In what ways did the British government attempt to hide the effects of the Blitz from the people of Britain?
Laurence Tidy 10W1 History
Mrs Thompson Exam No.:
In what ways did the British government attempt to hide the effects of the Blitz from the people of Britain?
The great powers of Europe had declared war, but when ‘The Phoney War’ began, people waited for the attacks to begin. Nothing happened and entertainment and leisure activities were re-opened. However, the Government still told the British civilians to carry their gas mask because Hitler would send no warning. Then, the bombing began; it was far more demoralizing than expected, so the Government had to cover it up, otherwise morale and faith in the war would be lost. In what ways did the British government attempt to hide the effects of the Blitz from the people of Britain? In this essay, the government’s use of censorship, propaganda and media will all be explained as well as the role of Churchill.
Censorship was a very effective way of hiding the affects of the Blitz; censoring photos and newspapers, and then adding in other articles and pictures assured that the British civilians had high morale and that this war was an important victory. Patriotic articles were written or sent by the public or journalists; they spoke of heroic deeds and saving the day, rather than talking of the real death and destruction surrounding them. Humphrey Jennings, an English film-maker and one of the founders of ‘Mass Observation’, also was encouraged to write articles, and so he did. Photos and images were the next resort to see how Britain was doing. It was vital that photos showing heroic deeds were produced. The British always thought St. Paul’s cathedral was a symbol of hope in the war; if it stood over London throughout the Blitz, then the British would stand a chance. It was important images were shown of it. But when St. Paul’s received damage, they had to touch the photo up to seem all was okay. Most popular is St. Paul’s surrounded by black smoke, but it still stood, like the phoenix was rising. Lastly, Newspapers were certainly the most important to be censored. Communist papers such as the ‘Daily Worker’ and the ‘Daily Mirror’ were threatened with closure. It was important that the government changed the tone of the news and that everyone’s life felt normal.
