Why did the British government decide to evacuate children from Britain's major cities at the start of the Second World War?

     The fear of many civilian deaths was all linked to the development in technology e.g. heavy bombers and fighter planes had been developed to fly and hit targets over Europe. Motorised vehicles had been developed and were one of the main thrusts of Hitler’s Blitzkrieg (lightening war); the Blitzkrieg was all about power, speed and surprise. New equipment and more effective weapons made a big difference to how people reacted to war, they obviously had developed more dangerous weapons and the more effective the weapon the more deaths. The evacuation of the children at the start of the Second World War was successful in so far as they did evacuate masses of children and some adults from towns to countryside but after the successful German attack on Poland (Poland surrendered) in September 1939, little progress was made in this war and became known as the “Phoney war”. Some mothers brought their children back as they thought there wasn’t really a war, but by May an attack on France urged mother for a second evacuation.

     This links in with the rationing and women at work. The government thought that it would have a better effect on the rationing when they evacuated the children they said that they could grown their own food in the countryside because they will have plenty of land unlike in the towns, they designed a campaign to eat healthy food such as, carrots (doctor carrot guards your health) and potatoes (I am an energy food). With the children in countryside growing their own food this leaves the towns with more food. The governments have a bit lifted of their shoulders too because they don’t have to worry about feeding all the people in the country this was extra pressure on the government. The women were able to work in the munitions factories because there was no need for them to stay at home and look after the children. They promoted posters to encourage the women to do this telling them that it was the right thing to do and that they should serve for their country either in the land army, “grown you own” campaigns and services.

     The last reason for evacuation was control. The government controlled everything, they controlled when the evacuation should take place how and where to, they issued a leaflet titled “evacuation-why and how?” this was all part of propaganda. The government also evacuated children from the towns to the countryside so they would seem caring to the civilians, and gain their trust to keep the war effort going. They said that if they evacuated children from Britain overseas to different countries that there would be fewer mouths to feed in Britain.

     I conclude that the British government decided to evacuate children from major cities at the start of the Second World War because of the huge civilian casualties; personally I feel they all played a part in evacuation but this was the most important although each reason could be argued to be the most important reason.