Zeppelins

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German zeppelins bombed towns on the East Coast in January 1915. London was also hit later in the same year. Aircraft replaced the zeppelins during the later stages of the war. Propaganda supporting the British war effort often used these raids to their advantage: one recruitment poster claimed “This ^* only strengthens Great Britain’s resolve to crush the German Barbarians.”

Recruitment and Conscription

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In the early stages of the war, many men, fuelled by false promises of glory, decided to “join up” to the armed forces: in August 1914 alone, half a million signed up to fight. Recruitment remained fairly steady through 1914 and early 1915, but fell dramatically during the later years, especially after the failure of the Somme campaign, which resulted in 500,000 casualties. As a result, conscription was introduced in January 1916 and extended in May to all men aged 18-40.

Rationing

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Rationing was introduced due to food shortage and undernutrition. There were severe penalties.

DORA (Defence of the Realm Act)

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The government passed DORA on 8th August 1915, soon after the outbreak of war. It gave the government wide-ranging powers during the war, including: - The right to take any land or buildings needed - Controlling information (censorship) - Taking over important industries.

History of the United Kingdom