year 8 history knowledge organiser...
TRANSCRIPT
Year 8 History
Knowledge Organiser Booklet
Name:
Class:
Teacher:
End of Year Target:
End of Year 11 Target:
‘The more you
know of your
history, the
more liberated
you are’.
Maya Angelou
‘History is people’s
memory, and without a
memory, man is demoted
to the lower animals’.
Malcolm X
Century of Warfare
1918-1945 o Long term causes of the First World War
o Short term causes of the First World War
o Causes of Stalemate
o Events of the First World War
o General Haig- Hero or Butcher
o The Treaty of Versailles
o Hitler’s actions and Appeasement
o Events of the Second World War
o Pearl Harbour and America
o Stalingrad and Russia
o The Atomic Bombing of Japan
o The Experience of Children during the Second
World War
Short Term Causes
Date Event
28th June
1914
The Archduke of Austria-Hungary (next in line
to the throne), Franz Ferdinand, was
assassinated by Gavrilo Princip who was part of
a Serbian terrorist group, the Black Hand Gang.
28th July
1914
The Austrian government blamed Serbia and
declared war on Serbia. They bombed Serbia’s
capital- Belgrade.
1st August
1914
Russia prepared its army to protect Serbia
from Austrian attack which led to Germany
declaring war on Russia
3rd August
1914
Germany declared war on France, and invaded
neutral Belgium to try and invade France
through Belgium. This was known as the
Schlieffen plan.
4th August
1914
Britain declared war on Germany in order to
protect Belgium as Britain had an alliance with
Belgium (Treaty of London) which was signed
in 1839.
4th August
1914
The British sent 75,000 men from the BEF
(British Expeditionary Force) to help protect
France and Belgium against Germany.
23rd
August
1914
Belgium and British forces delayed the
Germans at the Battle of Mons which gave
France enough time to prepare.
6th-12th
September
1914
The French clashed with the Germans at the
Battle of Marne. This battle saved Paris from
German capture, forcing the Germans to
retreat and dig trenches.
End of
August
1914
Russia mobilised (readied) their army sooner
than the Germans had hoped and planned for.
Germany faced a war on two fronts (sides).
Long Term
Causes Definition Example Example
Militarism
The belief that a
country should have
a strong army and
use it when a
problem occurs.
By 1914 Britain had
248,000 soldiers,
Germany had
2,200,000, France had
1,800,000 and Russia
had 3,400,000.
Britain and Germany were involved
in a naval arms race to prove who
could build the most battleships,
known as dreadnoughts. In 1898,
the Kaiser announced he wanted
Germany to build an even stronger
navy which threatened Britain.
Alliances
When countries
agree, sometimes
through a treaty or
through promises, to
protect one another
against threats.
Germany, Austria and
Italy created the Triple
Alliance in 1882.
Britain, France and Russia formed an
alliance, called the Triple Entente.
This alliance was formed as the
countries felt threatened by the
Triple Alliance. The Triple Entente
was formed in 1907.
Imperialism
When a country
wants to expand its
power by invading
other countries and
colonising them to
make an empire.
Britain had a big
empire and the Kaiser
was jealous of this, he
wanted a big empire
too as he felt that
Germany should be
seen as a world power.
In 1905 the Kaiser visited Morocco,
in Africa, and made a speech
encouraging the people of Morocco
to fight for their independence. At
the time it was well known that
France wanted to make Morocco
one of its colonies. The Kaiser’s
actions made France very angry
which created tension.
Nationalism
When a country felt
it was more superior
than other countries
and tried to prove it.
Germany wanted to
prove it was the best
country in Europe, in
industry, military and
power. By 1914,
Germany’s industry
had overtaken
Britain’s.
France was angry and humiliated
after the 1871 Franco-Prussian war
fought against Germany who took
two important provinces, Alsace and
Lorraine, France wanted them back.
Causes of the First World War
Main Battles and Events
Date Battle/Event
1916 The Battle of Verdun was one of the longest battles in WW1- lasting
10 months. The Germans, using heavy artillery fire from 1200 guns
to try and break the stalemate with France. The Germans were able
to make steady advancement against the French.
July-
Nov
1916
The Battle of the Somme was where the Allies aimed to relieve the
pressure at Verdun. On the first day of the Somme 60,000 British
soldiers died, which rose to 420,000 by November. The Germans
lost 650,000 soldiers.
1917 America joined the war on the side of the Allies due to Germany
sinking the Lusitania, one of America’s supply ships which led to the
death of 128 American people. America supplied the Allies with 2
million soldiers.
1917 Russia agreed to surrender in 1917 due to the Russian Revolution, meaning the Allies lost their support from the east.
1918 Germany was defeated by the Allies as they had ran out of supplies,
soldiers’ morale was low and the German people were fed up with
war. On the 11th November 1918 the Armistice was signed which
ended the fighting.
Events of the First World War
General Haig and the Battle of the Somme
Battle
Aim
The aim of the Battle of the Somme was to relieve the pressure at
Verdun as the Allies knew that if the Germans continued to make
progress at Verdun they would take Paris and therefore France.
Haig was a Hero Haig was a Butcher
The Battle of the Somme led to the
death of 650,000 German soldiers which
helped the French soldiers at Verdun to
stop Germany from taking Paris.
The Battle of the Somme led to
the deaths of 420,000 British
soldiers which many have said
were unnecessary.
Haig’s actions at the Somme helped the
Allies eventually win the war by Nov
1918.
The amount of ground gained
at the Battle of the Somme
was very minimal compared to
the number of lives lost.
Causes of Stalemate
Cause Details
Failure of
the
Schlieffen
Plan
The Schlieffen Plan was created so that Germany did not have to fight a
war on two fronts- France in the West and Russia in the East.
The plan was finalised in 1905 and depended on 2 things: Germany
would be able to invade France by marching through Belgium to capture
Paris and the Russian army would take at least 3 months to prepare and
mobilise against Germany.
This changed when the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) sent over
75,000 men who managed to delay the Germans at the Battle of Mons
on August 23rd which delayed the Germans and gave France more time
to prepare.
The
Battle of
Marne
1914
Due to the failure of the Schlieffen Plan and the Battle of Mons the
French had time to prepare a new stronger defence along the River
Marne.
The French soldiers fell back to the Marne but the German soldiers were
advancing too quickly. The German supplies could not keep up and their
troops became exhausted and hungry.
When the Germans were 60km from Paris the French + British attacked
along the River Marne and drove the Germans back to the River Aisne.
The Battle of the Marne (6th-12th September) has been seen as one of
the most important battles in the war. This is because it saved Paris from
capture which stopped the Germans from taking control of France.
Strategies
and
weaponry
After the Battle of the Marne both sides created trenches. The trenches
stretched from the Belgian coast to the Swiss border- 700km which did
not move much during the war.
When generals prepared for soldiers to attack they would bring in extra
troops and weapons which would be seen by enemy aircrafts so the
enemy would be able to see the preparations and be ready for attack.
Due to machine guns being able to fire off 450-600 rounds of bullets a
minute, when soldiers tried to cross No Man’s Land, which stretched on
average 250 m, they were often killed instantly by the machine guns.
Causes of the Second World War Hitler’s aims and British/French response
Aim/response Details
Lebensraum Wanted ‘living space’/territory in Eastern Europe
Volksdeutsche Wanted to unite all German speaking people
Destroy the Treaty
of Versailles
Hitler wanted to undo all the changes the Treaty of
Versailles had made to Germany, especially the land
and military restrictions.
Treaty of Versailles- the Big 3
Leader Aims/views
France
Georges
Clemenceau
Wanted revenge for Germany’s involvement in the First World War
and treatment of France in the Franco-Prussian War.
France had suffered damages of approximately 200 billion Francs.
USA
Woodrow
Wilson
Wanted a lasting peace which did not punish Germany too much.
Wanted to create a League of Nations where countries could come
together to discuss their issues instead of going to war.
Britain
David Lloyd-
George
Wanted to punish Germany so appease (please) the British public.
Also, wanted to make sure Britain’s navy was the strongest in the
world (naval supremacy) and their empire stayed strong/grew.
Lloyd-George did not want to punish Germany too much so Britain
could trade with Germany and so Germany would be strong
enough to stop Communism from spreading from Russia.
Hitler’s actions
Date Event Details
March 1936 Re-
militarisati
on of the
Rhineland
Hitler sent 22,000 soldiers, some on bicycles, into
the Rhineland which was not allowed under the
Treaty of Versailles.
Britain and France allowed Hitler to do this as
they felt it was Germany’s ‘own back garden’.
This made Hitler more confident to do more.
March 1938 Anschluss
with
Austria
Hitler held a plebiscite (vote) in Austria asking if
the Austrian people wanted to join with Germany.
99.7% of the Austrian population voted to join
with Germany. Britain and France allowed this
even though it was against the Treaty of Versailles
because it was what the Austrian people wanted.
September
1938
Sudeten
Crisis
Hitler claimed the 3 million Germans living in the
Sudetenland (western Czechoslovakia) were
being persecuted by the Czech people.
Hitler demanded Chamberlain allowed Hitler to
take the Sudetenland or he would declare war.
Hitler was given the Sudetenland and promised to
stop his invasion plans in the Munich Agreement.
In 1939 Hitler invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia
and then Poland which started WW2
Treaty of Versailles- the terms
Punishment Details
Territory
(land)
Germany had to return Alsace-Lorraine to France.
Germany lost 10% of its land in Europe which split up families and
lost all of its overseas colonies. Also they were not allowed to ally
with Austria.
Economic
(money)
Germany was made to pay £6.6 billion (the amount was set in
1921) in reparations to pay for war damages.
Germany only stopped paying reparations in 2010.
Military
(army and
weapons)
Germany’s army was restricted to 100,000 men and they were
banned from using conscription.
Germany was not allowed to place any soldiers in the Rhineland.
This was German land which bordered France
Pride
(reputation)
Germany had to take complete responsibility for the war and
accept the war guilt clause in the treaty.
Germany was not allowed to join the League of Nations.
Causes of the Second World War continued
The policy of Appeasement
What was it? Britain and France were following a policy of
appeasement where they gave Hitler want he wanted to
avoid war.
Why was the policy
followed?
The First World War had caused the deaths of 700,000
British and France nearly 1.5 million soldiers so they did
not want to fight another war.
Who encouraged
the use of the
policy?
Neville Chamberlain became the Prime Minister of
Britain in 1937 and was a dedicated supporter of the
policy of Appeasement when dealing with Hitler.
Success?
Advantages of Appeasement Disadvantages of Appeasement
Gave Britain more time to build up
their army and weaponry so by
September 1939 they were ready for
war.
The policy relied on Hitler keeping his
promises- which he never did.
The British people did not want to go
to war again which was shown in the
1934 ‘Peace Ballot’ where the British
people voted on their feelings on
going to war. The vast majority voted
against war.
The policy of Appeasement gave
Hitler more confidence to try and
achieve his aims. Hitler was able to
remilitarise the Rhineland, unite with
Austria and take control of the
Sudetenland due to the policy of
Appeasement.
Keywords
Keyword Meaning
Anschluss Union- referring to the union between Germany and
Austria achieved in March 1938.
Reparations Money Germany had to pay to the victors of the First World
War to help with war damages. The amount was £6.6
billion and was set in 1921.
Lebensraum One of Hitler’s aims whereby he wanted to gain more
‘living space’ in Eastern Europe to get more land to grow
Germany’s empire.
Volksdeutsche ‘Volk’ means people and ‘Deutsche’ means German.
Volksdeutsche was Hitler’s aim of uniting all German
(speaking) people.
Plebiscite A vote, for instance the vote which took place in Austria
which decided if they wanted to join with Germany in
March 1938.
Remilitarise To place soldiers or weaponry back into a particular area.
For instance, when Hitler remilitarised the Rhineland by
placing 22,000 soldiers there in March 1936.
Munich
Agreement
The agreement made in September 1938 which gave Hitler
the Sudetenland (western Czechoslovakia) in exchange for
his promise to stop his invasion plans. The Czech
government were not allowed to be part of the discussions
when the agreement was created.
Main Battles and Events
Date Battle/Event Details
1st September
1939
Poland Hitler ordered his German troops to invade Poland. The Germans used their ‘Blitzkrieg’ (lightning war) tactics to overwhelm
the Polish army.
3rd September
1939
British
ultimatum
Britain gave Germany an ultimatum which stated they stop their invasion of Poland and remove all troops or Britain would
declare war on Germany for invading Poland who was under Britain’s protection. Germany refused to stop their invasion and
so Britain declare war on them.
Spring 1940 Early successes
for Germany
Nazi forces quickly occupied the whole of Denmark and Norway. In May, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and France were
occupied as well.
July-October
1940
Battle of Britain The Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe fought the Battle of Britain high in the skies above south east England. It
ended in Britain’s first victory in the war.
September-
December 1940
The Blitz Hitler ordered night time bombing raids on British cities. 1.4 million homes were damaged in air raids on London. Over
10,000 men, women and children were killed.
June-December
1941
German
invasion of
Russia
Hitler went against a previous agreement with Stalin (leader of Russia), known as the Nazi-Soviet Pact, by sending German
troops into Russia (Soviet Union). Russia join sides with Britain.
The Soviet people defended their country well. By December 1941, the cold Russian winter set in. Nazi equipment froze
solid. The German army was forced to retreat leaving thousands of soldiers who had frozen to death.
7th December
1941
Pearl Harbour Germany’s ally Japan launched a surprise air attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbour. The following day America
declared war on Japan and Germany declared war on America in return. America then joined with Britain and the Soviet
Union to form the Allies.
August 1942-
February 1943
Battle of
Stalingrad
Germany and Russia fought over the city of Stalingrad for 6 months. When the ground froze the German tanks could no
longer move. The Germans had no choice but to surrender in February 1943. By then 70,000 German soldiers had died.
6th June 1944 D-Day As the Soviets were forcing German troops to retreat across Eastern Europe, Britain and the USA agreed to open a second
front in the west. This meant invading France across the English Channel. This was the day when the landings on the
Normandy beaches began.
7th May 1945 Germany
surrenders
Germany now faced a war on two fronts – a Soviet advance from the east and a British and American advance through
France from the west. In August 1944 the Allies arrived in Paris. In March 1945 they crossed the Rhine into Germany. In the
east the Soviets moved closer towards Berlin. On 30th April Hitler committed suicide leading to German surrender.
Events and experiences of the Second World War
The bombing of Pearl Harbour
Who? The Japanese, who were part of the Axis powers with
Germany and Italy, bombed an American naval base.
What? The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour led to the deaths
of 2403 Americans.
When? 7th December 1941.
Where? Pearl Harbour naval base was located in Hawaii.
Why?
America had placed an embargo (ban) on oil trade to
Japan to try and stop their continual invasion on China.
Japan wanted to take oil from nearby Dutch colonies but
knew that America would use their navy at Pearl Harbour
to stop them as the Dutch colonies were near other
American bases such as the Philippines.
Was Pearl Harbour the main reason America joined the Second
World War?
YES NO
A poll (survey) in 1934
showed 70% of Americans
did not want to get involved
in another war but by the
end of 1941 1.8 million
American men had joined
the armed forces.
President Roosevelt was said to have
told Churchill (Prime Minister of
Britain) that he would try to find any
excuse for America to join the war on
Britain’s side before the attack on
Pearl Harbour.
The attack on Pearl Harbour
was used on many
recruitment posters to get
men to enlist (join the
army).
The same day Pearl Harbour was
attacked, American bases on Midway
Island, the Philippines, Guam and
Wake Island were also attacked. Any
one of these attacks would have
brought America into the war.
The Battle of Stalingrad
Who? Hitler invaded Russia in 1941 and had been successful to start. He wanted
to take the city of Stalingrad to continue his invasion.
What? Stalingrad was an important city in Russia during the rule of Stalin. It held
national importance and was a centre of pride for the Russian leader.
When? The battle lasted 6 months from August 1942- February 1943.
Where? Stalingrad was located south-west of Moscow in Russia.
Why?
Hitler wanted to take Stalingrad as part of his invasion of Russia.
Hitler particularly wanted to take control over Stalingrad as it was humiliate
Stalin if the city he was named after was taken by the Germans. Therefore,
weakening Russia’s morale while boosting Germany’s.
Why did Russia win the Battle of Stalingrad?
Hitler’s mistakes Russian tactics and planning Weather
The German army
were poorly equipped
and untrained to
defend against the
Russian attacks
especially when
winter hit.
The Russian general (Zhukov) was
brutal in the way he defended
Stalingrad. Stalin issued order 227-
“Not a step back”. This meant if a
Russia soldier tried to retreat he
would be shot.
In 1941 bad weather
caused mud to slow
down German attack.
The temperature
dropped below 40
degrees and German
jackboots did not
support this. Russian
winter boots helped to
save Moscow. The
Germans had to stop –
this gave Stalin time to
move his factories to the
East and mobilise them
in time for the Battle of
Stalingrad.
German tactics like
Blitzkrieg (lightning
war) which the
Germans used against
Poland did not work
in Stalingrad where
the two sides were
fighting on the streets
of a city.
The Russian army got a steady
supply of weapons from Britain,
such as spitfires (fighter planes)
and had factories set up in the Ural
mountains in Eastern Russia. Also
factories which had previously
made tractors were making tanks
(T-34), bicycle/typewriter factories
were used to make flamethrowers
and weapons.
Turning points of the Second World War- Pearl Harbour and Stalingrad
The use of Atomic Bombs on Japan
Who? America dropped 2 atomic bombs on Japanese cities to try and end the war in the east.
What?
The bombing of Hiroshima caused the deaths of 140,000 people.
The bombing of Nagasaki caused the deaths of 80,000 people.
The bomb on Hiroshima exploded with the force of 20,000 tons of TNT.
The temperature at the centre of the explosion reached 3000°C - 4000°C – three times hotter than
volcanic lava.
Everything within a mile of the centre of the blast was flattened.
Fires spread and around 67% of Hiroshima’s buildings were destroyed.
When? Hiroshima- 6th August 1945
Nagasaki- 9th August 1945
Where? Hiroshima and Nagasaki are Japanese cities to the south of the country.
Were America’s reasons for dropping the bombs justified?
YES NO
Japan had an army of 5 million men so an
invasion by the Americans would have cost more
lives in comparison to the number killed during
the bombings
America had spent $2 billion on creating the atomic
bombs and wanted to see if their investment was worth it.
The Japanese refused to surrender
unconditionally during the Potsdam Conference
with America, China, Russia and Britain before
the bombings.
Some say America only dropped the second bomb on
Nagasaki because they wanted to test out a different type
of bomb to the one dropped on Hiroshima.
America bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki as
revenge against Japan’s surprise attack Pearl
Harbour in December 194`1.
America wanted to show Russia (who despite being their
ally in WW2 was becoming a rival) that they had more
superior weapons so dropped the bombs to impress
Russia.
The prisoners of war Japan had captured from
Britain, Australia and America had been tortured
and treated badly by the Japanese.
America had already blockaded Japan (stopped goods
from entering or exiting Japan) so eventually Japan would
have had to surrender anyway without the bombings.
Turning points of the Second World War- Atomic Bombing of Japan Events
Date Event
21 July
1945
Truman received the report which
confirmed that the Alamogordo test
had been successful, and America
had an atomic bomb. Truman
insisted that the Japanese should be
given the opportunity to surrender
before the bomb was used.
26 July
1945
The British, Chinese and Americans
called on Japan to surrender
unconditionally (without an agreed
treaty). This is known as the Potsdam
Declaration. The Soviet Union did
not agree – the Japanese had asked
them to try to negotiate a peace
treaty.
28 July
1945
The American B29 bomber name Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb, codenamed 'Little Boy', on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
9
August
1945
The Americans dropped a second
atomic bomb, codenamed 'Fat Man',
on the Japanese city of Nagasaki.
14
August
1945
The Japanese surrendered.
Who is most responsible for the Allied victory during the Second World War?
Was America the reason the Allies won the Second World War?
YES NO
In just four years, the United States would
produce more airplanes than all of the major
war powers combined. Germany, Japan, Italy,
and the Soviet Union could not build a
successful four-engine heavy bomber.
America, in contrast, produced 34,000
excellent B-17s, B-24s, and B-29s.
Of the major powers, only
mainland America was not
systematically bombed. It was
never invaded. While its
400,000 fatalities were a terrible
cost of victory, the United States
lost the smallest percentage of
its population of any major
power.
America sent troops throughout the Pacific
islands, and to North Africa, Italy, and
Western Europe.
The U.S. supplied Russia with 400,000 heavy
trucks, 2,000 locomotives, 11,000 railcars,
and billions of dollars’ worth of planes, tanks,
food, clothing, and strategic resources.
America only joined the war on
the side of the Allies in 1942
after Japan attacked Pearl
Harbour on the 7th December
1941. America mobilized 12 million soldiers —
about the same number as Russia, despite
having a population of about 40 million fewer
citizens.
Was Russia the reason the Allies won the Second World War?
YES NO
The victory at Stalingrad by the Russians
stopped Hitler from getting to the oil fields
in the Caucasus. Oil reserves in Germany
had begun to run low. Oil was important
for tanks and transport.
At the start of the Second World
War Stalin had allied Russia with
Hitler and Germany through the
signing of the Nazi-Soviet Pact.
Russia only switched to support
the Allies in 1942 after Hitler
invaded Russia, breaking their
previous pact.
Stalingrad marked the first major decisive
defeat on the Eastern Front and showed
that Germany could be beaten
330,000 German soldiers were killed and
144,000 were taken by the Russians as
prisoners of war during the Battle of
Stalingrad. Compared to the Battle of El
Alamein, the Germans lost 55,000.
There was still more fighting
after Stalingrad. The war did not
end until 1945 even though the
Battle of Stalingrad ended in
February 1943.
Germany never reached further east than
Stalingrad and from 1943 onwards was
forced to retreat to Berlin by the Red
Army.
Was Britain the reason the Allies won the Second World War?
YES NO
In 1940 Britain beat Germany at the Battle of Britain. This was the first time in the entire
war that the Germans had been defeated.
Britain would not have been able to defeat the Germans without the
support from America even before 1941. America supplied Britain
with food, weapons and intelligence about German warships.
Britain, with some support from America, pushed Germany out of North Africa and invaded
Italy from the South which removed one of Germany’s allies from the war.
Without Russia’s support after 1941 Britain would not have been
able to continue with their fight against the Germans as they were
losing territory and allies (such as France). Russia helped to split
Germany’s attention so Germany faced a war on 2 fronts (east and
west)
Before 1941 Britain was alone against the powerful Axis powers of Germany, Italy and
Japan. France had fallen, Russia was Germany’s ally until 1941 and America was staying out
of the war. Britain faced off against the German bombing of major cities (the Blitz) alone.
Experience of Children in Britain during the Second World War Impact of war Description Impact on life
The Blitz From 1940 onwards, the Nazi air force bombed many
British cities, London most of all. The aim of the
bombing, which was known as the Blitz, was to knock
out key industrial centres and also to make ordinary
people suffer so much that they could no longer bear to
continue the war
The Blitz ended in 1941. By that time, over 40,000 British people had been killed,
including over 5,000 children, and 1.4 million people had lost their homes.
The Nazis hoped the Blitz would break the spirit of the British Public. In response,
the British government promoted the idea that the bombing made British people
all the more united and more determined to resist Hitler. This idea was known as
the ‘Blitz Spirit.’
Rationing Less than a third of the food available in Britain at the
start of the war was produced at home. Enemy ships
targeted incoming Allied merchant vessels, preventing
vital supplies - including fruit, sugar, cereals and meat -
from reaching the UK. To ensure food was being shared
fairly the Ministry of Food issued ration books to every
person, and families had to register at one shop. Official
rationing began on 8 January 1940 with bacon, butter
and sugar
One person's typical weekly allowance would be: one fresh egg; 4oz margarine
and bacon (about four rashers); 2oz butter and tea; 1oz cheese; and 8oz sugar.
Meat was allocated by price, so cheaper cuts became popular.
Rationing improved the diets of some people as they had to rely on fruit and
vegetables they could grow and everyone received the same amount of rations
even if they were poor.
Education Most city schools were shut down at the start of the
war, when it was expected that most children would be
evacuated from the countryside. In fact, only about 50%
of town and city children were evacuated, which left
large numbers of youngsters, generally from poorer
areas, with little to do.
At the start of 1940, a third of city children were getting no education at all, and
30% of all children were only going to school for half a day.
As war progressed, the government realised the impact of the disruption to
schooling and reopened some of the schools in the industrial towns.
They then faced a shortage of teachers: many teachers had been conscripted into
the armed forces. Class sizes increased from an average of around 30 per class to
40, 50 or even 60 children in a class.
Evacuation As soon as the war began in September 1939 the
government started evacuating children out of cities
into areas less likely to be bombed. This was to keep
children out of danger, but also so that their mothers
would be free to work in industry.
Over 800,000 children were evacuated. It was a voluntary scheme – the children
were not forced to go. Evacuated children would be sent to the countryside to
live with complete strangers.
The people from the countryside were shocked at the poor health and hygiene of
the poorer city children which led to the doctors and experts publishing reports
encouraging the government to invest money into improving the health and
housing of the poorer people in the cities after the war.
The Holocaust o Anti-Semitism in history
o The escalation of violence towards
Jews by the Nazis
o The Final Solution
o Responsibility and remembrance
Key terms Definition
Anti-
Semitism
Hatred or persecution of Jews
Blood Libel A false belief in the middle ages that Jewish people
used the blood of Christians in religious rituals.
Expel Officially making someone or a group leave a
certain place.
Persecution Hostility and ill-treatment towards a specific group
especially because of their race or political or
religious beliefs.
Theory of
Evolution
The scientific theory created by Charles Darwin
which states that different species change over time
due to mutations in their genes.
Social
Darwinism
This theory also promotes the idea of the ‘survival
of the fittest’ and that certain groups of people
based on their ethnicity, cultural background, skin
colour and religion are better than other groups.
Communism Political belief in complete equality for all.
Date Event Detail
Circa
35AD
Jesus is
crucified
Jews were blamed for the death of Jesus.
Middle
Ages
Passover
sacrifice
It was believed that Jews killed Christian children and drank
their blood for the Passover meal. This ‘tradition’ was known as
Blood libel.
1290 Jews were
expelled
from
England
Edward I owed a lot of money to Jewish banks. In order to avoid
paying this all Jews in England were forced to leave and all their
money and property was removed from them. They were not
allowed back for another 400 years.
1348 Black Death Jews were blamed for the outbreak of Plague in 1348. This led
to the deaths of nearly half of Europe’s population.
1772 Persecution
in Russia
Catherine the Great, Tsarina of Russia, forced Jews to live in the
Pale (now Poland) and they were subjected to persecution from
Russian Orthodox Groups.
1848 Communist
manifesto
Karl Marx, one of the authors of the Communist Manifesto
which set out communist ideology, was a Jew. Jews became
associated with and blamed for the spread of communism.
1859 Theory of
Evolution
Anti-Semites used the theory to suggest that some humans are
superior to others. According to them bottom of this new
hierarchy was the Jewish race. This false theory is known as
social Darwinism.
Nov
1917
Russian
Revolution
When the Communists of Russia seized power and killed the
Royal family one the leaders, Leon Trotsky, was a communists.
People used this show a link between Communism and Judaism.
1919 Treaty of
Versailles
Jews were blamed for Germany losing the war and the harsh
terms of the Treaty of Versailles by the Nazis.
1929 Wall Street
Crash
In 1929 there was a worldwide economic downturn and many
people lost their jobs. Jews, who were said to control the banks,
were blamed for this.
All of the above events described which blame Jews for specific issues are not accurate about Jews, their beliefs, power or actions.
Anti-Semitism throughout history
Key
individuals
Details
Edward I King of England from 1272-1307. He passed a law
called the Statute of Jewry in 1275 which restricted
the rights of Jews: all Jews aged 7 and above had to
wear a yellow badge. Jews were expelled from
England in 1290.
Catherine
the Great
Tsarina (Empress) of Russia from 1762 until 1796.
Charles
Darwin
Born in 1809 and died in 1882. He created the
Theory of Evolution which was then used by others
to create Social Darwinism which suggested
different ethnic groups were superior over others.
Date Event Detail
1924 Mein Kampf Hitler wrote Mein Kampf (my struggle) in which he set out his views
about the Jews and what should happen to them.
1933 Hitler comes to
power in
Germany
Immediately he begins to introduce anti-Semitic laws and propaganda
into Germany.
1935 Nuremburg Laws The Nazis passed the laws which stated:
-Jews were no longer citizens of Germany (this meant they lost many
rights)
-Jews could no longer marry other Germans
1936 Laws against
Jews
Jews must hand in all bikes and radios that they own.
1938 Kristallnacht Goebbels blamed the Jews for the death of a German diplomat in Paris.
This unleashed a wave of violence. Synagogues, businesses and home
were all destroyed and 26,000 Jews were arrested and sent to
concentration camps.
1939 Start of World
War Two
This meant many more Jews were living within the German Empire. A
new solution was needed to deal with them.
1939 Ghettoes The Nazis began to round up the Jews in certain areas and force them
to live in walled off areas of cities (ghettos) in appalling condition (little
food and medicine). One such example of this was the Warsaw ghetto
in Poland
1939-41 Einsatzgruppen SS killing squads followed behind the army rounding up the Jews and
transporting them to mass graves were they would be shot and buried.
1942 Final Solution The Nazi leaders decided that the killing squads were not quick enough
and the men started to complain that the mass shootings were
effectively them psychologically. Leading Nazis met at Wannsee to
decide the Final Solution. A series of death camps were to be set up
where Jews would be killed in the gas chambers and then burnt in
incinerators.
1945 End of World
War Two
6 million Jews have been murdered during the Holocaust.
Key
Individuals
Details
Hitler Leader of Germany 1933-45 who held
anti-Semitic views
Himmler Leader of the SS which organised and ran
the camps
Goebbels Head of Propaganda. Produced films and
posters showing how evil Jews were.
Key terms Definition
Holocaust Persecution and murder of European
Jews during 1933-1945
Einsatzgruppen Killing squads sent to massacre Jews
Ghetto Walled off area of a city where Jews
were forced to live in horrendous
conditions.
Concentration
Camp
Camp were people were forced to
work long hours with little food and
rest. This led to some inmates dying
from the conditions in the camp.
Death Camp Camp where Nazi enemies would be
murdered in gas chambers on arrival.
Auschwitz Death camp in Poland
Propaganda Biased information to give only one
side. Nazis used his to portray the
Jews negatively.
The Holocaust and Nazi Persecution
Slavery and Civil Rights o Britain’s involvement in the slave trade
o The Transatlantic Slave Trade- from freedom to
slavery
o The abolition of the slave trade
o The American Civil War and the end of slavery
in America
o Reconstruction
o Living under Jim Crow
o The Civil Rights Movement
Why was Britain involved in the slave trade? Keywords Meaning
Transatlantic
Slave Trade
Sometimes referred to as the slave triangle, the
transatlantic slave trade was the 3 part journey of
the trading of slaves across the Atlantic Ocean.
Manufactured
goods
Items such as pots, pans and guns which were
made in Britain and the traded for slaves in Africa.
Raw materials
When the slaves were taken to the Americas they
were traded for raw materials such as sugar, cotton
and tobacco which was taken back to Britain.
Transatlantic Slave Trade
Who
Many European countries became involved the trading of slaves as some of them
had moved and settled in North and South America. They were mainly farmers
who grew: cotton, tobacco, sugar and coffee then sold them for high prices.
At first get forced local tribes to do the farming for them but many ran away and
others died due to disease and mistreatment. The European settlers needed a
new workforce.
What
African slaves ended up in North and South America and the West Indies as a
result of a three-legged trading journey (shown in the map).
At each stage of the journey goods were traded for human slaves who were
treated like objects rather than living beings.
When
The idea of slavery has been around for thousands of years. An example from the
Bible would be Moses and the Hebrews who were enslaved by the Egyptian
Pharaoh.
From around 1500 onwards, slavery turned into a profitable international
business that earned people millions. Britain became involved in the slave trade
from the 1560s onwards during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign.
Where
The transatlantic slave trade stretched across the Atlantic Ocean.
Manufactured goods would be taken from Europe to Western Africa to be traded
for slaves.
The slave would be then taken to North America or the West Indies where they
would be traded for raw materials.
Why
The slave trade was a profitable business for everyone involved with Britain
making some of the largest profits in Europe.
It is estimated that from the early 1600s to 1807 3 million African slaves were
bought and sold which generated a profit of £12 million which is equivalent to
more than £1 billion today.
Many Europeans believed they were more superior and better than the Africans
who were made to be slaves. They believed they were ‘helping’ the Africans and
it was not morally wrong to make them slaves are they were seen as ‘uncivilised’
and ‘barbaric’
Case Study: How did Liverpool benefit from slavery?
Group How did they benefit?
Workers
By 1774 there were 8 sugar refineries and 15 rope
factories in Liverpool providing jobs which linked to the
slave trade.
Bankers
Banks did well due to the slave trade by lending money
to the slave traders and collecting interest from these
loans. In the 1780s Liverpool made a profit from the
slave trade of over £1 million a year.
Ordinary
People
Many people across the country worked in factories or
used railways which had been set up with slave trade
money. Nearly 20,000 people worked in industries which
sold goods to West Africa in exchange for slaves.
New goods from the Americas such as sugar, cotton and
tobacco were enjoyed by all around Britain.
Early resistance to capture/slavery
Running
away
Many captured Africans tried
running away from their
captors but they would be
chained together and fitted
with spiked collars which
would get tangled in vines if
they tried to run.
Suicide Thousands attempted to
commit suicide during the
Middle Passage journey. Many
believed if they killed
themselves they would return
to their own country. They
would starve themselves, got
hold of knives or sharp objects
and jumped overboard- this
became more difficult when
slavers fitted the ships with
nets to catch slaves who tried
to jump.
Slave
uprisings
There were 300 documented
accounts of slave uprisings on
the slave ships from Africa to
the Americas. With the most
famous revolt occurring on the
Spanish slave ship called
Amistad.
The Transatlantic Slave Trade- from freedom to slavery Stages of
slavery
Details
Africa
before
slavery
Europeans referred to Africa as the 'Dark Continent' as they believed it was a savage and undeveloped
place.
Some Africans lived in large cities and had built vast empires. The Ashanti is an example of one of these
empires, they were very rich and had gold and bronze artefacts. Craftsmen could make thrones, chairs
and intricate jewellery.
Europeans initially wanted to trade with Africa and make money but over time they realised how
profitable the resources in Africa was and how much money could be made from slavery.
Capture Most slaves were people who had been captured by an enemy African kingdom and sold to European
slave traders in exchange for manufactured goods such as: guns, pots
Middle
Passage
The Middle Passage was the journey between Africa and the Americas where the captured African
people would be sold as slaves. It is estimated 15 million Africans were taken across the Atlantic Ocean
and sold as slaves.
Slave ships could carry from 250-600 slaves with 1.5m space between slave decks meaning slaves could
not move or sit up during the journey. They have little food/water and no medicine.
20% died during the journey. The journey took around 8 weeks
This movement of slaves and goods was referred to as the Slave Triangle/Triangular Slave Trade
(Europe-Africa-America).
Auction
Slaves were paraded in front of buyers and examined like animals. Buyers bid for slaves and sold to the
highest bidder. Unhealthy and unsold slaves were left to die without food or water.
Sometimes slaves were sold in a ‘Scramble’ where the slave trader would set a fixed price for his slaves.
The buyers would all rush at once to get the ‘best slaves’. Families would be split up, never to see each
other again.
Life on a
plantation
After the auction, slaves would go with their owners and went to work on plantations after being
branded. Often their new owners would give them new European names. Slaves had no rights and if
they tried to run away they were normally found and punished harshly.
On the plantations they would produce rum/cotton/sugar/tobacco. This was then exchanged for more
slaves and transported to Europe and sold.
Conditions were harsh, bunk houses were crowded and slaves had to work long days with little rest or
food. Punishments included whippings, branding and even being hanged. The average life expectancy
of slaves was 26 years old.
Factors
leading to
abolition
Details
Economic
In the 1770s the price of sugar dropped and many British plantations in the West
Indies could not make a profit and closed down- meaning there was not the need for
as many slaves.
In 1771, plantation owners in Barbados bought 2728 slaves from Africa. The next
year they bought none.
Others argued that slaves did not work as hard as people who were paid for their
work as slaves had no reason to work harder as they did not get extra rewards or
bonuses.
Sugar could be imported from Brazil and Cuba more cheaply than growing it in the
West Indies using slaves.
Slave action
Many slaves resisted in passive ways by trying to cut-down on the profit of the
plantations. They did this by being clumsy or slow on purpose, pretended to be sick
and deliberately broke tools or let animals loose. Some even ran away- this was
much easier on the islands of the West Indies as they could live in the
There were many slave uprisings whereby the captured slaves rose up against their
white masters. An example of this was during the St Dominique slave rebellion, the
leader (Toussaint L’Ouventure) led the slaves to victory. Slavery on the island was
abolished in 1804. The island was renamed Haiti.
The Maroon slaves in Jamaica had escaped from their plantations when the British
took control of Jamaica in 1655. They lived in the mountains and negotiated with the
British.
Work of
Abolitionists
By 1833 there were 73 anti-slavery societies run by women all located around
Britain.
People in Britain started to see slavery as wrong as the slaves were compared to
factory workers who were referred to as “white slaves” because of the conditions
they had to work in.
Many people started to believe slavery was against their Christian beliefs and
campaigned against it like William Wilberforce who was a member of parliament.
Key
Individual
Details
Olaudah
Equiano
An ex-slave who wrote a book about his
experiences as a slave. This gained public
attention and sympathy.
Toussaint
L’Ouventure
Leader of the slave rebellion on the island
of St Dominique. He led the slaves to
victory. Slavery on the island was abolished
in 1804.
William
Wilberforce
A Member of Parliament (MP) who
campaigned for and made speeches in
support of ending slavery.
Granville
Sharp
Took slave owners to court. His work
showed how unclear law in Britain was
about owning slaves
Thomas
Clarkson
Collected information on the horrors of
slavery and shared these details with the
public to gain their support in ending
slavery.
Abolition of the Slave Trade and Slavery in the British Empire
Key dates Details
1655 Jamaican slave rebellion led to slaves
escaping and living in the mountains.
1770s
Less slaves are being bought from Africa as
the price of sugar from Brazil/Cuba is cheaper
than sugar grow/harvested by slaves.
1804
St Dominique slave rebellion was successful.
The slaves were free on the island which was
renamed Haiti.
1807 The buying and selling of slaves (the slave
trade) was abolished in the British Empire.
1833 Owning slaves was banned and abolished in
the British Empire.
Causes of the American Civil War and the end of slavery in America Dates Event/Issue Details
1776-
1861 Racism
In the South, racist attitudes towards slaves were held by most white people. Southern
universities even taught that black people were not as intelligent as white people and
that they needed to be kept as slaves for their own good.
1820 Missouri
Compromise
The North and South argued constantly over which states should allow. In 1820 a
compromise was reached which drew a line between the North and the South and
determined that slavery could be used below the line, but not above it.
1830-
1861
Increase in
slavery
Abolitionist
groups
In the North, more organisations that wanted to end slavery began to appear. Members
of these groups were called "Abolitionists" These organisations often included popular
authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, and their books were widely read. In the South,
many people worried that the whole of the North wanted to end slavery.
1854 Western
Expansion
During the 1800s, the USA continued to get bigger as ‘new land’ in the western
part of North America was discovered. This caused arguments between the North
and South about whether slavery should be allowed in the new states.
1860s State Rights In the 1860s, many Southern states began to feel like they were being told what to do
by the North and wanted the right to run their own states in the way they wished.
Nov
1860
Election of
1860
Abraham Lincoln became the President of America but he was a man known for
disliking slavery. Many of the Southern States panicked because they believed Lincoln
would force them to get rid of slavery.
Dec
1860 Secession
After Lincoln’s election, many of the Southern States decided they no longer wished to
part of the United States of America (the Union). They declared that they were
independent countries, not ruled by the American government.
July
1861 Confederacy
In total, eleven Southern states decided to leave the Union. These were: South Carolina,
Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North
Carolina and Tennessee. These states formed a new nation of their own - the
Confederate States of America. Lincoln called for the army to get these states back under
government control.
1863 Emancipation
Proclamation
Abraham Lincoln passed a law called the Emancipation Proclamation which stated all slaves in
the southern states were now free. He did this as he hoped the newly freed slaves would help
the north fight the south as the Civil War was still going on at this point.
1865 Thirteenth
Amendment
The Northern states won the Civil War in 1865. In December the 13th Amendment (a law added
to America’s Constitution) abolished slavery and made it illegal to own a slave in America.
Key
Individual
Details
Abraham
Lincoln
Elected the President of America
in 1860. He was against slavery.
Ralph
Waldo
Emerson
A popular author at the time who
wrote about the horrors of
slavery so that the public would
help to stop slavery in America.
Jefferson
Davis
President of the Confederate
States during the Civil War.
John C.
Calhoun
Southern senator who claimed
slavery of African Americans was
a ‘positive good’ and it helped
America and its people.
Keywords Meaning
The Union
Referred to the states who
recognized Lincoln as their
President (mainly Northern
states).
Secession
When states in America declared
they no longer wanted to be part
of America but wanted to be
treated as their own country.
Confederacy
When 11 states who had seceded
(broke away from America)
created a new nation named the
Confederate States of America.
President
The leader of America. In 1860
Abraham Lincoln became the
President.
Abolitionist
Someone who works to
abolish/stop/ban something,
such as slavery.
Life of newly freed African Americans Important Laws which helped newly freed African Americans
Date Law Details
March
1865
Freemen’s
Bureau Bill
As the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) had
effectively freed all the slaves in America, the
Freemen’s Bureau was set up to start schools and
help African Americans find work.
Dec
1865
13th
Amendment
Formally abolished slavery in America.
1866 14th
Amendment
This law made African Americans full United
States citizens instead of being seen as 3 5⁄ of a
person, which they had been previously.
1867 Reconstruction
started
The central government in America (federal
government) tried make sure all African
Americans in the Southern states were freed with
the support of the army.
1870 15th
Amendment
This law gave all African American men equal
voting rights with white men.
How life improved for newly freed African Americans
Part of life Details
Freedom
For the first time freed slaves could marry and have children without
fearing they would be split up.
African Americans could work, move around the country and worship
God however they wished.
African American men could vote, stand for election, sit on juries,
become judges and represent their states in Congress.
Schools
The Freemen’s Bureau set up over 4000 free schools which took in
over 250,000 African American students.
When the Freemen’s Bureau shut down in 1870, 21% of freed
slaves were able to read and write.
Land
Sharecropping was introduced whereby freed slaves would work on
the land for a share of the crop they grew. Some freed slaves ended
up working for their old masters but as free people.
How life got worse for newly freed African Americans
Part of life Details
Freedom
Newly freed slaves in the south found a difference between their legal
rights and what they were actually allowed to do.
African Americans had the right to vote due to the 15th Amendment
but they were often threatened or physically stopped with violence at
the voting stations with many people being killed due to this.
Schools
Many southern schools which were created for the newly freed
slaves and their children were forced to close as the white schools
refused to sell them supplies.
Many African American students were beat up and their schools
burned down. A 17 year old African American teacher was
murdered for starting a school in Tennessee.
Land
Sharecroppers had to buy tools and supplies from planters’ shops.
The money they used to pay for this came out of their ‘share’
Many found that they spent more than their share could cover each
year so they fell into debt.
Jim Crow Laws
Why?
In 1877, Andrew Johnson, president after Lincoln was assassinated,
removed the army from the southern states. This made it more
difficult for African Americans to ensure they were given their rights.
What?
Southern states passed ‘Jim Crow’ laws to reduce the rights and
freedom of the newly freed African American people.
These new laws segregated (kept separate) African Americans and
white Americans. The laws began from 1877 and were not officially
abolished until the Civil Rights Act in 1964.
African Americas were to have separate facilities to white
Americans, such as: seats on the bus, public toilets, public water
fountains, schools, libraries, churches, seats/entrances to the
theatre, places refused to serve African Americans and many others.
African Americans were not treated equally in the south. Many
moved north and to the west to escape these restrictive laws.
Life under Jim Crow Economic Impact
Issue Details
Employment
Jim Crow laws ensured African Americans were only
able to work the worst jobs with poor wages.
Certain well paid jobs were set aside and ‘reserved’
for white people.
Labour Unions
African Americans were stopped from creating labour
unions which fought for worker rights and better
conditions/pay.
Social Impact
Issue Details
Segregation
Laws forced African Americans and white people to be separate from
each other in a variety of public accommodations.
There were separate African American and white bathrooms, drinking
fountains, and waiting rooms. African Americans sat in the balcony of
movie theatres or in separate theatres altogether.
African Americans could not order food at the front of restaurants.
Many restaurants simply refused to serve African Americans.
African Americans were not allowed to use public libraries and had
separate schools.
Racism
African American people were rarely shown common courtesy by
white people. In fact, whites often picked out individual African
Americans for harassment.
Violence
White people could threaten, beat, rape and torture African
Americans, with little fear of punishment and lynching (illegal
hangings) were commonplace in the early 20th Century America.
Political Impact
Issue Details
Disenfranchisement
African Americans were either stopped from
voting through threats, physical violence or
barriers created by southern states.
African American people who wanted to
register to vote had to pass a literacy test
which was purposely made impossible to pass.
Due to the difficulties faced by African American
people when trying to vote, they were unable to
use the vote to remove politicians who
oppressed them which led to the cycle of racism
and inequality to continue.
Legal Oppression
African Americans found the legal system unfair
as well due to Jim Crow as they faced all white
judges and juries.
African Americans were not allowed to
testify/give evidence against white Americans.
Keywords Meaning
Economic This factor refers to money, wages and possible jobs and
employment.
Social This factor refers to the treatment of different groups in
society and how they interact in public.
Political This factor refers to power, the government and the vote.
Disenfranchisement To take away power or opportunities, especially the right to
vote, from a person or group.
Oppression
A situation in which people are governed in an unfair and
cruel way and prevented from having opportunities and
freedom.
Segregation
The policy of keeping one group of people apart from another
and treating them differently, especially because of race, sex,
or religion
Civil Rights Movement Dates Events Details
1950s-
1960s
Civil Rights
Movement
This was a time where African Americans worked together more and more to demand
equal rights to white Americans. Civil rights refer to the rights of citizens to political and
social freedom and equality.
1954
De-
segregation
of schools
The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People) successfully
campaigned for segregated schools to be banned, claiming that it was harmful to African
American students and unconstitutional. The Supreme Court agreed and schools were
integrated.
Despite this ruling by the Supreme Court African Americas had to bring court cases in
each state to send their children to ‘white’ schools and Southern schools were
encouraged to ignore the Supreme Court’s decision.
If they won the case a few African American children or even just 1 would have to go to
the school to ‘desegregate it’ and they faced violence from angry white parents/student.
1955 Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat for a white person. To support her,
many white and African Americans boycotted buses in Montgomery, Alabama. The bus
company lost 80% of its profits and was forced to de-segregate its buses.
1957
The Little
Rock Nine
After segregation of schools had been abolished, a group of nine African American
students started at Little Rock High school. But they were faced with angry protesters
and federal troops (army) had to escort them into the racially segregated school.
1960 Student
sit-ins
Students sit at white only food counters in places like Woolworths - many were arrested
and beaten by the police.
1963
MLK’s I
have a
Dream
speech
Over 200,000 people came to hear Martin Luther King make his speech – now recognised
as one of the most famous speeches in history – and they took part in a peaceful march
for Civil Rights in Washington DC.
1964 Civil Rights
Act
This law recognised that African Americans lived in poorer housing, had lower paid jobs and
less access to healthcare and education. The Act tried to bring equality by making the
segregation of public places illegal (ending the Jim Crow laws). Many Southern states
opposed this law, and many felt it did not do enough.
1965 The Voting
Rights Act
African Americans had been prevented from voting in many Southern states through
intimidation and ‘literacy tests’. This law made these tests illegal and as a result there was a
huge increase in African Americans registering to vote.
Key
Individual
Details
Rosa
Parks
Refused to give up her seat on a
segregated bus and was arrested.
This sparked a state wide boycott
of the buses which led to them
being de-segregated.
Martin
Luther
King Jr
Fought for the Civil Rights of
African Americans using peaceful
methods. Made the famous ‘I
have a Dream’ speech in front of
200,000 people.
Malcolm X
Encouraged African Americans to
fight for their Civil Rights using
more militant actions.
Keywords Meaning
De-segregate
African Americans no
longer had to have
different/separate facilities
than white people.
Boycott
To stop using a certain
service as an act of protest.
Sit-ins
A form of protest in which
demonstrators occupy a
place, refusing to leave
until their demands are
met.
Supreme Court The highest legal court in
America.
Unconstitutional
When the actions of a
government is against the
rights of its people.
Society and Change o Liberal Reforms
o The creation of the Welfare State
o The women’s Suffrage Movement
o Women’s work in the war and gaining the vote
o Women after the Second World War
o The Independence of India and Africa
o The experience of immigrants in Britain after
the Second World War
o Life of youths in Britain after the Second World
War
Liberal Reforms Causes of the Liberal Reforms
Dates Events Details
1886-
1903
Charles
Booth’s
enquiry
Charles Booth’s ‘Life and Labour of the People in London’ (a
survey which looked at the level of poverty in London) found
that 30% of Londoners were so poor they did not have enough
money to eat properly, despite having full-time jobs.
Booth also found a link between poverty and a high death rate.
1899 Boer War
The government needed soldiers to fight in the Boer War in
South Africa, so they tried to launch a recruitment campaign.
Whilst recruiting it was found that 40% of all young men who
volunteered were unfit to be soldiers, despite the British
army not having a particularly high in the first place.
1901
Seebohm
Rowntree’s
study
Rowntree published his study called ‘Poverty: A Study of Town
Life’ based on the people of York in 1901. He found that 28%
did not have the minimum amount of money to live on at some
time in their life.
This study made people fear that Britain would fall behind
countries like Germany who had a good welfare system for
workers in big industries such as coal, iron and steel
1904
‘Physical
Deterioration
of the
People’
report
Due to the shocking results of the Boer War recruitment
campaign, investigated why so many men did not reach army
requirements and crated a report.
The report that stated that many men were failing to get into
the army because they led such unhealthy lives.
1906 New Liberal
Government
Some politicians, including Winston Churchill and David Lloyd-
George who were part of the Liberal Party believed that direct
action from the government was the way to improve the public
health, welfare and productivity of the country.
In 1906 the Liberal Party won the general election and started to
introduce new laws which were aimed to improve the health and
conditions of different groups of people in Britain.
Liberal Social Reforms
Dates Events Details
1906 School Meals
Act
This law allowed local councils to provide free
school meals to poorer children.
By 1914, over 158,000 children were having free
school meals every day.
1907 Children’s
health
The government told all councils they should
have a school medical service. The government
paid for free clinics to be setup in schools.
1907 Educating
women
From 1907 onwards schools were setup to
educate young women about the benefits of
breastfeeding, hygiene and childcare.
1908
The Children
and Young
Person’s Act
This law made children into ‘protected
persons’ which meant that parents were
breaking the law if they neglected or
abused their children.
1911
National
Insurance
Act
This law introduced unemployment benefit, free
medical treatment and sickness pay.
Pensions were introduced and the first job centres
were built.
1918 Health
visitors
From 1918 local councils had to provide health
visitors, clinics for pregnant women and day
nurseries.
1930
Slum
clearance
program
The council began to build new houses for poorer
families and by 1930, a huge slum clearance
programme began, clearing away the breeding
ground of disease.
Key words Meaning
Poverty The state of being extremely poor.
Recruitment The action of enlisting new people in the armed forces.
Deterioration The process of becoming progressively worse.
Welfare Government benefits given to poorer people to help them live
to a good standard of living.
The Creation of the Welfare State Causes of the creation of the Welfare State
Cause Details
War
The death and destruction for the First and Second World Wars had an
impact on the lives of people and attitudes due to the shortages of food
and impact of bombings on the people in Britain as well as the soldiers
on the frontline.
Due to the sacrifices made during the wars for the country, people
believed the government should repay this by giving them support in
their daily lives.
People wanted a better and fairer healthcare system. Many middle-
class families in the countryside had been shocked by the health of
some of the evacuee children from the cities during WW2 too.
Ro
le o
f th
e in
div
idu
al-
Bev
erid
ge
In 1942, towards the end of the Second World War, Sir William
Beveridge, wrote a report about the state of Britain.
The Beveridge Report stated everyone in the country had the right to
be free of the ‘five giants’ that could negatively affect their lives.
The ‘five giants’ were: disease, want (need), ignorance, idleness and
squalor.
The report suggested that the government should take charge in
challenging the ‘five giants’ harming the people of Britain. The report
became a best-seller during the war with over 100,000 copies being
sold in in its first month of being published.
Go
vern
men
t
After the Second World War a political election was held to decide who
the next government would be.
One of the most surprising political election results in Britain was when
Winston Churchill, who was seen as the man who brought Britain
through the war, lost the election.
The political party who won was the Labour Party as they said they
would follow Beveridge’s advice while the Conservative Party
(Churchill’s party) refused to make this promise.
Key words Meaning
Welfare Government benefits given to poorer people to help them live to a
good standard of living.
Evacuee
Many children were evacuated from the cities during WW2 due to
the bombings. Many of the people in countryside were appalled by
the poor health of the evacuated children.
Idleness When someone does nothing or has nothing to do.
Squalor Living in extremely dirty conditions, due to poverty.
Key Individuals Details
William Beveridge
He wrote a report about the ‘5 giants’ which negatively
affect people’s lives and urged the government to help
people overcome these issues.
Winston Churchill Prime Minister of Britain from, 1940-45 during WW2.
Clement Attlee Prime Minister of Britain from, 1945-51. He introduced
several laws which created a Welfare State in Britain.
The Welfare State
The Labour Government, led by Clement Attlee, kept their promise and
introduced several changes which linked to the Beveridge Report of 1942.
Dates Events Details
1944 The Education
Act
This law made secondary education a free right for
all.
The age of school leavers was increased to 15.
1945 Family
Allowance Act
This law gave families a weekly allowance payment
to help with childcare costs.
1946 National
Insurance Act
This law gave benefits to any worker who was
became unemployed, injured or sick.
1948 National Health
Service Act
The NHS was set up in 1948 and gave free
healthcare to all.
1947
Town and
Country
Planning Act
This led to the clearance of slums and bomb-
damaged housing. Many of the poorest people in
Britain were relocated to new cities and towns.
Women’s Suffrage- before the First World War Dates Events Details
1906
New Prime
Minister-
Campbell-
Bannerman
New Liberal Prime Minister, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, supported votes for
women but his ministers were divided. Some Suffragettes protested outside the
Houses of Commons and were arrested.
1907 Mud March The Suffragists organised a march in London. Over 3000 women joined the
march. It was called the ‘Mud March’ due to the bad weather.
1908
New Prime
Minister-
Asquith
New Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith, was elected who was against giving women
the vote. The Suffragettes and Suffragists organised demonstrations in London but
the government changed nothing. The Suffragettes launched a window smashing
campaign and chained themselves to the railings outside Downing Street.
1909 Hunger
strikes
More Suffragettes were sent to prison. They went on hunger strikes in prison
but the government did not want to be responsible for the death of
these women, so they were force-fed against their will.
1910 Black Friday
The Suffragettes called off their violent campaigns when the PM agreed to work
with them. A law was sent to parliament to give women the vote but it was not
passed. The Suffragettes protested against this by fighting with the police. This
event became known as ‘Black Friday’.
1911
Calling of a
truce which
backfired
The Suffragettes called a truce hoping that a law to give women the vote was
passed. The government did not give the women the vote but instead gave
more men the vote instead. Suffragettes restarted their violent campaign.
1912
Suffragette
window-
smashing
campaign
The Suffragettes started a massive window-smashing campaign leading to many
getting arrested. Many of the prisoners across the country went on hunger
strikes but were force-fed.
1913
Death of
Emily
Davison
Violence increased- buildings were bombed/burnt down and turf at race courses
were burned. Emily Davison, a Suffragette, tried to pin a ‘Votes for Women’ badge
on the King’s horse during the Epsom Derby but was trampled and killed by the
horse.
1914
The First
World War
begins
Suffragette violence increased. The British public were firmly against the
Suffragettes due to their violence. The First World War began so the Suffragettes
and Suffragists stopped their campaigning to help with the war effort.
Groups Details
Suff
ragi
sts
(NU
WSS
)
Formed in 1897 by Millicent Fawcett.
A national group which had members
from all parts of Britain.
Mainly middle class and some working-
class women but some men were
members too.
Believed in using passive/peaceful
methods of protest such as: making
speeches, organising rallies/marches,
creating posters, writing letters to MPs
and petitioning parliament.
Suff
rage
ttes
(W
SPU
)
Formed in 1903 by Emmeline Pankhurst
who was fed up of the ineffective actions
of the Suffragists.
Mainly middle- and upper-class women
and men were banned from becoming
members.
Their motto was ‘Deeds not words’ which
links to the militant methods used by the
Suffragettes.
Methods included, smashing windows,
setting buildings on fire, fighting with the
police, interrupting government meetings
and chaining themselves outside
buildings.
Key words Meaning
Suffrage The right to vote in political elections.
Peaceful
protest
Non-violent resistance or actions
taken to change something.
Militant Using violent methods to change
something.
Women’s actions during the First World War and gaining the vote Dates Events Details
From
1914
Suffragists
support
the war
effort
Millicent Fawcett called for all women to support the war effort in
August 1914. The Suffragists organized women to take over men’s
jobs as they left for war and even offered training courses to help
women in their new roles.
They still had meetings, though, to discuss how to get women the
vote.
1915
Shortage
of
workers
By 1915 British factories were facing a shortage of workers as
millions of men left their jobs to fight in the war.
1915
‘Women’s
Right to
Serve’
march
The Suffragettes worked with the government to organise a march
which encouraged women to take over the jobs men had left
vacant when they went to war.
From
1915
onwards
White
feather
campaign
Suffragettes started to pin white feathers to men they saw in the
streets as the white feather represented cowardice and was used
to shame men into enlisting in the army.
January
1917
Women’s
Land
Army
Due to German submarines targeting British supply ships, food was low
and even though people received rations they still depended on what
could be grown in Britain.
The Women’s Land Army was founded in January 1917 so that enough
food was produced. However, only 16,000 women joined. Most of the
work on the farms was done by women already living in rural villages.
1918
Some
women
gain the
vote
Parliament passed an act granting the vote to women over the age of 30
who were householders, the wives of householders, occupiers of property
with an annual rent of £5, and graduates of British universities. About 8.4
million women gained the vote. The voting age for men was 21.
The majority of women who had helped during the war were young,
working class women who did not get to vote under the 1918 law.
1928
Equal
voting
rights
The Equal Franchise Act was a law which gave women equal voting
rights to men. All men and women aged 21 and over were allowed to
vote.
Conditions in Munition factories
Women
working
to support
the war
During the course of the Frist World War 1 million
women took on jobs in munition factories making shells
(bullets) and weaponry to support the soldiers fighting
in the war.
Injuries in
munition
factories
The conditions in the factories were unsafe with acid
burning skin, fumes causing breathing issues and
exploding shells even causing death.
TNT
poisoning
For women handling explosives, in particular TNT, they
suffered from flu like symptoms which then led to the
front of their hair turning orange and their skin turning
yellow due to be slowly poisoned by the TNT.
These women were called ‘canaries’ due to the colour
of their skin turning yellow like the canary bird’s
feathers.
Not only did the TNT change the appearance of these
women on the outside, internally the TNT caused some
to become infertile which meant they were not able to
have children.
Key words Meaning
Cowardice Lack of bravery or honour.
Munitions Military weapons, ammunition, equipment, and stores.
Rationing
Certain foods, such as- sugar, meat and butter were
rationed meaning everyone was only allowed a fixed
amount of each.
Franchise The right to vote in public elections.
Industry Women employed in
1914
Women employed in
1918
Munitions 200,000 1,000,000
Transport 20,000 100,000
Government 10,000 200,000
Agriculture 200,000 250,000
Women’s experiences from 1939 to 1976 Dates Events Details
1939-45 During the Second
World War
As in the First World War, women were recruited into
working during the Second World War to replace the men
who left to fight.
Eight times as many women took on war work in the
Second World War compared to the First World War. The
government even provided nurseries for women with
children.
1967 Abortion Act This law made abortion legal.
1967 Family Planning Act Allowed the contraceptive pill to be given to women for
free through the NHS.
1969 Divorce Reform Act This law made it easier for women to get a divorce.
1970 Matrimonial
Property Act
This law meant that women kept some of the property if she
divorced.
1970 Equal Pay Act
This law granted equal wages for women and men doing the
same work.
The law was not enforced until 1975 and did not deal with the
issue of women being passed over for promotion or training.
1975 Sex Discrimination
Act
This outlawed sexual discrimination in the workplace meaning
employers could not discriminate against a person due to their
gender.
1976 Domestic Violence
Act
This allowed women who were married or living with their
partner to get a court order to help remove violent
partners /husbands from the home.
Women’s experiences in the home
Technology
New technology such as the refrigerator and
vacuum cleaner led to women spending less time
food shopping and cleaning which gave them
more time for other activities.
Choice
Most women were able to choose to spend their
spare time on leisure activities, socialising and
shopping.
The important change here was the fact that
women now had a choice about how to spend
their time rather than just being stuck at home.
Expectations
As choices increased for women so did the
expectations of what they should be able to
achieve.
Psychological studies suggested that children
benefitted from spending the first 5 years of their
life with their mothers. This led to women being
torn between caring for their children and wanting
to work.
Key words Meaning
Matrimonial Referring to marriage or married people.
Discrimination
Unfair treatment of someone or a group based
on their gender, sexuality, ethnicity, skin colour,
religion, age etc.
Domestic
violence
Violent, aggressive behaviour, neglect, mental
abuse within the home involving one partner
abusing another.
Independence of India Dates Events Details
17th
Century
Colonisation
of India
Since the 17th century Britain had tried to enforce their control over India. It started in 1600 when the East India Company (British endorsed
company) was founded which controlled the trade between India and Britain.
In 1858 control was taken from the East India Company and transferred to the Crown, making Queen Victoria the Empress of India in 1876, which
started Britain’s official colonisation of India and is known as the British Raj.
During the colonisation of India goods such as, cotton, tea and precious jewels were taken from India to be sold in Britain; whilst the people of India
were forced to learn English and adopt British customs and lifestyle.
1885
Indian
National
Congress (INC)
The Indian National Congress (INC) was formed and dominated the Indian movement for independence from Britain.
This group held meetings and organised demonstrations to gain India’s independence from the British Empire but most of their attempts were
ignored by the British.
1914 First World
War
In 1914 Indian soldiers fought alongside the British during the First World War. A total of 1.3 million Indian soldiers were part of the British Empire
Army against Germany and its allies.
Over 67,000 Indian soldiers died during the First World War.
1919 Some
improvements
After the First World War, the British setup law-making councils in each province in India and over 5 million wealthy Indians were given the right to
vote.
However, the British government, which was based in London, still controlled taxation, the police, the law courts, the army and education in India.
April
13th
1919
Amritsar
Incident
Many people were not happy with the improvements made after WW1 and so organised a demonstration in the town of Amritsar in the province of
Punjab.
The British commander who was stationed in Punjab ordered his men to fire on the crowd of demonstrators killing 379 men, women and children.
1924 Gandhi & the
INC
Before the Amritsar Incident Mohandas Gandhi had supported the British rule of India but afterwards he became the leader of the INC as he said,
‘When a government takes up arms against its unarmed subjects, then it has lost its right to govern’.
Gandhi promoted the use of passive resistance such as boycotts, strikes and demonstrations to gain independence for India.
1930 Anti-salt tax
campaign
Gandhi began a campaign against the British tax on salt. He led thousands of demonstrators to the coast where they began making salt from sea
water which was illegal. 100,000 people were put in prison until the British gave in and for rid of the salt tax.
1935 Government
of India Act
A law was passed which gave the people of India the right to control all aspects of their lives except for the army. However, India was still considered
part of the British Empire and was ruled by a Viceroy (a ruler representing on behalf of Queen Victoria).
1939 Second World
War
When the Second World War began, the INC declared that India would not support the war effort until it had been granted independence. In 1942,
British authorities arrested the INC, included Gandhi. They were not released until 1945 when the war was over.
2.5 million Indian soldiers voluntarily supported the British against Germany and its allies which led to the death of 87,000 Indian soldiers.
July
1947
India gains
independence
After the Second World War as the British army was tired and did not want to be sent to control a country which was actively campaigning for its
independence. The British government of Clement Attlee passed the Independence Bill in July, 1947
Independence of India continued Dates Events Details
Aft
er
19
45
Hin
du
-Mu
slim
rel
atio
ns After the Second World War ended the relationship between the Hindus and
Muslims in India started to break down
Muslims in India did not want to be ruled by a largely Hindu government if India
gained its Independence.
Muslims wanted their own country and wanted to call it Pakistan which means
‘land of the pure’.
Violence broke out between the different groups in India over the issue of
partition.
19
47
Par
titi
on
of
Ind
ia
When India was made an independent country by the British it was partitioned
into 2 separate countries, Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan.
Immediately there were problems as the boundaries which were drawn meant
some Hindus ended were in what was now Pakistan and some Muslims lived in
India.
The million Sikhs in India, who mainly lived in Punjab, found that Punjab had been
split between Pakistan and India.
This led to millions of people fleeing across the new India-Pakistan border to be in
the country of their religion.
Whole trainloads of people were massacred by the ‘other side’. It is estimated that
over 1 million people were killed during this transition.
19
47
-19
48
Gan
dh
i an
d t
he
par
titi
on
of
Ind
ia
Gandhi was very much against the partition of India but he agreed to it in the
hopes it would stop the violence between Hindus and Muslims in India.
Gandhi urged Hindus and Muslims to live peacefully together and undertook a
hunger strike until riots in Calcutta ceased.
On January 30, 12 days after a hunger strike against violence in Delhi ended,
Gandhi was on his way to an evening prayer meeting in Delhi when he was shot to
death by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu fanatic enraged by Mahatma’s efforts to
negotiate with Muslims.
Pre
sen
t
Pro
ble
ms
of
Par
titi
on
The problems and violence caused by the partition between India and Pakistan still
affect life in India today and the relationship between the different religions is still
an issue between the different groups. Sikhs are still petitioning for their own
independent country of Khalistan to this day.
Key
Individuals
Details
Queen
Victoria
Queen of England from 1837-1901. On the 1st
May 1876 she became the Empress of India.
Mohandas
Gandhi
Mohandas Gandhi was an Indian activist who
was the leader of the Indian independence
movement against British rule. He promoted
passive/peaceful protest and was against
violence. Often referred to as Mahatma
Gandhi as ‘Mahatma’ means ‘great soul.
Clement
Attlee
Attlee organised the granting of
independence to India and Pakistan in 1947.
Attlee became Prime Minister of Britain from
1945-51 and was part of the Labour Party.
Key words Meaning
Colonisation The action or process of establishing control
over a country and its people.
British Raj
Raj is an Indian word which means to rule.
The British Raj refers to the time period
between 1858-1947 when India was ruled
over by the British Empire.
Colony A country or area under the political control
of another country.
British Empire
The British Empire ruled over 23% of the total
population in the world and covered about
24% of the Earth's total land area.
Viceroy A ruler controlling a colony on behalf of a
sovereign/monarchy.
Independence When a country is allowed to govern itself.
Partition The action of dividing or being divided into
parts.
Activist A person who campaigns to bring about
political or social change.
Independence of African colonies Dates Events Details
1880-
1900
Colonisation of
Africa
Over 80% of the continent of Africa was colonised and divided up between different
European countries.
European countries were attracted to Africa due to its valuable raw materials such as
diamonds gold and the availability of cheap labour.
Britain itself took over 16 colonies in Africa during this time.
The colonised countries of Africa were exploited and the people had no say over how
their country was run. European settlers even banished Africans from the best land
and took it for themselves.
1910 Union of South-
Africa
The Union of South Africa was created which brought together former British colonies
of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Transvaal and Orange Free State. Louis Botha
became the first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa, which allowed South
Africa to mostly rule itself.
1922
Egypt gains
partial
independence
Due to a revolution in Egypt in 1919, Egypt gained partial independence and was
mainly allowed to rule itself. However, Britain and France still controlled the Suez
Canal, which is a waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea
and British troops remained in Egypt.
1939-
1945
Second World
War
More than 1 million African soldiers fought for the European countries during the
Second World War. So, by the end of the Second World War more and more countries
were demanding their independence.
By 1945, countries such as Britain and France could no longer afford to hold onto their
colonies due to the impact of the war against Hitler who had taken away the freedom
of other countries much like other European countries were doing in Africa.
1947 India gains
independence
When India gained its independence from Britain it led to a whole host of other
countries demanding their freedom.
1957 Gold Coast gains
independence
The Gold Coast gained independence from the British Empire and renamed itself
Ghana.
1960s-
80s
Other British
colonies gain
independence
Other British colonies gained their freedom from the British Empire, such as- Kenya
(1963), Nigeria (1960), Uganda (1962) and Zimbabwe (1980).
The majority of British colonies gained their independence fairly peacefully expect for
Zimbabwe where the black majority defeated the white minority and tension
continues to this day. In Kenya there were riots before independence was gained.
Positives and Negatives after Independence
Positives Negatives
Morocco, Tunisia
and Egypt have
developed
thriving tourist
industries.
Countries broke out into civil
war due to rivalries between
groups over who should govern
the new countries. For instance,
in Nigeria in the 1960s, Uganda
in the 1980s and Sierra Leone,
Rwanda and Somalia in the
1990s.
Other countries
made good use of
raw materials
such as rubber,
gold and
diamonds to
boost their
economy.
Many newly independent
countries struggled to create
their own systems of
government which led to
military groups or dictators
taking control.
Of the 25 poorest countries in
the world 17 are in Africa and
despite loans and aid from
richer countries poverty and
long-term debt still remains a
problem to this day.
Key words Meaning
Colonisation
The action or process of
establishing control over a country
and its people.
Independence When a country is allowed to
govern itself.
Dictator
A ruler with total power over a
country, normally someone who
has gained control by force/using
violence.
Dates Events Details
1945 Second World War ends After the Second World War the British government realised it needed to rebuild the country after the damages caused by
war. This led to the government encouraging people of the Commonwealth to come to Britain to rebuild it.
1948 National Health Service
created
The British government introduced the NHS but there was a shortage of doctors and nurses so people from the
Commonwealth were needed to fulfil these roles.
1948 British Nationality Act This law gave British citizenship (British passport) to people from the British Empire and from Commonwealth countries such
as India.
June
1948
Empire Windrush
arrives in Britain
The ship, the Empire Windrush, arrived in Britain with 492 passengers from the Caribbean (Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago). This was
the first ship to bring immigrants into Britain after the war.
1949-
1950
Continued immigration
from the Caribbean
Due to the cost of the journey by boat or plane being too high there was only a few hundred arrivals from the Caribbean each year
after Windrush. Also, most people wanting to leave the Caribbean went to America instead of Britain as it was closer.
1956 London Transport
recruitment scheme
The London Transport company had been recruiting people from the West Indies/Caribbean for years. However, in 1956 they
created a recruitment scheme where they paid the boat fare for the migrants which would be paid back in instalments from their
wages. This increased immigration from the Caribbean to Britain.
1958 Notting Hill Riots In the late 1950s, Notting Hill was a very poor area of London, with high crime rates and a shortage of housing. Tensions between
members of the white working class and the new Afro-Caribbean residents broke into open violence in 1958 and 1959 with
attacks by white youths ('Teddy Boys') on Caribbean people and properties, followed by counter-attacks by members of the
Caribbean population.
1962 Commonwealth
Immigrants Act
A law was introduced which stated that immigrants needed to apply for a work voucher to be able to come to Britain and
they were only given a work voucher if their skills were in demand.
1968 Commonwealth
Immigrants Act
This law said that even if a person came from the Commonwealth and had a British passport they would not be able to come
to Britain unless that have a parent or grandparent who was born in Britain for was a citizen of Britain.
1968 ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech Enoch Powell, a Conservative MP made his famous ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech which spoke negatively about immigration to
Britain. Powell gained lots of support from the white working class in Britain and this anti-immigrant attitude made relations
between different ethnic groups more violent and difficult. This led to creation of the National Front which is a group which
aims to make all non-white people return to their family’s country of origin.
1976 Race Relations Act This law stated that discrimination meant any actions that put another group at a disadvantage which was illegal.
1981 Brixton Riots The 19876 Race Relations Act was seen as a failure, as within 5 years of the law being passed there were riots in Brixton and
in major cities around Britain. Many of the riots which broke out were due to Afro-Caribbean people struggling to find work
due to economic problems in the country, the increase in support for the National Front and a new law which allowed the
police to stop and search anyone they found suspicious which led to racial profiling.
The Experience of Immigrants in Britain
The Experience of Immigrants in Britain continued Sector
of Life
Details about experiences H
ou
sin
g
It was common during the 1950s for signs to be placed on houses/businesses which said, ‘No
blacks’ or ‘No coloureds’.
Banks did not give new immigrants loans or mortgages to buy a house or place to live.
They were not eligible for council housing as they had not lived in Britain for more than 5 years.
Due to the problems with finding a home, immigrants were vulnerable to exploitation- for example
in London a landlord divided his flats into smaller units which he rented to new immigrants for
inflated prices.
West-Indian communities were often forced to settle in poverty-stricken areas on London,
Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds.
Job
s
Most immigrants found it easy to find a job but they faced a number of problems in the
workplace.
Most of the jobs which were available to the new immigrants were unsuited to their skills, most
were over-qualified for the jobs they did in Britain.
Numerous immigrants found that it was discouraged and difficult to get a promotion in their
jobs, for instance West Indian nurses in the NHS were not given the correct training to be able to
make progress in their jobs.
Many white workers and trade unions saw the new immigrant population as a threat to their
jobs and so called for limits to be placed on the number of immigrant workers in certain jobs
such as transport.
People who were against immigration accused immigrants of coming to Britain just to ‘cash in on
the benefit system’ despite the fact most immigrants had jobs and had been invited over by the
British government in the first place.
Leis
ure
In the 1950s, 2/3 of the West Indian immigrants were single young men who had a lot of leisure
time on their hands.
Some pubs banned West Indian customers which forced them to create their own unlicensed
drinking clubs. Some of these clubs became an issue as they were often associated with loud music,
prostitution, gambling, drugs and fighting.
Most of the drinking clubs, however, were a place for young men to relax and meet up with their
friends. However, the reputation of a few of these places created tension between the immigrant
and white communities in places such as Notting Hill.
Key words Meaning
Commonwealth
Countries which had previously
been part of the British Empire
became part of the
Commonwealth after gaining
independence.
Windrush/
Windrush
generation
Referring to the people who
moved from the Caribbean to
Britain on the British ship
the Empire Windrush in 1948.
Immigrant
A person who moves from a
country to live in a foreign
country.
Discrimination
The unfair or prejudicial
treatment of different groups of
people, because of their race, age,
or sex etc.
Recruitment
When an organisation encourages
people to apply for jobs in their
company.
Racial profiling
The use of race or ethnicity as a
reason for suspecting someone of
having committed a crime.
Youth 1945-1975 Key words Meaning
Evacuation The removal of children from cities to the safety of the
countryside during WWII
Mods Group of teenagers emerging in 1960s, well-groomed and
styled hair – fierce rivals to the Rockers
Rockers Alternative group, rode motorcycles and leather. Clashed
violently with the Mods on the south coast in 1964.
Protest
During the 1960s, teenagers with money but nothing to do
became politically active and often protested against the
government.
Blitz The bombing of major UK cities between 1940-1
Blockade The ‘blocking’ of ports, used in war to starve a country in
to giving up.
Rationing The restriction of food/clothes during war to make sure
everyone has enough
Pacifism The refusal to use violence & war to settle disputes
Decade Details about experiences W
WII
The Blitz: Children caught in the Blitz faced constant fear of enemy bombs in
cities. 40,000 British people had been killed, including 5,000 children. 1.4
million people had lost their homes. This culture of fear affected many
children for their whole lives.
Diets: As the Germans blockaded British ports, rationing was introduced to
preserve the food supply to the country. People had to eat food they
normally wouldn’t have done – such as offal or whale meat. Amounts were
pretty small and treats like sweets were rare. Playing fields were used to
grow crops.
19
50
s
The early years were a struggle, bomb damage and rationing continued.
Teenagers: Were just like their parents, they stayed at home a listened to the
radio. The economy was booming after the war and teenagers found it easy
to get work and were often allowed to keep the money they made. This
allowed them to develop a separate identity to their parents in music &
fashion, especially after 1955 and the introduction of rock n roll & Elvis
Presley.
19
60
/70
s
Science: the development of the contraceptive pill in 1960 and new fabrics
allowed teenagers to experiment, often to the upset of older people.
Economics: teenagers continued to have plenty of money & companies
marketed their products aggressively to them. New products were made. 5
million teenagers spent £800 million on themselves.
Politics: teenagers were increasingly influenced by radical politics, like
feminism, communism & pacifism. Students protested about the Vietnam
War (1966) & held the Summer of Love in London in 1969.
Cultural: a great time of experimentation, in music, lifestyle & fashion.
Cities became multi-cultural. Rolling Stones, Beatles were popular. Twiggy
was a famous model.
Individuals: key people set fashion trends (Twiggy), musicians (Mick
Jagger), authors (Germaine Greer), poets, playwrights and designers (Mary
Quant).
Key Acts Provision
1945 Family
Allowances Act
Gave families 5 shillings per child per week.
1946
National
Insurance Act
Benefits for any worker who was
unemployed, injured or sick.
National Health
Service Act
The NHS was set up in 1948 & gave free
healthcare to all.
1947 Town & Country
Planning Act
Cleared slum houses & bomb damaged
properties. Relocated many of the poorest
cities to ‘new towns’ such as Milton Keynes.
1948 Children’s Act Local Councils required to set up services to
protect children.
1949 Housing Act A massive programme of building hew
housing to meet the latest specifications.