EFFECTS OF WAR ON BRITISH SOCIETY 1899-1948
This research paper traces the impact of the three major wars of the 20th century on the British political and social order, the Boer War (1899-1902), the First World War (1914-1918) and the Second World War (1939-1945). The impact of these wars, especially the two world wars, on British society while great was highly variable, causing want, privation and suffering to some segments of society and producing political, economic and social gains, some transitory and others more permanent, for others. Their one common thread was enhancement of the unity of the nation and the power of the state, which proved to be a mixed blessing in some of its long run manifestations.
The Boer War was fought on distant battlefields in South Africa at relatively small cost in killed and wounded and minimum disruption to the British economy. It was largely fought by the professional army with the help of about 200,000 volunteers. It was popular among the upper and middle classes but was largely regarded by workingmen as an expression of capitalism. The extensive coverage given to it by the press contributed to overall public support to imperialism and the growth of nationalistic sentiment among all classes.
The war drew attention to weaknesses in British society. According to Pope, "revelations about the numbers of volunteers unable to meet the standards required by the army (one in three overall, three out of five in a city like Manchester) reinforced concerns about the condition of the imperial race and the consequences of urban life." These disclosures concerning the strategic infirmities of Britain's huddled and poor urban masses gave impetus to various movements for social reform and helped shape the agenda of the Liberal Party, even before it assumed power in 1906, including such items as improved training of midwives and the provision of free meals to school children.
The casualties of th...