Explore the Home Front during the First World War, including civilian life, recruitment, rationing, women, propaganda, censorship, opposition to the war and the effects of the conflict on British society.
Britain’s war workers during the First World War
Home Front
The First World War transformed life in Britain as the government, armed forces, industry and civilian population adapted to the demands of total war. The Home Front included recruitment and conscription, rationing, industrial mobilisation, propaganda and censorship, changing roles for women, conscientious objection, political tensions and the direct experience of war in British towns and cities.
Recruitment and Conscription
Britain initially relied on voluntary recruitment before introducing conscription as the demands of the war increased. Recruitment campaigns encouraged men to join the armed forces, while conscription changed the relationship between military service and civilian life.
Rationing and Recruitment · Conscientious Objectors
Rationing and Everyday Life
The war placed pressure on food supplies, trade and household resources. Rationing and other measures affected everyday life as Britain attempted to maintain supplies for the civilian population and armed forces.
War Economy and Industry
Britain’s economy was reorganised to support the war, with industry, workers and resources increasingly directed towards military production.
Women and the First World War
The war changed the roles available to women as large numbers entered employment and undertook work previously associated with men. The experience of women also connected the war with wider political changes, including the campaign for women’s suffrage.
Changing Role of Women · Votes for Women
Propaganda and Censorship
The government and other organisations used propaganda to influence public opinion, encourage recruitment and maintain support for the war. Censorship restricted the circulation of some information and shaped what people in Britain could read about the conflict.
Public Reaction and the Experience of War
The outbreak of war produced large public gatherings and demonstrations of support, but the experience of the conflict changed as casualties mounted and the demands of wartime life increased.
Outbreak of War and Public Reaction
The Irish Question and Easter Rising
The unresolved question of Ireland’s constitutional future remained an important political issue during the First World War. The Easter Rising of 1916 brought the issue into the centre of wartime politics.
Home Rule · Easter Rising 1916
Opposition to the War
Not everyone supported military service or the continuation of the war. Conscientious objectors and others who opposed participation in the conflict faced difficult choices and, in some cases, serious consequences.
War at Home
Britain was directly affected by the war through air raids, attacks on shipping, shortages and the mobilisation of people and resources. The Home Front therefore extended beyond factories and households to include the direct physical experience of warfare.
West Hartlepool’s Third Zeppelin Raid
The Home Front was closely connected with the wider First World War, as developments in Britain were shaped by events on the battlefields and by the demands of a global conflict.
Further Reading
- Women and the First World War, The National Archives — photographs, posters and records showing women’s work and changing roles during the war.
- Conscientious Objectors, The National Archives — records relating to conscientious objection, military service tribunals and exemption from conscription.
- Propaganda, The National Archives — research guidance and archival material relating to British propaganda.
- First World War: Research Guide, The National Archives — guidance to archival records relating to military and civilian life during the war, including Home Front material.
- First World War, British Library — digitised collections and primary sources relating to the conflict and the people who experienced it.