Page 40 - All About History - Issue 12-14

What was it like?

LONDON, 1915

Finance
GDP was on the rise in 1915
and would increase by around
14 per cent between the war’s
beginning and end. While the rise
of industries like shipbuilding and
munitions also helped – coupled
with what was saved by food
rationing – the UK was forced to Art
borrow heavily from the US.
Much of the art during
this period was heavily
The Royal Exchange, situated
in the heart of London influenced by the war and
much propaganda was
Discover what life was like produced. Films like The
Battle Of The Somme in
in a city in the grip of a 1916 were very popular
United and writers like HG Wells
war like nothing the world
Kingdom O and Rudyard Kipling
London O wrote government-
had ever seen before assigned pieces.

ritain in 1915 was a far cry from the being mobilised to contribute in the most efficient
representative democracy it is today, with manner possible.
women being denied the same voting rights Although this state of total war wasn’t as
allotted to their male counterparts and pronounced as it would be in WWII, with the
Bsociety very much divided by class. The damage caused by the Zeppelins and along
first-ever industrialised war saw millions of soldiers some costal towns by the German Navy not as
sent abroad to fight but the German Zeppelin raids widespread or destructive as the Blitz, it was still
on the capital ensured that for the first time in an uncertain and terrifying time for the country.
modern history, the whole country was at conflict; London itself was the hub of the war effort, with
no one was really safe. As such, the entire nation events like the 1915 Treaty of London (which saw
was geared toward the war effort, with virtually Italy join the Allies) highlighting its importance not Patriotic propaganda was used to
all of the country’s population and resources just to Britain, but Europe as a whole. encourage women to aid the war effort
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