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Britain Protecting Civilians from German Zeppelin airships
Aerial warfare revolutionised during WW1. Although the plane, innovated by the Wright Brothers, had only been invented eleven years before World War 1, technology was being developed at a faster pace than ever. One of the most common and famous uses of aerial warfare was the Zeppelin airship attacks on Britain by Germany. Zeppelin airships were invented in 1900 by Count von Zeppelin.
These airships were technically “lighter than air” because were filled with hydrogen. They also had space for many bombs (upto 2 tonnes according to nationalarchives.gov.uk), had a steel framework and space for many passengers. Germany army used this technology to raid civilian areas in Britain. At first there were many civilian deaths due to this aerial warfare technology. (For example during a raid on June 13 1917, in “London and Kent 162 people were killed, including 18 children at an East End school.” (mylearning.org) Through the duration of the war, Germany had launched over 50 attacks on Britain. (history.com).
On the Ground
When Britain realised the impact of these raids, they developed lots of defense methods and by 1916 were quite advanced. They gained an understanding about intercepting radio messages so that they could predict when the next attack would be. On the ground, governments enforced nation-wide blackouts and put more searchlights, observing posts and started using more anti-aircraft guns, which are guns designed to bring down enemy airships.
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The British government also protected by civilians by providing air raid shelters. The most popular ones were underground stations. A scientist by the name of JBS Halden estimated around 300,000 had used these as air raid shelters.
In the Air
The military also enhanced aircrafts making them better suited for night fighting and trained more pilots to fight in the night. They also developed two different kinds of new bullets. The first one known as explosive bullets created big holes in the zeppelin meaning that oxygen would go into the aircraft. The second kind of bullets, known as incendiary bullets, could set the hydrogen gas of the Zeppelins on fire and send the airship on fire. The guns that were developed were more advanced and one example is the Lewis gun. They assigned 12 units and 110 planes just around London that were assigned to air security.
The British defenses were so successful that 77/115 (or 66%) of the Zeppelins had been shot down/ deactivated. (encyclopedia.1914-1918.com)
Women during WW1
Social Factors have to do with how people have to do with each other within society (either as equals or as inferiors/superiors). One of the biggest social barriers overcome during WW1 was how women were perceived. Women in the 1900’s were expected to be homemakers and peaceful however women contributed greatly to the war, whether directly or indirectly. The government supported women by supporting them when they were taking roles that were otherwise considered as a man’s responsibility.
In the War
An example of a women soldier is Flora Sandes. On August 12, 1914, she left London with 36 other nurses to Serbia to join the Serbian Red Cross. Soon she was active on the battlefield, and was only a nurse when there was no active fighting. The army and here fellow soldiers embraced her presence and after no time, they were calling her brother. In June 1919, a Serbian act of Parliament made her the first female to be appointed in the Serbian Army.
Another Example of a pioneering women is Lorreta Perfuctus Walsh who was the first female to ever serve in the US armed forces and having a role that was something other than being a nurse. She became a Navy officer and was inaugurated by Chief Yeoman. Many women joined soon after and by the end of World War 1, 11,274 women were enlisted and they all earned the same status the men had. So all thought they had the Yeomen or non-commissioned title, they still had the same jobs as them men and earned the same salary as them.
They even had a Womens Defence Relief Corps in Britain with huge support from influential members of society such as Lord Kitchener and Lord Roberts who were the presidents of WRA. The organization had two main missions. The first part, named the Civil section, aimed to replacing men. Women went under diligent training and learnt things such as marching, scouting and how to use weapons. The second part was teaching women to be support systems. They meant this psychologically supporting men through their trauma and helping them understand the importance of defending their country.
The Russian Government created 15 battalions that were female-only battalions. They were quite successful and had captured around 200 hostages and only lost a few victims.
Many women also served as doctors or nurses. According to the world war.org, there were more than 3,000 american nurses in more than 750 hospitals in france (that were managed by Britain) in mid 1918. An example of the government supporting these women was an organisation called The Medical Women’s National Association and they did things like collect funds to send their own doctors abroad to volunteer in Red Cross hospitals.
The Home Front
The government also supported women who wanted to participate in the war indirectly. According to BBC.co.uk, “approximately 80,000 women served in the three British women’s forces as non-combatants.”
Nations also supported women who had to run their households when the main income source, or the men were fighting. They implemented things called “separation allowance” where government finances were paid directly to families. An example of this is in Germany where the local and state governments organised funds for families. According to encyclopedia.1914.1918.com., “by the end of 1915 about 4 million families received such aid.”
Italy began in early 1915 and even financially supported women who weren’t married as long as they could prove that they were dependent on a man who was fighting in the war. The French plan was slightly different and more need-based. Children who were below the age of 13, were already eligible whereas adults had to prove that their primary income source was of a man who was at war. Australia and many other places too had a War Pension.
Women also were heavily involved on the HomeFront. According to the worldwar.org, in 1917, there were 1.4 million female employees in Germany and 4.7 million in Britain. These jobs included working in factories that produced war essentials, agriculture industry or been things like being stock traders.
