Jessica Fellowes - The World of Downton Abbey Text Only

1915

1915 saw no let up in hostilities, and for the first time London suffered the effects of the First World War directly when streets were hit by Zeppelins. Meanwhile, Britain tried to carry on as normal, bringing in change in these shifting times. In this year photographs were required on passports for the first time, and the Women’s Institute was formed in response to the demands made on women to help the war effort.

1916

July brought the commencement of the Battle of the Somme; an offensive by British and French armies against the German Army which lasted until November. It became one of the bloodiest military operations ever recorded, causing over 1.5 million casualties, with over 60,000 British soldiers lost in the first day alone. Over in Dublin, Irish republicans mounted an insurrection during Easter week, aiming to end British Rule in Ireland. The Easter Rising was suppressed after seven days but succeeded in bringing the issue to the forefront of Irish politics. As the year drew to a close, back home the Prime Minister, H.H. Asquith, lost the support and confidence of the press and his government and resigned his position in December. He was succeeded by David Lloyd George.

1917

After the dramatic losses sustained during the Battle of the Somme, 1917 saw another, equally horrific battle take place, notorious for the horrendous conditions endured by the troops. Passchendaele saw fighting from July until November in the muddy quagmire of Ypres, resulting in heavy casualties. After a failed harvest back in Britain, the Government’s Food Production Department swiftly set up the Women’s Land Army, which mobilised women in farming to ensure food reserves could supply the nation.

1918

A year of great changes began with the passing of the Representation of the People Act, which finally gave women the vote – if they were over 30 and owned property – as well as to men in residence over the age of 21. Food supplies continued to be regulated with the introduction of ration books. In Russia, the incarceration of the Russian royal family came to an end when the Bolsheviks executed them in a panic on 16 July, believing that Czech forces were on their way to rescue them. On 11 November the news came that everyone had been waiting for – the Allies had won the war and the Germans had signed the armistice that ended the conflict.

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