mortality and colossal equipment and munitions supplies lost were not published as prominently and accurately. This technique of hyping up the good aspects of Dunkirk was a major moral boost for the British at a crucial point where circumstances were spiralling dismally out of allied control. The battle of France was almost over and the Germans were putting the pressure on Britain to surrender as they advanced boldly towards the French coast. The government realised if the Germans got control of the extensive French navy they could invade easily, but this was never mentioned in the papers either, so the public was not concerned.

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                                     The media took the stamina and courage displayed in Dunkirk as a tool to motivate the British citizens. It presented examples of ordinary untrained British people conquering all odds and succeeding in the face of danger. It also proved that the whole country being involved was necessary to defend the country. Although most people realised it was a major set back in the war, glossed over the grim facts of loss of men, munitions and land and concentrated on the positive perspective ...

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