Civilian Life During WWI
The effect that World War I had upon civilians was devastating. WWI was a war that affected civilians on an unprecedented scale. Civilians became a military target. The economic impact of WWI meant that there were shortages of all produce, most importantly food. Living standards plummeted, and the post-war economic state of Europe was at mid 19th century levels. During the war, 8 to 10 million soldiers were killed in battle, and 22 million were injured. In 1918, immediately after the war, there was a epidemic of influenza. The total amount of deaths from the disease after a year were on the same scale as the number of deaths from the "Black death" epidemic in the middle ages. his meant that nearly every family lost someone. Population losses were enormous. The media glorified the war and many men joined in, leaving their families to fend for themselves.
Role Of Women During WWIWorld War One also had a large impact upon the role of Women. With all the men at war as soldiers, Women began working for a living. This became crucial in 1915, as the munitions crisis began. Not only were women working in factories and coal mines, they were called upon to tackle yet another issue. After the German submarine blockade in 1917, Britain was unable to import goods-including food. The Women's Land Army was formed in 1917. They strove to maximize the country's outcome, and to feed the nation. During the war not only did the men suffer, but the women had to take on the role of the men at home as well as their role of looking after the children and the household.
PropagandaPropaganda is the aim of getting people to believe your side of the story, which was used numerous times throughout WWI. The role of Propaganda was to make people feel like cowards if they didn't go to war, so by doing this men would be more inclined to join.
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Vera Brittain:
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