Transcript So, would you fight?

Volunteering and conscription
in Britain in World War I
• All will be able to explain
how and why the
government encouraged
people to volunteer to fight
in WWI
• Most will be able to
describe the conscription
laws passed in WWI
• Some will be able to explain
how conscientious objectors
were treated in WWI
Reasons for the First World War
Causes of WWI
Description
Political rivalry
There was rivalry between nations
in Europe which led to competing
alliances being formed.
Economic rivalry
The arms race
Territorial expansion
The aims of the Kaiser
British involvement
Use page 90-91 to BRIEFLY summarise the 6
main reasons for Britain fighting World War I
Why did Britain need to recruit
soldiers at the beginning of the war?
In 1914 the
British army was
250,000 strong...
In 1914 the
German army was
1,850,000 strong...
Volunteering
• List all the reasons you
can think of why men
volunteered to join the
armed forces between
1914-1916
• What were ‘Pals
Battalions’ and why
were they so popular?
The recruitment quiz. Would you
have volunteered?
You are about to see a series of real World
War I recruiting posters. You have to decide
whether they would persuade you to join
the army and risk your life for King and
country
Go with your gut instinct, and have a look
at what your friends are putting...
Patriotism- Would you fight
because you love your country?
Heroism- Would you fight to gain glory and
help win a famous victory?
Hatred of the enemy- Would you fight
because the enemy are nasty?
Guilt- Would you fight because you were
made to feel guilty for not fighting?
Shame & embarrassment- Would you
fight if you were publicly humiliated?
So, would you fight?
By 1915 recruitment had slowed
and losses had increased...
Conscription
• Why did the government
need to introduce
conscription in 1916?
• How did they introduce
conscription?
August 1915
The government registered
the names of all single (and
later) married men. This
meant they had a list of
people who could be asked
to fight if needed.
January 1916
May 1916
• Who was exempt from
conscription?
Conscientious objectors
• If men refused to fight
they were labelled
cowards
• They were often
humiliated in public
• Some were even sent
to prison
• These men were
branded as cowards
for life
Summary
In 1914 Britain had to recruit a mass army
for the first time in its history. Initially
volunteering provided enough men, but by
1916 conscription was necessary to ensure
the supply of men remained constant. By
1918 over 6 million men had volunteered
or were conscripted into the armed forces.
Homework: Create your own Propaganda
Poster
Using the work you have completed in this lesson, design a
poster to persuade someone to join up to the army.
What should a good propaganda poster do?
•Persuade people to join up
How?
•By making them feel guilty
•By making the war seem like fun
•By making them think it was their duty
•By offering them something they would want e.g. money or work,