Key information

2 the effects of 'total war' and austerity, 1939-51

During WW2 the government intervened directly in the supply of food,clothing and other essential items.

Germany's sinking of GB shipping and the need to divert resources away from the civilian economy to the Army, put pressure on the standard of living in GB through rationing.

Living standards were also adversely affected by the bombing of GB cities where many homes were destroyed. However, people had better employment prospects and pay during the war years. The immediate post-war years saw a period of austerity as GB struggled to recover from the devastation of the war

rationing

- had a direct effect on standards of living. It ensured that the vast majority of the population had the same limited access to food and resources, irrespective of how much or how little money they had.

- The creating of a Ministry of Food in 1940 involving 50,000 administrators meant that nearly all foodstuffs, including meat, fish, dairy, coffee and chocolate where allocated by ration cards

-every ration book holder were allocated points that they could use each month on whatever they wanted, meaning they still had a degree of choice in what they bought.

- not only was food rationed but other essential items such as clothing, soap, paper, fuel and kitchen utensils were controlled by rationing

- the restrictions in the availability of food were accompanied by a government public information campaign which emphasised thriftiness and a make do and mend mentality along with other ideas on how to make food and what to eat from the available food that was most nutritious and healthy. Substitutes for normal foodstuffs were often unpleasant and unappetising. The lack of white flour led the government to introduce the National Loaf, a grey-looking type of bread which was generally agreed to be unpleasant to eat. Only one out of seven consumers preferred it to normal bread.

- in 1942 restaurants also became subject to rationing controls. This was, in part, to prevent resentment from working class households who saw wealthier Britons getting round the rationing restrictions and eating well. Restaurants were restricted in how much food they could serve and only a very limited amount of meat and fish was available.

- some evidence now suggests that while many people in Britain may have felt their standards of living decline during the war, their health actually improved. This was because food was supplemented with vitamins and minerals by the Ministry of Food. the level of infant mortality feel during the war years which contributed to the baby boom.

working conditions

- the large number of new jobs created during the war for civilian munitions workers offered good standards of pay and working conditions as a result of negotiations with the trade unions

- average pay for GB workers increased during the war, even though the money they earned could buy only as much as their rations would allow

- weekly ration~ : 4oz margarine, 4oz bacon, 1 egg, 2oz of butter, 2oz tea, 1oz of cheese, 8oz of sugar

- in order to allow women munitions workers freedom to work creches were established in factories of many essential war industries. The first were set up in November 1941 and within 6 months there were 667 creches that were either open or in the process of being set up

housing

- mass bombings in ww2 resulted in ~40,000 people and the destruction of around 2 million homes in towns and cities. Rural countryside areas were not directly affected.

- In the post war era the destruction of the city centres of Coventry and other cities gave town planners and architects the opportunity to rebuild along what they believed were appealing modern lines.

- they followed the pre war Taylor Walters Report which specified minimum space and number of rooms, and restricted building to twelve houses per acre. people moved into homes with bathroom, kitchens and modern appliances - and most importantly, gardens to cultivate

Austerity, 1945-51

- some rationing lasted long after the end of ww2. The Labour government had been forced to introduce bread rationing between 1946-48; described as 'the most hated measure ever to have been presented to the people of this country' by Daily Mail

- other non-foodstuff remained rationed: clothing until 1949 along with wood, furniture produced between 1942-52 was designed e as little wood as possible and referred to as utility furnishing and was restricted to new couples or those who had their homes bombed

- the labour government had little choice but to continue rationing as GB was bankrupt by the war

- 55% of GB food was imported but GB did not have foreign currency reserves to pay for all the imports needed

- the USA ended GB's wartime financial lifeline in 1945, the Lend Lease Agreement

- raising the standard of living in the immediate aftermath of the war was therefore very difficult.

- other overseas spending commitments such as feeding parts of Germany that were under GB control, keeping men fighting in Greece and re-establishing GB control in Asian countries like Malaya, Impacted on spending at home.

- expensive GB defence commitments grew again in 1950 with the start of the Korean War, diverting resources away from the civilian consumer economy and into rearmament

winter of 1946-7 ->

- extremely heavy snow exposed the extent of GB post war economic fragility and had a significant effect on the quality of life for GB people.

- from December 16 to March 1947the country was partially paralysed by snow and ice. This would normally not have been such a problem but because coal stocks had been depleted by the war it led to coal shortages for GB homes

- famalies who relied on coal to heat homes instead used electric fires placing an increased strain on the national grid

- electiricty supply to industry and homes was cut by the minister for fuel and power, Emmanuel Shinwell to 19 hours a day. This resulted in cold homes, factory closures and unemployment

- the government feared a shortage of food, 1/4 of GB sheep were lost, root vegetables were frozen in the ground and food reserved declined to a point that Canadian and Australian citizens began to post food parcels to GB families

a planned economy ->

- the Labour government believed that a planned economy would eventually result in raised standards of living.

- in 1950 the manifesto accepted food shortages and other essential items and luxuries

- the Conservatives however campaigned to end rationing as quickly as possible and although Labour won the election it was with a reduced minority

- the electoral defeat of Labour in 1951 was partly attributed to the failure of the government to ensure food and energy distribution

housing ->

- the huge problem of homelessness caused by the destruction of homes in the was was dealt with by building wooden pre-fabricated homes that could be assembled quick and cheap

pre-fabricated housing ->

- in Catford, southeast London, the Excalibur Estate was built between 1945-6. it was the product f the 1944 Housing and Temporary Accommodation Act, passed in anticipation of post-war housing needs.

- the pre fabricated homes were small 2 bedroom bungalows that were designed to last for a minimum of 10 years (many stil standing in 2015), they had wooden walls and flat roofs

- despite the problems with damp and cold, many owners recored immense satisfaction and happiness with life on the estates and were often reluctant to eventually leave

- other pre fabricated homes were made out of pre cast concrete frames and known as Airey houses, after industrialist Sir Edwin Airey's company built them; they also had issues with cold and damp

blocks of flats ->

- appeared to be an easy solution to the loss of houses belonging to the working class in the inner-city areas

- in 1951 the Lawn Flats ere built in Harlow, Essex. the Lawnsas the first of a generatio of 'point' blocks where all the flats were accessiblerom a central landing and elevator

- given official approval by the Festival of GB and were seen as an attractive, modern and scientific solution to GB's housing needs

- another housing development with close connections to the Festival was thr Lansbury Estate in Poplar, east London, that had been heavily bombed

- it was designed to that the neighbours within it would have close access to their amenities (schols, shops etc) which would help to create communities

- Frederick Gibberd designed Lawn flats and also created the Lansbury Estate's own indoor market at Chrisp Street which was included in the Festival

The Festival of GB ->

- in 1951 GB celerated the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1951. A Festival of GB was held in order to help boost exports and to showcase GB manufacturing and science after 6 years of post war austerity

- the government hoped that the fesitval would raise moral and act as 'one united act of national reassessment, and one corporate reaffrimation faith in the nations future'

- the festival took 3 years to plan, 1948-51nd events were held nationally; the focal point was London's South Bank, a former warehouse district that now featured a modern new riverside embankment and gardens, the reshaping of the South Bank of the Thames wwas meant to showcase what housing would look like in the GB of the future; this displays showed off cutting edge architecture, science, engineering and design which suggested consumer and economic confidence was growing

new towns act 1946 ->

- in the immediate post war era and throughout the 1950s, government investedin housing and in large parts because of the homelessess caused by wartime bombing but also because of a belief that governments had a social responsibility to improve the standard of living in GB, especially working class lives

- the most important piece of housing legislation passed by the post war Labour governments was the New Towns Act 1946; created 14 new towns in GB which were designed to relieve the overcrowed working class districts of big cities like London and Birmingham

- new towns such as Stevenage, Telford, Cumbernauld were designed singmodern architecture and town planning, For many working class families who had lived in crowded slums before the war, they represented a considerable improvement in living condition; first time many had lived in suburban estates

- as housing conditions improved and full employment appeared a reality, the post war period saw the development of a consumer society.

4a: Changing Living Standards