Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 1

www.explaininghistory.

com

The British Home Front during World War Two.


The War At Sea: Britain was dependent on her food and fuel from other countries and from her empire. Key Question: How did this make the British vulnerable to the Germans? What did the Germans do at sea to try to win the war? Fear of Attack from the Air: Before war began, many people realised that Britain was no long kept safe by the sea alone. In Spain, China and in Abyssinia in the previous ten years, horrifying attacks from aircraft against cities had been big news around the world. The British feared that they were next and that poisoned gas would be used. What could Britain have done to prepare for this? Hitlers plans: Hitler didnt expect Britain to take part in the war and hoped she would give up. He planned to invade in 1940 but when he couldnt defeat the RAF he decided to change tactics. He wanted to make life unbearable for British people so they would get rid of Churchill. What methods do you think he used to achieve this?

Rationing: Food shortages due to the war meant that every family in the country was issued with a ration card and had just enough food to survive. Many families were encouraged to grow their own food and keep chickens and rabbits. Was this likely to work in the long term?

Evacuation: To keep children safe many were evacuated from the big cities to the countryside and sent to stay with strangers. Many went with their teachers and many were homesick and alone. Some found that country living was a lot nicer than the city. Why do you think this might be?

The Blitz: Hitlers airforce, the Luftwaffe, heavily bombed British cities and killed nearly 60,000 people. They attacked industry and docklands. Why? Did this ground the British people down as he had hoped for, or did it have a different result?

Page 1

You might also like