Author: Michael Pearson
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1783376082
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 122
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Book Description
This is not a book about the Great War; it is about life during the war. Changes in people's lives: their work, home, food, entertainment and news. I used original research material including newspapers, to paint a picture of life in the Black Country.??Manufacturing was vital; we were well-equipped to supply the engines of war. The region had motor manufacturers who made aero engines, tanks, guns, munitions and much more. Towards the end of the war the Black Country became one huge munitions works!??Some of the greatest changes were societal, women's role changed massively. Wider social change involved the first steps towards equality between the sexes. By 1918 women could vote and stand as MPs. At work, women became clerks, tram drivers, munitions workers and more. With so many men away, without women the war could not have been won.??This was the first modern conflict, truly the First World War, where troops globally converged, mainly on France and Belgium, to fight a common enemy. It began in August 1914 amid much excitement and the initial months saw the British Army grow hugely. There were those who did not want to fight, their circumstances will be examined, as well as methods used to 'encourage' them to sign up.??The war developed into trench warfare, with heavy casualties, vastly more than thought imaginable. Most Black Country families lost one or more of their loved ones; but there was little time to mourn; in many cases reports were not made public for some time; a well-oiled propaganda machine saw that news did not seriously damage morale.??In 1916 war came to the Black Country through a Zeppelin raid. Its affect was devastating and impacted widely as restrictions were placed on lighting and other measures to minimise the effects of probable future raids. By 1917 the Black Country had to cope with more wounded from the front line. Hospitals were full and further measures were needed to accommodate our returning injured heroes. Treatment, feeding and entertainment for the wounded are all examined. Indeed, generally food supply was of concern from day one of the war. Prices rose, supply became short, there were riots protesting about 'profiteering' and eventually rationing was imposed. Alcohol supply was strictly controlled, pubs closed for a period during the day, to stop essential workers neglecting their duties. This change illustrates how life in Britain changed; it was the 1980s before this restriction on pub opening hours was finally lifted.??By 1917 the war became a marathon, with no end in sight. The Government sought innovative means to raise money and the Black Country played its part in supporting those initiatives. Local charities raised funds through events including football matches, ftes, collections and more to provide money for good causes. Parcels to prisoners of war, troops serving at the front and the wounded were all catered for. Christmas traditions were preserved, mainly for the children, with parties for those whose father was away at war.
Author: Craig Horner
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1443861995
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 160
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Book Description
The First World War was one of the prime motors of social change in modern British history. Culture and technology at all levels were transformed. The growing impact of the state, the introduction of modern democracy and change in political allegiance affected most aspects of the lives of UK citizens. Whilst most of the current centenary interest focuses on military aspects of the conflict, this volume considers how these fundamental changes varied from locality to locality within Britain’s Home Front. Taken together, did they drastically alter the long-established importance of regional variations within British society in the early twentieth century? Was there a common national response to these unprecedented events, or did strong regional identities cause significant variations? The series of case studies presented in this volume – ranging geographically and by topic – detail how communities coped with the war’s outbreak, its upheavals, its unprecedented mass mobilization on all fronts, and its unforeseen longevity.
Author: Adriane Lentz-Smith
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674054180
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 331
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Book Description
For many of the 200,000 black soldiers sent to Europe with the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I, encounters with French civilians and colonial African troops led them to imagine a world beyond Jim Crow. They returned home to join activists working to make that world real. In narrating the efforts of African American soldiers and activists to gain full citizenship rights as recompense for military service, Adriane Lentz-Smith illuminates how World War I mobilized a generation. Black and white soldiers clashed as much with one another as they did with external enemies. Race wars within the military and riots across the United States demonstrated the lengths to which white Americans would go to protect a carefully constructed caste system. Inspired by Woodrow Wilson’s rhetoric of self-determination but battered by the harsh realities of segregation, African Americans fought their own “war for democracy,” from the rebellions of black draftees in French and American ports to the mutiny of Army Regulars in Houston, and from the lonely stances of stubborn individuals to organized national campaigns. African Americans abroad and at home reworked notions of nation and belonging, empire and diaspora, manhood and citizenship. By war’s end, they ceased trying to earn equal rights and resolved to demand them. This beautifully written book reclaims World War I as a critical moment in the freedom struggle and places African Americans at the crossroads of social, military, and international history.
Author: Stephen Bourne
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752497871
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 253
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Book Description
In 1914 Britain was home to at least 10,000 black Britons, many of African and West Indian heritage. Most of them were loyal to the 'mother country' when the First World War broke out. Despite being discouraged from serving in the British Army, men managed to join all branches of the forces, while black communities contributed to the war effort on the home front. By 1918 it is estimated that Britain's black population had trebled to 30,000, as many black servicemen who had fought for Britain decided to make it their home. It was far from a happy ending, however, as they and their families often came under attack from white ex-servicemen and civilians increasingly resentful of their presence. With first-hand accounts and original photographs, Black Poppies is the essential guide to the military and civilian wartime experiences of black men and women, from the trenches to the music halls. It is intended as a companion to Stephen Bourne's previous books published by The History Press: Mother Country: Britain's Black Community on the Home Front 1939–45 and The Motherland Calls: Britain's Black Servicemen and Women 1939–45.
Author: G.C. Allen
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351251325
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 404
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Book Description
This book, first published in 1929, analyses the changes to Birmingham and the Black Country in the nineteenth century. The area underwent quite a transformation: many of the older trades were decaying, while at the same time a number of new manufactures were making a remarkable rapid advance. As a result of this, the industrial structure of the area in the early twentieth century was made up of very different constituents from those of which is was composed sixty years previously. This is an invaluable study of a remarkable industrial transformation that was carried out in a very short space of time.
Author: Taffy Thomas MBE
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0750958677
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 138
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Book Description
From 2014 to 2018, people all over the world will be commemorating the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. They will not only be honouring those who lost their lives on the battlefield between 1914 and 1918, they will also be remembering everyone who played a part in, or lived through, those troubled times. First World War Folk Tales is a very special collection of legends and folk tales from the First World War era. This special centenary collection shows how elements of truth can become legend, how people often attempt to explain the strange and the mysterious through stories and tales, and how storytelling can ease the pain and burden of war.
Author: Chima J. Korieh
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108425801
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 311
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Book Description
A sophisticated history of colonial interactions in Nigeria during World War II drawing on hitherto unexplored archival resources.
Author: George Thomas Noszlopy
Publisher: Liverpool University Press
ISBN: 0853239894
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 371
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Book Description
The "Black Country" is an area historically known as the cradle of the Industrial Revolution—a thriving regioin built around deep coal seams, conjuring up images of fiery red furnaces by night and black, sooty citadels by day. Yet today the resource-rich region also features many striking public sculptures. This volume provides a comprehensive catalog to all of the historic sculptures and public monuments in Staffordshire and the Black Country. George Noszlopy and Fiona Waterhouse catalog each individual sculpture in detail, including information about the sculptor, the sculpture's historical and artistic significance, the commissioning agent, and the date of installation. The volume also features 350 black-and-white photographs that document the diverse and rich beauty of the region's public monuments. The ninth volume in the widely acclaimed, award-winning Public Sculpture of Britain series, Public Sculpture of Staffordshire and the Black Country is an invaluable resource for British historians, art scholars, and travelers alike.
Author: Michael Pearson
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1526712946
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 172
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Book Description
The Black Country in the West Midlands is an important site for family historians. Many researchers, seeking to trace their ancestry back through the generations, will find their trail leads through it. And yet, despite the burgeoning interest in genealogy and the importance of the region in so many life stories, no previous book has provided a guide to the Black Country's history and to the documents and records that family historians can use in their research. In this accessible and informative introduction to the subject, Michael Pearson looks at the history and heritage of the region and gives a graphic insight into the world in which our ancestors lived. He concentrates on the role the Black Country played during the industrial revolution when the development of mining, industry and transport transformed the economic and social life of the area. This was a period when living and working conditions were poor, families were large, children worked from an early age, often in the mines, and life expectancy was less than 20. And it was the era in which the Black Country took on the distinctive identity by which it is known today. As well as retelling the fascinating story of the development of the Black Country, the author introduces the reader to the variety of records that are available for genealogical research, from legal and ecclesiastical archives, birth and death certificates to the records of local government, employers, institutions, clubs, societies and schools.
Author: John Buchan
Publisher: DigiCat
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 1179
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Book Description
This carefully crafted ebook: "THE GREAT WAR COLLECTION – The Battle of Jutland, The Battle of the Somme & Nelson's History of the War (9 Books in One Volume)" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. John Buchan (1875-1940) was a Scottish novelist, historian and also served as Canada's Governor General. With the outbreak of the First World War, Buchan worked as a correspondent in France for The Times. Content: Days to Remember: The British Empire in the Great War The Battle of Jutland The Battle of the Somme, First Phase The Battle of the Somme, Second Phase Nelson's History of the War (Volumes I–V) "The definite history of this war is not now to be written, or for many a day. Still it may be possible to disentangle from this struggle of armed nations over hundreds of miles some explicit narrative which may help all of us who are hungering for help and guidance. At present we do not authentically know even the subtle causes which produced this convulsion over half the world. What is on the surface is clear enough, but it is what is under the surface that matters. I am reluctant to believe in a diabolical and cold-blooded scheme to bring about war at this time; at least, this does not seem to be proved. We must, then, I think, suspend our judgment as to the real causes of war till time and documents give us the clue. Perhaps the pregnant word "mobilization" may explain much. Meanwhile we can only conjecture by the light of a few facts..." (Excerpt; Nelson's History of the War)
