The 1945 election was the first general election to be held in Britain since November 1935. It was held on 5 July 1945 with the result announced three weeks later on 26 July 1945 to allow the votes of those serving overseas to be counted. From May 1940...
Pages tagged with "Britain at War"
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During the late 1930s, the British government began to prepare the civilian population for war. As well as the widely expected and feared bombing raids, it was also thought that poison gas might be used against civilians. Gas masks were issued in 1938...
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In 1942, in retaliation for an RAF bombing raid on the German town of Lübeck, the Luftwaffe launched a series of destructive raids against historic towns and cities in Britain. These attacks were termed the 'Baedeker' raids after the famous German travel...
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The Second World War brought many changes to the lives of children in Britain. For some, the war was a time of fear and confusion that meant separation from families, the destruction of a home or even the loss of a parent. However, for others, these...
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Six years of war brought many changes to familiar festive rituals. Christmas celebrations often had to be scaled down or adjusted as restrictions and shortages took hold. For many families, the most difficult part of a wartime Christmas would be spending...
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Clothes rationing came into effect in Britain from 1 June 1941. It lasted, albeit in a gradually reduced format, until March 1949. As with food rationing, the main aim of the scheme was to ensure fair shares. But it was also intended to reduce consumer...
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Britain depended on vital supplies of food, equipment and raw materials from overseas, notably from North America and the Empire. These goods were transported in thousands of merchant ships, which were vulnerable to attack by German submarines (U-boats...
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The codename given to decrypts of German radio messages encoded on Enigma machines, ‘Ultra’ was the Allies’ most important source of intelligence for Britain about its enemies’ plans, strengths and movements. Churchill called them his ‘Golden Eggs’. The...
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Fear of German bombing caused the government to evacuate children, mothers with infants and the infirm from British towns and cities. Evacuation took place in several waves. The first came two days before the outbreak of war. Over the course of three...
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Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke is seen by many historians as one of the key architects of Allied victory. He was Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) from 1941 to 1946 and Winston Churchill’s principal military adviser. Alan Brooke served as a Royal...