Higher History								Scottish Topic

The Impact 
of the 
Great War, 
1914-1928

Revision Notes

                                     

ST STEPHEN’S HIGH SCHOOL

COURSE CONTENT

Issue 1: Scots on the Western Front

•	voluntary recruitment 
•	the experience of Scots on the Western Front, with reference to the battles of Loos and the Somme
•	the kilted regiments 
•	the role of Scottish military personnel in terms of commitment, casualties, leadership and overall contribution to the military effort 

Issue 2: Impact of War on Society and Culture

•	recruitment and conscription 
•	pacifism and conscientious objection 
•	Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) 
•	changing role of women in wartime, including rent strikes 
•	scale and effects of military losses on Scottish society 
•	commemoration and remembrance 

Issue 3: Impact of the War on Industry and the Economy

•	wartime effects of war on industry, agriculture and fishing 
•	price rises and rationing 
•	post-war economic change and difficulties 
•	post-war emigration 
•	the land issue in the Highlands and Islands 

Issue 4: Impact of the War on Politics 

•	the impact of the war on political developments: the growth of radicalism, the Independent Labour Party (ILP) and Red Clydeside 
•	continuing support for political unionism 
•	the crisis of Scottish identity 
•	The significance of the Great War in the development of Scottish identity. 

QUESTION TYPES

There are four types of question: 

•	Evaluate the usefulness of Source…as evidence of… 			8 marks
•	How fully does Source…explain… 						10 marks
•	How much do Sources…and…reveal about differing interpretations of… (2 SOURCE QUESTION)										10 marks
•	Explain the reasons… 								8 marks

•	For Evaluate the usefulness, you should evaluate the extent to which a source is useful by making separate evaluative comments on aspects such as who wrote it, when it was written, possible purpose, content of the source, and points of significant omission (recall). For the content of the source, you should quote from the source, explain the selected source point fully, and link this directly to the question. You should also link points of recall to the question. (2 from source, 3 from recall, 1 each from when/who/why)

•	For the How fully question, you should make a clear judgement (“quite full”) about the extent to which the source provides a full explanation of something. You should then identify points from the source. Source points selected (it is good practice to quote from the source) should be supported by a detailed explanation of their relevance to the question.  You should also link recalled knowledge to the question and explain your points of recalled knowledge in response to the question. (3 or 4 from source, 6 or 7 from recall)

•	For the two source question (How much do Sources reveal about differing interpretations of…) you should begin by identifying the overall viewpoints of the two sources. Then, identify and interpret source points from each source. You should carefully select the relevant points from the sources (it is good practice to quote from the sources) and explain why their selected points or quotes are important to the issue they are discussing. Quotes should link to the question asked. You should also use relevant recalled knowledge to develop the source points and/or contextualise the content of the source. You should also link recalled knowledge to the question. 

•	For the knowledge (Explain the reasons why…) question, you should identify key points and provide relevant explanations in response to the question. 2 stage process: 
“Conscription was introduced in Scotland in January 1916 initially on single men aged 18−41 and then extended to include married men in May 1916. This had an impact as it allowed Scotland to continue contributing troops to the war effort in a managed way.”

THIS BOOKLET FEATURES EXEMPLAR ANSWERS FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE

Issue 1 Evaluate the Usefulness Exemplar: Recruitment

1.	Evaluate the usefulness of Source C as evidence of reasons why recruitment in Scotland was so successful.										8 marks

Source C is quite useful as evidence of why so many Scots volunteered to fight in the Great War. Its author, George Coppard, is someone who signed up in the initial weeks of the war making it useful as a first hand, eye-witness account of the factors that encouraged him to do so                                     (1 mark – who). 
However, it is perhaps less useful in that it is clear that the source represents the author’s later recollections of the events and so it is possible that his memories are affected (1 mark – when). 
A possible purpose of the source appears to be to give a personal account of his reasons for enlisting making it useful as there is no attempt to persuade anyone and no indication of bias        	        (1 mark – why).
The source content is useful as it accurately relates some of the reasons why many Scots volunteered. He refers to newspaper reporting of the assassination of France Ferdinand. This is useful as it refers to the propaganda of the time that encouraged many men to sign up.			 (1 mark – what) 
The source also refers to the music of martial bands which was ‘too hard to resist’. This is also useful as it refers to the patriotism and war euphoria which spread across the country, encouraging men to go and fight. (1 mark-what)
However, the source makes no mention of other factors which encouraged men to volunteer. Firstly, the Scottish martial tradition. Scots had for years volunteered to fight in army, and every area had an attachment to particular regiments. Volunteering seemed like natural thing to do.      			 (1 mark – what’s missing). 
Also, many men saw the chance to escape from their working class lives and an opportunity for adventure abroad. The formation of Pal’s Battalions added to this, as men knew that they would be going off to war with friends and colleagues. (1 mark – what’s missing)
Finally, landlords in highland and rural areas often put pressure on their tenants to sign up.                (1 mark – what’s missing)
As a result of these omissions, the source is only useful to a certain extent.

Issue 1 How fully exemplar answer

Source A is quite full in explaining the experiences of scots on the Western Front.
The source states that “the men of the Highland Division were difficult to equal”. This shows that the experiences of the war on Scots on the Western Front was successful, and turned them into elite soldiers.
The source states that “according to their own statements, the Germans feared the Highland Division more than any other Division on the Western Front. This shows that the Scots had earned a fierce reputation among the enemy ranks during their time on the Western Front.
The source also says that “after the Somme offensive of 1916, the Division never knew failure.” This shows that again that some Scots experienced unbroken success after the Somme due to their fighting abilities.
However, the source could be fuller if it mentioned that Scots experienced terrible conditions in the trenches on the western front, as the waterlogging often caused trench foot and they were also plagued with rats and lice which would crawl up the Scots’ kilts.
It also doesn’t mention that, despite the constant threat of death, the Scots soldiers often experienced boredom, as the routine of trench life was very monotonous and there may be no change or activity in weeks or even months.
Another point that it doesn’t mention was pal’s Battalions. Many volunteers were put in the same battalion as their workmates. Several players from the Hearts football team were in Macrae’s battalion, and a number of them died during the battle of the Somme.
The source also fails to mention that Scots earned 5 Victoria crosses during the Battle of Loos for bravery.
The source also doesn’t mention that Scots were often piped across No Man’s Land by a bagpiper, such as Piper Daniel Laidlaw, who was injured while doing so and won a VC.
The source also makes no mention of the fact that Scots suffered terrible losses at Loos, with approximately 30, 000 casualties. This caused many to view Loos as a Scottish battle.
The source also doesn’t mention the role played by the 51st Highland Light Infantry at the Somme, where they were involved in the attack on High Wood and suffered 3500 casualties.
The source also doesn’t mention the role played by Douglas Haig, the Field Marshal of the British army, who was a Scot. Many viewed his tactics as having caused slaughter but others credit him with ultimately winning the war.

Issue 1 Explain Exemplar Answer
Explain the reasons why the First World War had such a significant impact on Scots on the Western Front.  				8 marks 

Scottish soldiers had a reputation as brave warriors and so were often used as shock troops to send into battle first. This had a significant impact because it led to them having a casualty rate of 26%.
Scottish soldiers were heavily involved in the Battle of Loos, with over 30,000 taking part. This had a significant impact because of 20,598 dead at Loos, one-third were from Scottish regiments.
Many Scots signed up to fight as part of Pal’s Battalions, fighting alongside workmates or neighbours, such as McCrae’s Battalion. This had a significant impact because this meant that losses were often focused on one area or workplace – Hearts football team lost 7 players who fought for McRae’s during the war.
When fighting in the Western Front, Scots often charged across No Man’s Land to the sound of the bagpipes. This had a significant impact as it raised their morale to hear this, encouraging them to fight harder through increased feelings of patriotism.
The 51st Highland Division were involved in a successful attack on Beaumont Hamel during the Battle of the Somme. This was significant as it led to the 51st gaining the reputation of a crack infantry unit because of their role in the attack.
Scots were also heavily involved in the Battle of Arras, with 44 Scottish battalions all taking part. This had a significant impact because it was the highest concentration of Scots to fight together and out of 159, 000 casualties, 1/3 of them were Scottish.
Scots also fought bravely during the Battle of Loos. This had a significant impact because 5 Scots were awarded the Victoria Cross for their bravery in Battle, including Piper Daniel Laidlaw.
Scots troops were generally kilted. This had a significant impact because it played into Scots’ martial tradition which made Scottish soldiers fight with pride and developed a strong sense of identity among Scottish troops.

Exemplar Answer 			Explain Question 			Issue 2

Explain the reasons why the First World War had such a significant impact on Scottish society and culture.  8 marks 
There are many important reasons why the First World War had such a significant impact on Scottish society and culture. 
Firstly, recruitment had a big impact as Scottish men volunteered in great numbers. This had an impact because it affected the size of the workforce in Scotland, meaning some industries had a shortage of labour. 
Conscription was introduced in Scotland in January 1916 initially on single men aged 18−41 and then extended to include married men in May 1916. This had an impact as it allowed Scotland to continue contributing troops to the war effort in a managed way. 
Exemptions to conscription were given covering those in ill-health, engaged in work of national importance or as sole breadwinners. This had an impact in that it helped the war effort as some men were too valuable on the home front so were exempted. 
Pacifists who did not wish to fight for a number of political, moral and religious reasons existed in Scotland. The impact of this was that conscientious objectors refused to fight and were treated poorly by the local tribunals which heard their cases in Scotland. 
There was some opposition to the war itself in Scotland, from socialists like James Maxton and John MacLean. This was important because some people and group’s protests led to the government clamping down, for example imprisonment the case of MacLean. 
The opening times of pubs were restricted by DORA. This had an impact as rates of drunkenness across Scotland fell by as much as 70%. 
Because of the shortage of labour, more women entered the workplace. This had a significant impact on women’s role: they did jobs previously carried out by men, and in 1918 were rewarded with the vote for their contribution to the war effort. 
Scottish women were involved in rent strikes in Scotland, particularly in places like Govan, led by Mary Barbour and Helen Crawfurd. This had a significant impact because women were politicised by this, and many went on to become further involved in politics. 
Scots died in large numbers during the war with official figures starting at 74,000 and rising to more unofficial estimates of over 110,000. This was important because all classes and communities felt the losses across Scotland, with some small highland towns like Tolsta becoming significantly depopulated. 
The Defence of the Realm Act introduced censorship of newspapers and of soldiers’ letters home in order to prevent the spread of information and keep morale high. This had an impact as, at least at first, the Scottish public were unaware of the true horrors of trench warfare, but also led them to believe that the Battle of the Somme had been a success. 
DORA introduced a number of restrictions such as forbidding bonfires and banning the sale of binoculars. This had had an impact as it limited the public’s civil liberties and were therefore opposed by liberals, who saw it as petty and restrictive. 

The declaration of war caused tremendous excitement throughout the country, resulting in magnificent displays of patriotism. I was excited as I knew it would mean a terrible fight. The spirit of adventure was always strong in me, and as news came of the departure of the British Expeditionary Force, ‘a thin line of Khaki’ against the massive German columns, I knew the time had come when I could not live at peace as a civilian.
On September 8th, along with a friend, Andy Johnstone, I went to the recruiting office in Cathcart Road, and there we signed on for ’3 years or the duration’. We were sworn in and passed fit by the doctor; there was no real medical examination. In these early years of the war, recruits had the choice of regiment they wished to join and I decided on the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders – the 79th foot. Everybody was in high spirits, for this was part of ‘Kitchener’s Army’; no need for compulsion here, and no conscientious objectors. 

Exemplar 2 Source Question
Source A: from Private 12768 Memoir Of A Tommy (2009)

When war broke out the leadership of the Independent Labour Party in Scotland quickly adopted an anti-war stance and parted company with the Labour Party. It had support from much of the Clydeside trade union leadership. The introduction of conscription made the ILP a focus for widespread protest alongside the No-Conscription Fellowship (NCF).
The NCF worked to protect the rights of conscientious objectors; offices were founded throughout the UK, including Edinburgh. Contact was maintained with the hundreds of men who resisted conscription, many of whom had been arrested and imprisoned. The NCF frequently arranged to help with COs defence at tribunals and courts, not always successfully. If the verdict went against the CO the NCF maintained contact with their families and provided for their dependents in cases of need. They earned a national reputation, highlighting the position and treatment of the COs in the prisons and camps in the press. 

Source B:  from Scottish Popular Politics from Radicalism to Labour by W. Hamish Fraser (2000).
1.	How much do Sources A and B reveal about differing interpretations of the attitudes towards recruitment and conscription in Scotland during the First World War?		10 marks

Exemplar Answer

Sources A and B reveal different interpretations of the attitudes towards recruitment and conscription in Scotland during the First World War.

Source A discusses recruitment, and takes a positive attitude, describing the enthusiasm and patriotism with which many signed up to fight in the war. (1 mark – overall viewpoint of source)

The source states “I was excited as I knew that it would be a terrible fight. The spirit of adventure was always strong in me”. This shows that many people were enthusiastic about volunteering because they saw it as a chance for adventure, different from the monotony of their day to day jobs. (1mark – source)

Source A also states that “as news came of the departure of the British Expeditionary Force, ‘a thin line of khaki against the massive German columns’, I knew that I could not live at peace as a civilian”. This shows that many men viewed volunteering as their patriotic duty, and that they had to ‘do their bit’. (1 mark – source)

Finally, Source A states that “everyone was in high spirits, for this was Kitchener’s Army; no need for compulsion here, and no conscientious objectors”. This shows that, for many, fighting in the war was not something that needed to be forced upon them, and that the idea of refusing to fight was looked down upon by many. (1 mark source)

Source B discusses conscription and the negative attitude towards it from many, and highlights the organisations protesting against it. (1mark – source)

Source B states that “The introduction of conscription made the ILP a focus for widespread protest alongside the No Conscription Fellowship (NCF)”. This shows that conscription was unpopular with some sections of society, and that it was opposed by political parties and specially formed organisations. (1 mark – source)

Source B also states that “contact was maintained with the hundreds of men who resisted conscription, many of whom had been arrested and imprisoned”. This shows that conscientious objectors were treated very harshly by the government. (1 mark – source)

Source B finally states that the NCF “earned a national reputation, highlighting the position and treatment of the COs in the prisons and camps in the press”. This shows that organisations such as the NCF achieved a degree of success in their campaigning, including the closure of the highly controversial Dyce Camp near Aberdeen. (1 mark – source)

However, the sources could also mention that propaganda which demonised Germany as an evil aggressor helped form the attitudes of many men and encourage them to sign up to fight in the war. (1mark – recall)

The sources also don’t mention the impact of the creation of Pal’s Batallions on attitudes to recruitment. These encouraged many men to sign up because they knew they would be fighting alongside colleagues, neighbours and friends. (1mark – recall)

The sources also don’t mention that many people were opposed to conscription for political reasons: they saw it as being against Britain’s pre-war liberal tradition, and argued that never before had the country forced men to go and fight. (1mark – recall)

Finally, the sources don’t mention that conscientious objectors were often ridiculed by the press as effeminate and cowardly, and were abused in the street and ostracised by their families in some cases because of these reasons, even though many serving soldiers actually admired their courage in standing up for what they believed. (1 mark recall).

ISSUE 3 How Fully Exemplar

Source A: from Michael Lynch, Scotland: A New History (1991).

The failure of Scottish industry in the 1920s and 30s has been interpreted as largely the product of a weakness of management. It is perhaps the lost generation which lies at the root of it. In 1913 the unemployment rate in Scotland stood at only 1.8 per cent, whereas in London it was 8.7 per cent. By 1923, the positions had been reversed, with 14.3 percent out of work in Scotland compared with 11.6 per cent in the United Kingdom as a whole. It was, however, a different kind of unemployment from the short, irregular lay-offs which had marked the years before 1914: it was long-term and affected the skilled more than the unskilled. The huge demand for labour in wartime manufacturing produced pressures which varied from one industry to another. In engineering the gap in earnings between skilled and unskilled reduced, but elsewhere, and especially in the shipyards and the mines the wage gap continued.

1.	How fully does Source A show the impact of the war on the Scottish economy between 1914 and      1928?										10 marks

Exemplar Answer

Source A is quite full in showing the impact of the war on the Scottish economy between 1914 and 1928. 

The source states that “In 1913 the unemployment rate in Scotland stood at only 1.8 per cent, whereas in London it was 8.7 per cent. By 1923, the positions had been reversed, with 14.3 percent out of work in Scotland compared with 11.6 per cent in the United Kingdom as a whole.” This shows that the war impacted the economy in that after the war, unemployment in Scotland had risen massively because of industrial decline. 

The source also states that “It was, however, a different kind of unemployment from the short, irregular lay-offs  which had marked the years before 1914: it was long-term and affected the skilled more than the unskilled.” This shows the impact of the war on the Scottish economy because the unemployment now tended to be   longer term than before, and affected skilled workers more, possibly due to the introduction of dilution of labour during the war.

The source also states that “The huge demand for labour in wartime manufacturing produced pressures which varied from one industry to another. In engineering the gap in earnings between skilled and unskilled reduced, but elsewhere, and especially in the shipyards and the mines the wage gap continued.” This shows that different industries were impacted in different ways by war, with wage gaps decreasing in some, but remaining the same in others.

However, the source could be fuller if it stated that during the war Government organised the economy through the Ministry of Munitions, which meant state control of many industries to oversee wartime production, e.g. steel, railways and coal.

The source also doesn’t mention that during the war the Jute industry in Dundee benefitted mainly through making sandbags – there were 69 firms employing 25% of male and 67% of female workers in Dundee. 

The source also doesn’t mention that during the war the fishing industry suffered because it lost its export markets in Eastern Europe and east coast ports were commandeered by the Navy so were effectively closed down.

The source also doesn’t mention that rationing was introduced due to food shortages, to ensure fair distribution and control prices. This was voluntary at first, but this failed so was made compulsory by 1918.

The source also doesn’t mention that shipbuilding grew during the war, with 481 warships built on the Clyde during 1914-18. 

The source also doesn’t mention that the restocking boom of the immediate post war years initially helped industries and the economy in general.

The source also doesn’t mention that Jute production was affected by declining orders (due to foreign competition) and industrial action after the war.

The source also doesn’t mention that there was a decline in shipbuilding after the war: between 1921 and 1923 the tonnage built on the Clyde went down from 510,000 to 170,000

The source also doesn’t mention that as a result of industrial decline, unemployment became a huge problem, with 100,000 men permanently unemployed in 1920s.

The source also doesn’t mention that Post war unemployment led to increased emigration from Scotland, which was assisted by the government through the Empire Settlement Act in order to relieve pressure on housing and services.

Issue 4: the growth of radicalism in politics in Scotland.

Decline of the Liberals 

•	Issue of war and conscription led to arguments amongst Liberals. 
•	Shell scandal of 1915 led to claims of incompetence.
•	Feud between Asquith and Lloyd George led to the King asking Lloyd George to form a government in 1916 with himself as PM.
•	By 1924 the Liberals were reduced to only 8 MPs in Scotland. 

The Rise of the Labour Party

•	Labour’s 800,000 votes in 1914 rose to over 2 million in 1918.  
•	Helped by increased number of working class voters after 1918.
•	Rent strikes had politicised some women – many voted Labour.
•	Irish Catholics, bitter over Liberals’ reaction to Home Rule, increasingly voted Labour.

The Independent Labour Party (ILP)

•	ILP resisted the Munitions Act of 1915, dilution and conscription.
•	Campaigned on issues affecting workers e.g. John Wheatley organised the rent strikes of 1915–16. 
•	By mid 1920s, ILP membership in Scotland accounted for a third of all membership of the party in Britain.
•	David Kirkwood wrote in his autobiography of how ‘Glasgow was ringing with the message of Socialism’.

Red Clydeside

•	The Clyde Workers Committee 1914 set up by shop stewards elected by workers; led by Willie Gallacher and Davie Kirkwood.  
•	CWC opposed Munitions Act; workers couldn’t leave jobs or strike. 
•	Rent strikes were also part of the tension of ‘Red Clydeside’.
•	At end of war CWC demanded shorter working week. There was a general strike in Glasgow and 40,000 workers took part.
•	Glasgow’s George Square 31st January 1919 - 90,000 protestors.  Running battles in the streets between police and workers. 
•	Government sent 12,000 English troops to restore order. Six tanks were on the streets and machine-gun posts were set up in the city.

Issue 4: the strength in support in Scotland for the Union.

Growth in Support for the Conservative and Unionist Party

•	The Conservatives benefited from the decline of the Liberals. 
•	They were now the only viable alternative for those opposed to socialism and the rise of the Labour Party. 
•	Seen as the only party to deal with fear of communist revolution, with fears heightened by the events in George Square in 1919.
•	After 1918 the newspapers moved decisively towards the Tories. 
•	When new papers appeared they were pro Tory, such the strongly Unionist Sunday Post after 1914. 
•	Conservatives worked hard to build up support in Scotland, particularly among the middle-classes and in country areas.
•	Support for Unionism was encouraged by Presbyterian churches which had supported the war and were conservative in nature. 
•	Presbyterian churches also attacked the 'Irish menace' in Scotland and, since the bulk of Irish Catholics were Labour voters, the political impact was to encourage support for Unionism.
•	The Conservatives also maintained the support of Scotland’s professional classes. 
•	The Scottish legal system for example had strong links with the Conservatives. 
•	The support of graduates who went into teaching can be seen with the formation of the Glasgow Unionist Teachers Association in 1926.

Issue 4: the crisis in Scottish identity which developed after 1918.

The Kilted regiments were proud to wear the tartan, but the cause they fought for was British, not Scottish. Before the war most Scots were happy to be part of, and to have benefited from, the United Kingdom. Only a few ever campaigned for Home Rule for Scotland. The vast majority were happy to be part of Great Britain. 

Economic Decline & Scottish Nationalism
•	Interwar years were times of poverty and high unemployment and there were some who felt that the union was no longer helping Scotland.  
•	During the interwar years large-scale unemployment increased in traditional heavy industries such as shipbuilding, textiles and coalmining. 
•	Central government was blamed by many and some drew the conclusion that England and the empire was no longer able to provide the resources and the leadership to overcome the economic and social problems affecting Scotland.
•	In the post war years there were a growing number of voices calling for an independent Scotland. 
•	A small group of Scottish nationalists campaigned for Scotland to be represented at the Treaty of Versailles. 
•	In 1918, the Labour Party promised to fight for the ‘Self-Determination of the Scottish people’. 
•	In May 1928, the Scottish National Party was founded.
•	Nevertheless, most Scots continued to support the place of Scotland within the UK. Few Scots showed any interest in the demand for Scotland to be represented at the Treaty of Versailles. 
•	There was little public support for Labour’s pledge to promote the ‘Self-Determination of the Scottish people’. 
•	The Scottish National party gained very few votes in the 1929 general election and fared no better in 1931, when the most successful SNP candidate gained a paltry 14% of the votes.
Politically, Scots continued to accept and support their part within the United Kingdom.

Evaluate the Usefulness Exemplar  			Higher History

Exemplar Answer

Source D is useful to an extent as evidence of political developments in Scotland after war but it has limitations.													      The source tells us “Davie Kirkwood, one of the strike leaders, and a member of the ILP, is under arrest on the charge of inciting the mob”. This is useful because it tells us that important leaders of the CWC had been arrested and some of them were sent to Edinburgh. Also this tells us that the Government were taking action to try to remove radicalism in Scotland.							
The source also tells us that “the revolutionary activities of these Bolsheviks have damaged Glasgow’s reputation”. This is useful as it tells us that there was a (probably unfounded) fear of revolution in Glasgow. 
However the source has limitations as it does not mention how the war affected the Liberal party. In 1914 the Liberals split over the issue of going to war which weakened the party. In Scotland after WWI the number of Liberal MPs declined and they never recovered their support.					
Also the source does not mention that after 1918 the Conservatives, or Unionists in Scotland, gained support in part due to many working class Protestants changing from Liberal to Conservative due to their strong support for the union, and in part through middle class fear of communism.
Finally, the source doesn’t mention the rise of the Labour Party to become Scotland’s biggest party for much of the 1920s. They were supported by many newly-enfranchised workers, and Irish immigrants.
The source was written on the 1st February 1919 which makes it useful because it is a contemporary source written when political protests were happening in Scotland, during the 40 hour a week strike in Glasgow and immediately after the Battle of George Square.						
The source is from a Glasgow newspaper which is useful because the editor mentions the radical action that was occurring in Glasgow. It is also a respected journal, although it appears to display an anti-protestor, anti-left wing bias. However, this may be less useful as it is limited on the events of the 40 hour a week strike and the impact of war on Glasgow and of political developments in Scotland after WW1.  
ISSUE 4: HOW FULLY EXEMPLAR

Source E: from Edward J Cowan and Richard Finlay, Scotland Since 1688 (2000). 

The era of Red Clydeside saw a transition in political views. The votes for Labour and the socialist candidates in Clydeside elections increased almost tenfold between 1910 and 1918. The change is most clearly demonstrated in the Labour landslide victory in the parliamentary election of 1922, when 42% of the Glasgow electorate voted Labour, with the Labour Party winning 10 out of the 15 Glasgow seats (previously Labour held just one seat in Glasgow). Important here was the swing towards Labour of the substantial Irish vote in the city, influenced by the Labour support for state subsidies for separate Catholic schools. The 10 Red Clydeside MP's left Glasgow for Westminster to the cheers of a tumultuous crowd of supporters and the chanting of the Red Flag.

1.	How fully does Source E describe the impact of the war on Scottish politics? 

Use the source and recalled knowledge. 				10 MARKS

EXEMPLAR ANSWER

“Source A is quite full in describing the impact of war on Scottish politics. 

It tells us that “The votes for Labour and the socialist candidates in Clydeside elections increased almost tenfold between 1910 and 1918”. This shows that an impact of the war on Scottish politics was that the Labour Party grew in size and strength enormously. 
It also tells us that “The change is most clearly demonstrated in the Labour landslide victory in the parliamentary election of 1922, when 42% of the Glasgow electorate voted Labour, with the Labour Party winning 10 out of the 15 Glasgow seats” This shows that the growth in support for Labour was most prominent in industrial and working class areas like Glasgow.
It also tells us that “The 10 Red Clydeside MP's left Glasgow for Westminster to the cheers of a tumultuous crowd of supporters and the chanting of the Red Flag.” This shows that the activities of the Red Clydesiders during the war had broad support amongst people and was a major reason why Labour’s support grew.
However, the source could be fuller if it mentioned that the war, conscription, and the feud between Asquith and Lloyd George led to the decline of the Liberals as Scotland’s biggest party in the 1920s. By 1924 the Liberals were reduced to only 8 MPs in Scotland.
It also doesn’t mention that the war led to the Rent strikes, and this politicised many women in working class areas.
It also doesn’t mention that the Conservatives/Unionists grew in support in the 1920s, as many middle class people who feared the radicalism of Red Clydeside voted for them, as did some working class Protestants.
It also doesn’t mention that in 1918 the franchise was extended to include more men but also, for the first time, some women, with the government claiming that this was as a reward for their war work.
It also doesn’t mention that the war led to a strengthening of support in Scotland for the union with England, because of factors such as the patriotism of fighting for King and Country.
It also doesn’t mention that although the Labour Party in theory supported Home Rule for Scotland, in practice it didn’t – by the late 1920s it was 63rd out of 63 on its list of priorities.
It also doesn’t mention that the war contributed to a crisis in Scotland’s national identity because the r years were times of poverty and high unemployment especially in traditional heavy industries such as shipbuilding, textiles and coalmining, which meant that Scotland lost her identity as workshop of the British empire.
Explain Exemplar

Explain the reasons why World War One had an impact on Scottish politics, to 1928.	8 marks

Answer

World War One had an impact on politics in Scotland for a number of reasons.
 
The Liberal Party’s reputation was damaged during the war by the Shell Crisis and splits. This had an impact because, after the war the Liberal Party lost its place as the largest party in Scotland.

Rent strikes, led by women such as Mary Barbour, took place during the war in protest at landlords raising rents in Glasgow. This had an impact because the strikes were successful and also led to greater involvement in politics for many of the women involved.

The Munitions of War Act led to new, unpopular working practices in many industries. This had an impact because it led to strikes and demonstrations during what became known as “Red Clydeside”.

After the war, a worker’s demonstration for a 40 hour week in George Square turned violent. This had an impact because it led to a growth in support for the Conservatives from middle class people afraid of revolution.

The Red Clydeside era during and after the war led to more working class people involved in radical politics. This had an impact because it resulted in the growth in popularity of the Labour party and the ILP in Scotland.

During the war, Scots fought patriotically for King and Country. This had a political impact because, after the war, Scotland as a whole was very unionist.

Scotland’s industries suffered in the postwar years. This had a political impact because it led to a crisis of Scottish national identity and a fear that Scotland could not survive on her own.

After the war, newspapers and the Presbyterian Church became strong supporters of unionism. This had an impact as it contributed to a growth in support of the Unionist/Conservative party in Scotland.