Coursework 2c

Alexandra Hebden History Coursework 2 Britain in the Age of Total War} Coursework Assignment

C)

In what ways did the British Government attempt to hide the affect of the Blitz from the people of Britain?

The Government used a multiple of methods to cover the extent of the Blitz in Britain, one of these methods was to control the propaganda; the Government censored everything to keep the British morale high. However this meant that not everyone knew the true extent of what was taking place; the British pride themselves on their freedom, it was what they were fighting for and during the Blitz it was taken away. The censorship involved tightly controlling the press, the radio was owned by the BBC not the Government but it censored itself, it took a lead role in keeping the public informed enough to make them concerned but not enough to destroy their normal lives and lower their morale, the radio always had something positive to say. Posters and films were also used to strengthen people’s belief in their country. The government published stories about British people being strong and brave. Photographs in newspapers showed happy families smiling as they cleared their houses, or where homeless on the way to a new home, of some friends. The newspapers also had to have all of their articles checked; ‘The Daily Worker’ was shut down showing the Governments strong views with the censorship. Propaganda such as movies and posters all encouraged people to save their money, help their country but all the while remaining positive to boost the British morale. The Government knew what they should or should not say from the Mass Observation reports, these were reports recorded from normal people’s convocations all over Britain. These reports were then sent to the Government and analysed. An example of when the Government used their power to hide the affects of the Blitz was with William Joyce. He lived in England from 1922 but came from America. When the war broke out he moved to Germany and he believed in the Nazi ideas. During the war his broadcasts from Germany could be heard in England, he criticised and mocked the English people. After the war he was brought back to England and was hanged for treason. The Government’s strict attitude shows the importance of hiding certain things from the public, and the importance of maintaining a high morale in England.

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Alexandra Hebden History Coursework 2 Britain in the Age of Total War} Coursework Assignment