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The Bristish government launched a massive recruitment of men for the war. 500,000 recuited in one month.
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Government have special powers (it was clear that the goverment would need these from very early on), can take over industry and land and can now censor newspapers.
links to social as it was used to help morale e.g. would monitor letters that were being sent back from the front line. -
Shortage of shells.The 'shell scandal' led to the press threateing to withdraw its support and to pubically expose the shortges. The Conservativs said that if this happened then they would have no alterative but to condemn the government (vote of no confi) as a result, in May 1915, Asquith and other Liberal leaders agreed to form a coalition with the Concervatives. After the Shell Crisis The Ministry of Muntions under Lloyd George was set up to reorganise British's munitions supply, July 1915.
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Article in the Times released a article saying that troops couldn't make head way due to lack of shells.
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The Liberals formed a coalition government with Labour and the Conservatives. In order to control the growing crisis, that was the war. Bonar Law became Colonial Secretary, Balfour replaced Chruchill at the Admiralty and Lloyde George took over as head of the new Ministry of Munitions.
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The WSPU orgnsid a great rally to demonstrate women's support for the war. Pankhurst met with Lloyd George and they came to a agreement on womens roles within the war. Women were allowed into a larger scale of jobs with fair minimum wage.
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Government came to an agreement wih the trade unions so that women in the workplace would be paid the same as men "until sufficient male Labour should be avaliable".
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Conscription for single men 18-40 introduced. Very controversial within the Liberal party as they believed in individual freedom, however due to recruitment falling to 55,000 per month Asquith reluctantly introduced conscription. Conscription was pushed by Lloyd George, who was now Minister for War.
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Conscription extended to married men.
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Many British soldiers killed but the government continued with the offensive.
This had a devastating effect on morale as many called it the lost generation and found it difficult to justify that 88,000 allied men lost their lives for every mile gained -
British suffered around 420,000 casualties, the French 195,000 and the Germans around 650,000.
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The release of a new feature film all about the Battle of the Somme.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krT1lX_Dvm0 -
Somme was called off but disasterous as little land was gained and half a million British casualties, eventhough aims were met it took a very long time and cost lots of lives.
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Many of the public were unhappy about the way the generals were running the war! this would have have reflected badly on the government.
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Lloyd George was unhappy about the way that the war was going and when he took over from Asquith he reorganised the Goverment to focus on the war effort. He set up two Ministries (of food and labour) to deal with supplys.
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Small War Cabinate- Lloyd George, Bonar Law, Carson
Asquith agrees to plan but then rejects it.
Causes all to resign, need to get a new prime minster. First offered to Bonar Law but Asquith refuses to serve under him. Lloyde George becoms priminster with the support from the Conservatives, Labour and 100 Liberal MPs however other Liberal MPs still remain loyal to Asquith. A divide emerges. -
It interupted the importation of goods. Lloyd George introduced the convoy system. He pushed it through by himslef and it was seen of as his most decisive achievement of the war. Due ot this system loses were reduced and less than one per cent of ships travelling in a convoy were lost. Shipyards were able to replace losses without difficulty - supply exceeded losses by mid 1918.
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German U-boats sinking (one in four) British merchant ships causing low food supoly in Britain.Under DORA the goverment took over two and a half million acres of farming land in order to feed Britian. This would mean less luxury goods that had to be imported (such as sugar).
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When the Rationing scheme was introduced it failed and caused longer food queues. Food prices continued to rise.
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Parliment passed a bill giving women the right to vote, in general elections, if they were over 30.
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Government introduce compulsory rationing in London and Southern Britain.
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Armistice signed!! War over
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In the general election women over 30 get the chance to vote for the first time.
