Why did the British Government decide to evacuate children from Britain's major cities in the early years of the Second World War
Why did the British Government decide to evacuate children from Britain's major cities in the early years of the Second World War?
There were many reasons for the British Government evacuating children away from Britain's major towns and cities at the beginning of the Second World War. It was, primarily, a safety precaution. Large industrial areas and residential areas were seen as targets for the German raids whereas the countryside was presumed to be far safer. This was the result in a change in warfare as prior to World War Two it was suggested to be barbaric to bomb unprotected towns.
The Hague Convention of 1907 banned bombardments "by whatever means" on "undefended" towns. However, during the Great War there were a small number of civilian casualties as a result of bombing on both sides. The general feeling throughout the 1920s and 30s was that the bombing of civilians was barbaric and uncivilised. In 1932 Japan became the first major power to bomb civilians when it bombed a worker district of Chinese Shanghai. Those who weren't killed by the bombs were gunned down by fighter planes following up the main attack. The involvement and deliberate targeting of civilians ushered in a new age of 'total' war. It was no longer soldier on soldier, it now involved everybody and anyone was fair game. By the beginning of the Second World War, the Germans had developed fighter planes like the Messerschmitt Bf 109, an infamous plane throughout the War, and the adapted civilian fighter the Dornier D017 and long-distance bombers such as Heinkel He 115, which could reach a range of 1740 miles and the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka which proved very effective in the German Blitzkrieg tactics.
There were many reasons for the British Government evacuating children away from Britain's major towns and cities at the beginning of the Second World War. It was, primarily, a safety precaution. Large industrial areas and residential areas were seen as targets for the German raids whereas the countryside was presumed to be far safer. This was the result in a change in warfare as prior to World War Two it was suggested to be barbaric to bomb unprotected towns.
The Hague Convention of 1907 banned bombardments "by whatever means" on "undefended" towns. However, during the Great War there were a small number of civilian casualties as a result of bombing on both sides. The general feeling throughout the 1920s and 30s was that the bombing of civilians was barbaric and uncivilised. In 1932 Japan became the first major power to bomb civilians when it bombed a worker district of Chinese Shanghai. Those who weren't killed by the bombs were gunned down by fighter planes following up the main attack. The involvement and deliberate targeting of civilians ushered in a new age of 'total' war. It was no longer soldier on soldier, it now involved everybody and anyone was fair game. By the beginning of the Second World War, the Germans had developed fighter planes like the Messerschmitt Bf 109, an infamous plane throughout the War, and the adapted civilian fighter the Dornier D017 and long-distance bombers such as Heinkel He 115, which could reach a range of 1740 miles and the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka which proved very effective in the German Blitzkrieg tactics.
