Era of the Great War

• The Era of the Great War saw many Scots join the army due to Britain's small army compared to Germany.
• Lord Kitchener was given the job of creating a volunteer army.
• Scots volunteered in massive numbers and many lied about their age to do so.
• There were many reasons why young men joined up, including for a job and money, escaping poverty, patriotism, government recruitment posters, peer pressure, chance to travel, and chance to have an adventure.
• The First World War quickly became a war of attrition, with both sides trying to wear down the other.
• The main tactic used by the British military was to bombard the enemy with artillery fire and then send the troops 'over the top' towards enemy lines.
• The Scottish general Douglas Haig, Commander of the British forces during the war, has been heavily criticised for persisting with this tactic when it was so expensive in human life.
• Others argue that this strategy exhausted the German army and was ultimately responsible for the British victory.
• The Battle of Loos was famous for the involvement of Scots soldiers, including the use of gas against British soldiers for the first time, with five Scots awarded top medals for their bravery, and very high numbers of Scottish deaths.
• The Battle of the Somme saw the British decide to launch a massive attack on the Germans at the River Somme, to relieve the terrible pressure on the French at Verdun.
• The plan for the Battle of the Somme involved bombing the Germans with artillery for 7 days and 7 nights, using spotter planes to accurately target attacks on the Germans, and shelling to destroy the German barbed wire and trenches.
• Suffragists were a group who worked peacefully to try to get women the vote.
• After the war, many women lost their jobs as men returned from fighting.
• David Lloyd George could set up new factories or take over existing ones.
• Suffragists wrote letters, held meetings, and put up posters.
• The work that women did during the war is seen as one of the key reasons for women over 30 being given the vote in 1918.
• Guy Fawkes night bonfires were banned during the First World War.
• An MP called David Lloyd George was given the job of ensuring Britain had enough munitions to fight the war.
• Many women worked as nurses and treated soldiers injured at the frontline.
• German U-Boats sank many British ships bringing in food, leading to food shortages.
• Women had been campaigning for the vote before the war but this stopped and their concentration was on the war effort instead.
• After the numbers volunteering to fight started to drop, the Government introduced a law that meant all British men aged 18 - 40 were to join the army.
• Women also worked in many different types of factories.
• Many women worked in the munitions industry, a dangerous and important job.
• By 1917 food prices were rising fast and people were panic buying.
• The First World War brought many changes to women, including more independence and new opportunities.
• Many women worked in the Land Army, when women from towns and cities were recruited to go and work on farms to help produce food.
• Rationing was eventually brought in to ensure everyone got the same share of food every week.
• Many conscientious objectors refused conscription because of religious reasons and had to explain their reasons in front of tribunals.
• He could also control the railways and supplies of coal.
• The Government had to take more control of the economy to ensure the country was able to fight the war.
• Conscription was introduced in 1916 and meant that men were forced to join the army by law.
• Pub opening hours were limited and beer was made less alcoholic during WW1.
• German dugouts in their trenches were quite solid and kept many soldiers protected.
• German weapons not destroyed.
• In total 1 million men were killed from all sides.
• Fighting at the Somme continued for 5 months.
• Many shells were duds.
• Gas in WW1 was seen as a way of breaking the stalemate.
• Gas attacks in WW1 could not be avoided and soldiers often died from them.