History RECOVERY

• Britain had lost how much of its total wealth?

  30%
• How many shops/factories and housing destroyed?

  1/2 of shops and factories. 1/3 of housing
• Who designed the plan for demobilisation?

  Ernest Bevin
• In the 18 months after June 1945, how many men and women had been demobbed?

  4.3 million
• How did Labour deal with the problems of the time?

  The Beveridge Report, written by Sir William Beveridge in 1942
• What were the Five Giants?

  Want, ignorance, disease, squalor and idleness
• How many people welcomed the Beveridge Report's proposals?

  9/10. Only the Daily Telegraph rejected proposals
• The Welfare State did what?

  Looked after the poorest people in society 'from the cradle to the grave
• Name an Act which attacked each of the 5 Giants:

  Nationalisation (I), 1946 National Insurance Act (W), 1946 New Towns Act (S), 1944 Education Act (I) and 1946 National Heath Service Act (D)
• Who was responsible for the creation of the NHS?

  Aneurin Bevan
• In 1945, only ____% of the population were covered for free medical treatment

  Around 1/2
• Within 4 months of war, the government had set up ____ new operating theatres, _____ of __________ hospital beds and a blood transfusion service.

  1000/ tens of thousands
• In 1948, how many doctors were initially against joining the NHS?

  Approx 90%
• Following another vote, doctors joined the NHS. Bevan said he ensured the start of the service by doing what?

  'Stuffing [the consultants'] mouths with gold
• What was the launch day of the NHS and how much of the population had signed up?

  5th July 1948, 75% already signed up
• Two months after the NHS's introduction, how much of the population were signed up and how many doctors were on board?

  93% of public enrolled. 90% of doctors on board.
• In the first year the NHS cost £248 million, almost how much more than estimated?

  140 million
• 2 million pounds were put aside to pay for free spectacles- how many people needed them?

  Over 5 million
• By the time Labour left office in 1951, annual costs were almost how much?

  500 million
• The number of prescriptions increased each year until it reached how much in 1951?

  229 million
• The Education Act of 1944 split schools into 3 types:

  Grammar, technical and modern
• The Homes for All policy built how many new homes between 1945-1951

  1.2 million
• Nationalisation compensation paid out totalled a sum of how much?

  2.7 billion
• What 3 industries were nationalised?

  Coal (1947), Transport (1948) and Electricity (1947)
• Unemployment had been reduced by how much by 1946?

  2.5%
• How many people had been employed in newly nationalised industries?

  1/10 people (10%)
• Explain why the Labour Party lost the 1951 General Election

  Taxes had risen to pay forbthe Welfare State, nationalism and the Korean War.

  Rationing was still going on

  Some of labour's leading politicians had died retired or simply ran out of energy. Many felt the party had achieved all it could. Churchill was also proven to be a wartime leader
• when was the summary of the Beveridge Report made? what was it called ? how many were sold ?

  In December 1942

  named the Social Insurance and Allied Services

  Over 635,000 copies sold in 2 weeks

  9/10 people welcomed the proposals
• Council house provision was shaped by the New Town act of _

  1946
• When the Labour government came into power they originally planned to build _ prefabricated homes with _ years within budget of _ million.

  However, they ended up building _ new homes between _ to _ of which _ were prefabs

  300,000

  10

  £150 million

  1.2 million

  1945 to 1951

  156,623
• successes of the NHS established by the Labour government

  5 million people were given glasses in the first year, millions visited the dentist in order to get their teeth extracted.

  It provided free healthcare for the poorest people in society to see a doctor.

  huge legacy
• Labour's housing policies after 1945

  'Homes for all' promised to build 300,000 homes

  Prefabricated houses were built as they were cheap and quick to construct

  Aneurin Bevan was the Minister for Health and Housing

  1.2 million homes were built more than originally promised but not enough. Still a huge need for housing in 1951
• Labour strengths

  Labour party had been winning parliamentary seats before the war.

  Labour had support over the Conservatives and by 1943 their lead was between 10-20%

  Trade Unions played a key role in the war and promoted the standing of the Labour Party

  The war changed people's attitudes towards the class system. The Labour Party promoted allowing all people to access opportunities.

  Labours key leaders had all helped during war Clement Attlee, Ernest Bevin, Herbert Morrison were progressive and popular with the people
• Socialist reasons why Labour won 1945 election

  Socialism was not seen as threatening as it had been in the 1920s after the Russian revolution. During the wa the coalition wartime government had intervened and controlled peoples lives and people got used to it

  Socialism was seen in a good light because if the role Russia had played in the war.
• what did the vengeance weapons do?


  out of 10,492 flying bombs only 2,419 actually hit London

  They caused extensive damage to a number of buildings
• Nationalisation of coal industries 


  January 1947

  Industry most in need of government help

  850 coalmine owners compensated with £164 million

  Great success - coal production rose significantly 1946-1951
• The Beveridge Report said that there were 'Five evil giants'. what laws were put in place to tackle them?


  Want- 1946 - National insurance Act

  Ignorance - 1946 - Education Act (First passed in 1944)

  Disease - 1948 - National Health Insurance Act

  Idleness - 1948 - Employment and Training Act, Nationalisation

  Squalor - 1946 Housing Act & New towns Act
• Failures of the NHS

  cost £248 million in its first year - almost 140 million more than had been estimated

  The number of free prescriptions reached 229 million. By 1951 the annual cost of the NHS was 500 million.

  The Labour government were forced to introduce a charge for dental treatment because of the huge cost. This caused Aneurin Bevan to resign.