6th March

How did the First World War change British society?

The Great War involved most of the adult population either 'head on' or discretely. On average, 6 million men served in Britain's armed forces during the course of the war. Many millions of innocent civilians had their lives affects to the overall changes, both economic and social that the war caused or added to. The impact of the war varied greatly between the different regions of the sommunity. There were many differences and considerations ; these being gender and social class, so it is had to dinstinguish and measure the war's exact impact on people's attitudes, beliefs and values.

Firstly, there was a significant impact on social classes. For the working class, the war gave the chance of full employment for all, and good money was able to be made. Essentials for all people were controlled and these factors all together, along with rationing meant that the percent of people in extreme poverty decreased by the end of the war. The middle and upper class, had reduction in their living standards, and the landed classes were affected by the death rate of the younger members of thearmy, as most of them were from higher class families, and by having to pay more in tax. Also, many landowners had to sell their properties - 25% of land holdings in England were sold between 1917 and 1921.

As well as these factors, the war affected social mobility, causing a significant increase. Class divisions were not broken, but the deaths that occured brought the classes together in events such as memorials and rituals of rememberance.


http://www.studymode.com/essays/How-Did-The-First-World-War-197651.html 
(7/3/213)

This article immediately tells us that the working class were able to get lots more jobs and the barriers between the classes were dropped. it also tells us about the fact that the middle and upper class lost lots of thier possessions and land and this also would have meant that they came more to the level with the lower class. It seems that as soon as you are in war together with different classes and you are dying side by side the differences don't seem to make so much different. This was so different for people at this time as the different people never were usually associated together. (downton)