How did World War One impacted British society?

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Also, all these reforms couldn’t have been achieved without powerful media to support or to inform people. Indeed, the media undoubtedly contributed to a real public opinion that had its own questions and its own wills.

During the war, the weight of the media increased a lot. First the government organized propaganda and directed public opinion. Press censorship was imposed but the power of the national press was great; the media had to support the war effort but had the right to criticize government policies. It was paid less attention to the regional or local press. War correspondents were appointed and strictly controlled, cameras were forbidden on the Western Front but some images still managed to get through. With improvements in cameras, more photography appeared in the newspapers. At that time, people could be informed by the written press or the “flea pit”, which was the cinema. These media were used for propaganda with for instance, the film The Somme. It was recorded in 1916, during training and not during the real battle, and hit the box-office. The media were walking along a difficult line between patriotism and a desire to show how terrible it truly was.

However, by the end of the war, people knew the reality of the war and therefore, the media changed. Some of them were taking position on a subject or another while others were supporting different causes. All of these arguments, these debates and these new informations educated the mass population in such a way that by 1918, Britain had a truly strong public opinion.

The voting system reforms linked to new legitimate claims and the increasing power of image and media in general, led progressively the British society to a more democratic one. As a result, Britain entered a new era of mass politics.

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Lastly, during World War One, the state’s interference into people’s daily lives was more and more accepted until when, by the end of the war and afterwards, the British society expected a fairer Britain.

The British State in the early 20th century was almost invisible and its interference was very unpopular. There was only a small-scale administration largely locally and self-regulating. There was no national police force and no compulsory military service. During wartime, State interference became legitimate.

First of all, the British Chancellor of the Exchequer and then Prime Minister Lloyd George quickly forced Britain to a war on both the domestic and the military front. As an example, there was the DORA, the Defense of the Realm Act, and the Aliens Restriction Act which gave the government full control of its population daily life and limited the civil liberties of non-British subjects. Indeed, beer was watered down, people were forced to minimize travelling, curfew and censorship were imposed and the hour change was created to spare working time and electricity in the factory. It also applied to the strangers living in Britain; they had to get special permits, to register and were prohibited from entering certain areas. It also had total control upon the content of newspapers and films, as seen previously, and speaking of any military matters outside from the newspapers and risk “to cause alarm” was considered as a serious offense. Conscription was decided in the Military Service Act in 1916.

In the economic area, the government took control of war-essential industries like steel, coal, shipbuilding or munitions. To regulate the production, the state intervened when strikes or labour shortages occurred. The railways and the coalmines were taken over. Lloyd George extended the influence of the State by creating new ministries for Shipping, Food, Air, Information, Labour and Pensions. The whole British society was affected by the war economy and its new organization. Government increased taxation: income tax was raised by 500% and import duties introduced on luxury goods: these measures were necessary to pay the expense of the war.

The wartime State interference was necessary and after World War One it appeared legitimate and logical to set up social policies, as the main goal was to transform the country into a better one.

Many people died or were hurt (between 800 thousand and one million deaths for the British Empire). Every community in Britain was hit: families were destroyed, poverty and unemployment were threatening. British society was ready to accept any kind of help for the “lost generation”, “heroes” and people who were fighting. This disillusionment was the main feeling at that point; Ernest Hemingway who fought in the trenches deplored: “World War I was the most colossal, murderous, mismanaged butchery that has ever taken place on earth”. Other artists expressed the same feeling all around Europe, like the German painter Otto Dix.

Domestic reforms were implemented with the help of the trade Unions and the growing Labour party. A major issue was the provision of accommodations for working people with plans for post-war housing. According to Lloyd George in 1918, Britain needed” habitations fit for the heroes who have won the war” (200 000 new homes were completed). In 1917, an educational reform was attempted and in 1918, there was the Education Act to improve the physical condition of children. School leaving age was raised to 14 years old. Infant Welfare Centers and Schools were also created during the war. Moreover, a system of unemployment insurances was established to cope with the demobilization of the troops. It led to the Unemployment Insurance Act in 1920.

However, people still resented state’s interference when it concerned restrictions on drinking and the creation of high taxes. Indeed, the new fair Britain had a cost.

Social policies, because of World War One, were well accepted and changed the British society.

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World War One changed us all in Europe and its memory still stays strong decades after it ended. In fact, the British society was deeply affected by the “Great War”, as it was the beginning of the 20th century modern society. New aspirations emerged from this conflict, especially among workers and women, to improve this society in a democratic way. At the same time, more people, supported by a powerful public opinion, were getting involved in public life. After such a slaughter and a disillusion, the population was hoping for a better, fairer Britain. To get to this point, they began to accept the state’s interference in their lives. This long-term movement will keep going on until World War Two