World War one was the first of a new type of war. A war no longer fought in foreign lands, instead a war the touched everyone. This was the first war that included the new technology of air power. I recently had the pleasure of watching the Great War Display team which was a lovely sight to see. However, for anyone that hasn't seen these, they aren't the fighters that we use today like the Eurofighters or the new F-35 that can launch its weapons and fly away from the target zones before the weapons have had time to explode. They weren't even the spitfire fighters of World War 2 that could weave in and out, trying to destroy their enemy's of the sky.
Instead these bi-planes, although the height of technology of the time, were slow and easily effected by weather conditions. They normally had a crew of two - one to fly and what to use weapons. As you can imagine this meant that they were more like sitting ducks with very little training before they were send to defend the soldiers on the front.
U-boats were another new idea that caused pain and death to many men, women and children as they attached both passenger ships and supplies ships. This was a new war that attacked the heart of Britain. However, what the enemy achieved instead was a new inner strength and determination to prove that the innocent people that had been killed had not died in vain. It also meant that Britain needed to become more self-sufficient else it's people would starve.
Women were able to do things in the work place like never before. They could learn to drive, work in factories and on farms that would usually only be done by strong men. A lot of these women loved earning there own money and the feeling of doing something important, that when the war ended many didn't want to give up their work.
The Great war destroyed many lives especially on the homefront. Men had to deal with shells landing close by, artillery fire and gas attacks as well as much more. It meant that none of the soldiers that returned would ever be the same again. A lot of men on returning to Britain were left damaged physically and mentally by the war years and were unable to work again the way they had pre-war. There wasn't any specific follow on care and mental health was only just being recognised. These men, who had given so much to help Britain become victorious, were left standing around on street corners and in markets not really knowing what to do. The Royal British Legion recognised this and started making poppies that these men could then sell creating a purpose for them. Although it wasn't making a significant difference like a factory would, it gave men something to do as well as making sure that the men left in Flanders fields were not forgotten. This how now become a tradition that is done every year in order to honour all those people that have sacrificed themselves to keep us free.
Not only were men left to cope on their own but many widows with large families that needs food, clothes and a roof over their head. There wasn't the welfare system that we have today. If money was needed you had to go out to work which meant that a lot of women started looking for any jobs available. These were usually the jobs that nobody else would do and would be very lowly paid.
Due to women working, they felt they needed shorter skirts and shorter hair styles that would not get trapped in machinery or make working difficult. This paved the way for the diversity in fashion that we have today.
Many children were left to fend for themselves during the daytime as women went to work. Many of the children had either lost their fathers or had fathers suffering from shell shock now more commonly now as post traumatic stress disorder. Children soon learnt to stay out of their way and many of them were scared to be left alone with the men. This led to children being on the street more and led to them playing the street games that most of us still remember.
These are just some of things that changed how we live today. Who would have known that in the not to distant future another world war would just be getting started.
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