Practices_Socio-Eco-Pol

The role and status of women on the homefronttoc

The contribution made towards the war effort by civilians on the home front The use and effects of propaganda in World War Two The social and economic impact of the war on combatant countries.

Past exam questions

 * Compare and contrast the political and economic impact of the First World War on two European powers.
 * Compare and contrast political and economic problems, between 1919 and 1939, in two of the following: France, Germany, Great Britain.

=__ TOTAL WAR __=

World War 2 can be considered the "quintessential total war of modernity". WW2 featured total war by all powers involved with the dedication of all national resources for the war effort but also with unrestricted warfare with the targeting of civilians.

__Rationing:__
Rationing was introduced for most goods and services. This led to all manufactured items being used effectively. Factories were also rationed meaning that items such as munitions were able to be prioritized to take full advantage of resources and the situation. This enabled Britain maintain their mobilization of all national resources for the war effort in order to last for a long time in the state of war.

__Conscription:__
Men in Britain were conscripted to the war effort, mainly the armed forces, from the beginning of the war. Furthermore, women were also 'conscripted' into such roles as the 'Land Girls' to help with farming goods. The mobilization of all these people, on the home front or on the fields of battle helped the British war effort through the continuous support for the goal.

__Evacuation:__
The dedication to total war by opposing powers such as through bombing meant that civilians were under threat. As a result, children were evacuated from large cities such as London and relocated across the country. This led to children being relocated to different parents, often of different class.

Total war in Britain led to the straining of the economy however it allowed Britain to last the war.

__Attack on Japan:__
Total war was seen by the US through their attacks on Japanese people such as through the fire bombing of Japan and the dropping of the atomic bomb.

__Mobilization:__
Many people and resources in US mobilized towards the war effort. Scientists and mathematicians were used for bomb development and technological and weapon advancements. Women often worked in heavy industry. Furthermore, factories typically used for non-essential items were utilized for the war effort such as munitions manufacturing. The dedication to the war effort led to some of the most successful and productive factories ever in USA. Able men between the age of 18 and 30 were conscripted for the war effort "for the duration" of the war. This extensive mobilization of all the countries resources led to the US being successful in the war and allowed the US to come out of the war less strained as allies such as Britain.

Germany:
Germany policy in the war was geared up for a short term conflict. Because of this, the concept of 'total war' was not accepted until Feb 1943 with a speech from Joseph Goebbels demanding national support. Prior to this the mind set of a short-term war handicapped the Germans and led to under-productivity in factories for war essential items like munitions. In mid-1943, after operation Barbarossa Germany began to nationalize the war effort to increase armament however peak production did not occur until mid 1944. Having said this, Women were never dedicated towards the war effort in Germany unlike other powers with many women working in factories. German perspective was that women should stay in the home. Similarly to WW1, women made many advances and played a vital part in this country’s success in World War Two. However, once the war was over the status of women was greatly reduced when the soldiers returned from fighting abroad. Women performed jobs at home and also on the front line, such as nursing, entertaining, farming, mechanics just to name a few. It was a changing time for all women.

=__**Women**__=

As men went off to fight on the front line, specially chosen airwomen were trained for police duties in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). They had to be quick-witted, intelligent and observant. They trained at the RAF police school which before WW2 was a male dominated academy. This image depicts a WAAF demonstrating self-defence.
 * WAAF**

The women’s land army was re-formed in 1939. The Women's Land Army (WLA) was a British civilian organisation created during the First and Second World Wars to work in agriculture replacing men called up to the military. Women who worked for the WLA were commonly known as Land Girls. It was advertised as a glamorous occupation and way to help your nation however in reality it was hard labour. The WLA was crucial to stimulating agriculture during ww2 and was a great step for women as they gained respect as well as learning new skills and becoming independent. Many women decided that they would work in a factory. They worked in all manner of production ranging from making ammunition to uniforms to aeroplanes. The hours they worked were long and some women had to move to where the factories were. Those who moved away were paid more. Skilled women could earn £2.15 a week. To them this must have seemed a lot. But men doing the same work were paid more. In fact, it was not unknown for unskilled men to get more money than skilled female workers. This led to strikes and a general movement towards fairer pay for women.
 * Women’s Land Army and Factories**

In the military, all three services were open for women to join - the army, air force and navy. Women were also appointed as air raid wardens. The recruiting posters were once again glamorous but in reality the jobs were not. Many women worked in mess halls, cooking and acting as cleaners. By July 1942, the ATS had 217,000 women in it. As the war dragged on, women in the ATS were allowed to do more exciting jobs such as become welders (unheard of in ‘civvie’ street), carpenters, electricians, and telephone operations and nursing etc.
 * The Auxiliary Territorial Service **

The two most famous female entertainer of the war were Vera Lynn (now Dame Vera Lynn) and Gracie Fields. They were very important for boosting the moral of soldiers and it was a new and exciting experience for those women.
 * Entertainment**

The war in Europe ended in May 1945. At this time there were 460,000 women in the military and over 6.5 million in civilian war work. Without their contribution, our war effort would have been severely weakened and it is probable that we would not have been able to fight to our greatest might without the input from women. Ironically, in Nazi Germany, Hitler had forbidden German women to work in German weapons factories as he felt that a woman’s place was at home. His most senior industry advisor, Albert Speer, pleaded with Hitler to let him use German female workers but right up to the end, Hitler refused. Hitler was happy for captured foreign women to work as slaves in his war factories but not German. Many of these slave workers, male and female, deliberately sabotaged the work that they did - so in their own way they helped the war effort of the Allies.
 * End of the war**


 * Past exam questions**
 * 1) To what extent has any twentieth century war changed the role of women?
 * 2) Explain the impact of war on two of the following: women, the arts, the media.
 * 3) In what ways have wars a) causes suffering and hardship to women and b) helped promote women’s equality? Specific evidence must be given from at least two regions.
 * 4) War causes more suffering to women than to men.” War liberates women.”Using evidence from at least two wars explain which statement you consider is more appropriate.
 * 5) In what ways, and with what results, did the daily life and status of women change during the nineteenth century? Specific evidence should be given from one or more European countries.

=Propaganda in WW2=

Media:
Posters, Books, Magazines, Comics, Radio, Movies, Newspapers

The U.S. used posters more than any other type of propaganda media, and produced more propaganda posters than any other country fighting in World War II. Almost 200,000 different designs were printed during the war.

These posters used a number of themes to encourage support for the war, including conservation, production, recruiting, home efforts and secrecy.Posters were usually placed in areas without paid advertisements. The most common areas were post offices, railroad stations, schools, restaurants and retail stores. Smaller posters were printed for the windows of private homes and apartment buildings.These were places where other propaganda media couldn't be used.

During World War 2 propaganda was used to encourage support for the war and determination to an Allied victory. Propaganda created a feeling of hate of the enemy and immense support for America’s allies. Propaganda influenced the public to give as much as they could to the war effort. Patriotism became the main theme of advertising throughout the course of the war.The war consolidated the advertising industry's role in American society, deflecting earlier criticism.

Propaganda depicted unsettling situations of war such as American children being abused by Hitler and feel obligated to buy war bonds.

American propaganda was:

• Anti-Italian: Depicted Mussolini as a dictator.

• Anti-Japanese: Depicted them as ruthless with a history of the desire to conquest the seas.

Propaganda escalated the war into what is was, it encouraged men all over the world to fight for their country in a sense of nationalism. Propaganda was a prominent tool which encouraged patriotism.

=Holocaust= People were being sent to concentration camps as early as 1933. At first, the camps were all in Germany and were used for the undesirables (Communists, Democrats, Socialists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, political prisoners, homosexuals and Jews. The deaths camps were always intended specifically for Jewish people, the Nazis created them specifically to exterminate the Jews. As Nazism spread throughout Europe, the amount of Jews deported to concentration and deaths camps increased. From 1939 to 1941, people were being deported in Austria, Hungary and France. During Hitler’s rule of Germany, there were more than100 concentration camps within Europe. The prisoners were used as workers, but their lives were worthless to all officials. Most people died of exhaustion and exposure, only being fed a piece of bread and a small amount of soup caused many other to die from malnutrition and starvation. There was absolutely no medical care and anyone sick or weak was left to die. Many people, mostly children, were killed by doctors who conducted barbaric medical experiments on them. Polish ghettos were another Nazi creation. To get the Lebensraum Hitler wanted from Poland, it was necessary that he got rid of the Jews living in the Polish country. The Nazis forced the Jewish population into sections of cities, which they would then not be allowed to leave. Each Ghetto had a Jewish council called the Judenraf, this group was responsible for ensuring that people followed the Nazi policies. The living conditions were terrible. The people were deprived of food, medical care and the basic necessities of life. Many people died of malnutrition, disease and hunger. Ghettos were only temporary and it was intended that all inhabitants would be transferred to concentration or death camps to be killed. The persecution of Jews by the Germans wasn’t directly linked to them losing the war, but was an indirect factor.  = Quiz Questions:= What was Total War like in WW2 in Germany? What did women do to aid the war effort? Why did the Nazis believe in Anti-Semitism?