This is a timeline of the British home front during the First World War from 1914 to 1918. This conflict was the first modern example of total war in the United Kingdom; innovations included the mobilisation of the workforce, including many women, for munitions production,

conscription Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...

and rationing. Civilians were subjected to naval bombardments, strategic bombing and food shortages caused by a submarine blockade.

1914

28 June 1914 :

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated on 28 June 1914 by Bosnian Serb student Gavrilo Princip. They were shot at close range whil ...

, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, who was killed in Sarajevo along with his wife Duchess Sophie by Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip. Grand Fleet Assembly (front)

27 July 1914 :

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

orders a "Test Mobilisation" for the Royal Navy's

Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet. Before the First ...

, which was at

Portland Harbour Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, Dorset, on the south coast of England. Construction of the harbour began in 1849; when completed in 1872, its surface area made it the largest man-made harbour in the world, and rema ...

following a Fleet Review by King George V 28 July 1914 : Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. Russia mobilizes. 29 July 1914 : The Home Fleet is ordered to its wartime anchorage at

Scapa Flow Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern end in June 2009 Scapa Flow (; ) is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray,S. C. George, ''Jutland to Junkyard'', 1973. South Ronaldsay and ...

in the

Orkney Islands Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...

. 1 August 1914 : Germany declares war on Russia. 2 August 1914 : British cabinet decides on war. : Germany invades Luxembourg. 3 August 1914 : Germany declares war on France. Belgium denies permission for German forces to pass through to the French border. : Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey makes a speech to the House of Commons, asking Parliament to approve the use of armed force should the German Navy attack the coasts of France, or if Germany violates Belgian neutrality. 4 August 1914 : Germany invades Belgium to outflank the French army. : British Government protests the violation of Belgian neutrality, guaranteed by the Treaty of London; German Chancellor replies that the treaty is just a ''chiffon de papier'' (''a scrap of paper''). : The United Kingdom declares war on Germany.Beckett (2006) p. 216 : British mobilisation: The Army and Navy Reserves are "called out" and the Territorial Force is "embodied" by Royal Proclamation. 5 August 1914 : The

Aliens Registration Act 1914 Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...

was introduced, compelling German immigrants in the United Kingdom to register with the police and making provision for the deportation or internment of those deemed to be a particular risk. : ''"Your King and Country need you: a call to arms"'' is published by Lord Kitchener, the new

Secretary of State for War The Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, which existed from 1794 to 1801 and from 1854 to 1964. The Secretary of State for War headed the War Office and ...

, calling for 100,000 men to enlist in the army. This figure is achieved within two weeks allowing six new divisions to be formed from these volunteers, to be called

Kitchener's Army The New Army, often referred to as Kitchener's Army or, disparagingly, as Kitchener's Mob, was an (initially) all-volunteer portion of the British Army formed in the United Kingdom from 1914 onwards following the outbreak of hostilities in the Fi ...

. From December 1914, battalions can be recruited from a specific locality, known as " Pals battalions". By March 1915, a total of 41 new divisions have been raised. 6 August 1914 : Currency and Bank Notes Act 1914 authorises the issue of paper £1 and 10

shilling The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence o ...

notes. 7 August 1914 : The British Expeditionary Force arrives in France. 8 August 1914 : The Defence of the Realm Act 1914 (widely known as "DORA") is passed, imposing, censorship and security controls on the civil population. 12 August 1914 : The United Kingdom declares war on Austria-Hungary. September 1914 : German businesses in Britain are shutting down, for example the Münchener Löwenbräu London Depot. November 1914 : First "dilution" agreement between the

Engineering Employers Federation Make UK, formerly the Engineering Employers' Federation, represents manufacturers in the United Kingdom. Purpose Make UK provides businesses with advice, guidance and support in employment law, employee relations, health, safety, climate and envi ...

and

trades union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

s, allowing unskilled workers (including women) to take on some of the roles usually reserved for skilled workers. 19 November 1914 : The Central Association of Volunteer Training Corps is recognised by the War Office, legitimising the many town guards and local defence companies that have been formed illegally around the country. 3 December 1914 : The

No Conscription Fellowship The No-Conscription Fellowship was a British pacifist organization which was founded in London by Fenner Brockway and Clifford Allen on 27 November 1914, after the First World War had failed to reach an early conclusion. Other prominent suppor ...

is formed. 16 December 1914 : A squadron of German

battlecruiser The battlecruiser (also written as battle cruiser or battle-cruiser) was a type of capital ship of the first half of the 20th century. These were similar in displacement, armament and cost to battleships, but differed in form and balance of attr ...

s and other warships conduct a raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby, resulting in 137 deaths and 592 casualties, most of whom are civilians.

1915

9 January 1915 : Kaiser Wilhelm II authorises airship raids on the United Kingdom, excluding London. 19 January 1915 : The first air raid over Britain. Two German Navy Zeppelin airships drop bombs and incendiaries over

Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth (), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside town and unparished area in, and the main administrative centre of, the Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. A pop ...

and

King's Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is located north of London, north-east of Peterborough, no ...

in Norfolk; four civilians are killed and sixteen injured. 12 February 1915 : The Kaiser authorises airship raids on the London Docks. 18 February 1915 : The Kaiser authorises an unrestricted submarine blockade of the United Kingdom. 16 March 1915 : Defence of the Realm (Amendment) (No 2) Act allows the government to force engineering firms to accept contracts for war related work. 27 March 1915 : Commander-in-Chief of the BEF, Sir John French gave an interview to '' The Times'' highlighting the shortage of artillery ammunition at the front. This scandal was to become known the Shell Crisis. 16 April 1915 : A single German

Albatros B.II The Albatros B.II, (post-war company designation L.2) was an unarmed German two-seat reconnaissance biplane of the First World War. Design and development Designed by Robert Thelen based on his 1913 Albatros B.I, the B.II was the aircraft that ...

aircraft bombs Sittingbourne and Faversham in Kent; the first raid by an aeroplane. There are no casualties. Take up the sword of justice LCCN2004666197

Take up the sword of justice LCCN2004666197

7 May 1915 : The sinking of the British

ocean liner An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships). Ca ...

RMS ''Lusitania'' by a U-boat, with the loss of 1,198 passengers and crew, provokes anti-German riots in London and other cities. Mobs target shops and businesses owned by Germans or those with German surnames. 26 May 1915 : Prime Minister

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), generally known as H. H. Asquith, was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom f ...

announces his new ministry, a

coalition government A coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate to form a government. The usual reason for such an arrangement is that no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election, an atypical outcome in ...

with the

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

. David Lloyd George was made Minister of Munitions, relieving Kitchener of that aspect of his role. Churchill is relieved of control of the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral * Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings *Admiralty, Tr ...

following the failure of the Gallipoli Campaign.Beckett (2006) p. 217 31 May 1915 : First air raid on London; an Army Zeppelin dropped bombs over north and east London killing seven civilians. July 1915 : Women's War Agricultural Committees established to encourage more women to work on the land.Beckett (2006) p. 75 2 July 1915 : The Munitions of War Act 1915 becomes law, regulating the wages, hours and conditions of munitions workers. It becomes an offence for a worker to leave employment at a "Controlled Establishment" without the consent of the employer. 15 July 1915 : National Registration Act 1915 was passed, requiring all men and women between the ages of 15 and 65 to register their address. Women at work during the First World War Q30617

Women at work during the First World War Q30617

17 July 1915 :

Emmeline Pankhurst Emmeline Pankhurst ('' née'' Goulden; 15 July 1858 – 14 June 1928) was an English political activist who organised the UK suffragette movement and helped women win the right to vote. In 1999, ''Time'' named her as one of the 100 Most Impo ...

leads a "Women's Right to Serve" demonstration in Trafalgar Square, London. 3 September 1915 : Lieutenant Leefe Robinson flying a

BE2 The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 was a British single-engine tractor two-seat biplane designed and developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory. Most of the roughly 3,500 built were constructed under contract by private companies, including establis ...

biplane, shoots down the first German airship over British soil. The

Schütte-Lanz SL 11 The Schütte-Lanz ''SL 11'' was a German military dirigible built in 1916 by Luftschiffbau Schütte-Lanz. It was the first German airship to be shot down while bombing England. Operational history The ''SL 11'' was based at Spich and command ...

, which had been bombing north London and

Saint Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman r ...

, crashed in flames at Cuffley in

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

. 16 October 1915 : Start enrolment for the

Derby Scheme The Derby Scheme was introduced during World War I in Britain in the autumn of 1915 by Herbert Kitchener's new Director General of Recruiting, Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby (1865–1948) after which it was named. It used strong pressure ...

which encouraged men of military eligibility to voluntarily attest their willingness to join the armed forces at a later date. After attesting, men were placed on the Class B army reserve list until required. In return, they received a day's army pay and a khaki brassard which they could wear with their civilian clothes. 15 December 1915 : Finish of the

(originally planned for 30 November); although 2,950,514 men had attested, enlisted or tried to enlist during the scheme, a further 2,060,927 eligible men had refused to do so, increasing pressure for

1916

2 March 1916 : Military Service Act 1916 comes into force, introducing compulsory conscription in Great Britain but not Ireland. Men from 18 to 41 years old were liable to be called up for service in the army unless they were married, widowed with children, serving in the Royal Navy, a minister of religion, or working in one of a number of reserved occupations. Local

Military Service Tribunals Military Service Tribunals were bodies formed by borough, urban district and rural district councils to hear applications for exemption from conscription into the British Army during the First World War. Although not strictly recruiting bodies, th ...

could grant exemption from service, usually conditional or temporary. 2 April 1916 : An explosion at a munitions factory in Faversham kills 115 workers. 24–29 April 1916 : Easter Uprising by Irish Nationalists in Dublin. 21 May 1916 : Daylight saving introduced in Britain, to save fuel for lighting and encourage longer working hours. 5 June 1916 : Lord Kitchener dies when the cruiser, HMS ''Hampshire'', which is carrying him to Russia, hits a

mine Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to: Extraction or digging * Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging *Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine Grammar *Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun ...

and sinks off the coast off the coast of Scotland. Lloyd George succeeds him as Secretary of State for War. 10 August 1916 : London

première A première, also spelled premiere, is the wikt:debut, debut (first public presentation) of a Play (theatre), play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywh ...

of ''

The Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place be ...

'', giving audiences their first realistic impression of a modern battlefield. It is estimated that 20 million Britons had seen the film during the first six weeks of its release. 5 December 1916 : Lloyd George resigns as Minister of War, after Asquith fails to agree Lloyd George's plan for a new "War Council", prompting Asquith's resignation as Prime Minister the next day. David Lloyd George 1915

7 December 1916 : David Lloyd George forms a new coalition government. 22 December 1916 : The first Ministry of Food was established under a food controller who, under the New Ministries and Secretaries Act 1916, was empowered to regulate the supply and consumption of food and take steps for encouraging food production. The Ministry was dissolved on 31 March 1921.

1917

19 January 1917 : An explosion at a munitions factory in Slivertown, West Ham, kills 73 people. 2 February 1917 :

Corn Production Act 1917 The Corn Production Act 1917 (7 & 8 Geo. 5. c. 46) was an Act passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom under David Lloyd George's coalition government during the Great War. The Act guaranteed British farmers a good price for their cereal cr ...

guarantees minimum prices for staple food crops and lays down minimum wages for agricultural workers. It also initiates a "compulsory plough policy" which can force landowners to cultivate their land. March 1917 : A shortage of wheat leads to the introduction of "Government bread", which contains a proportion of flour made from oats, barley,

rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe (Triticeae) and is closely related to both wheat (''Triticum'') and barley (genus ''Hordeum''). Rye grain is u ...

or even potatoes. : Women's Land Army and Women's Forestry Corps are established. 28 March 1917 :

Ministry of National Service The Ministry of Labour was a British government department established by the New Ministries and Secretaries Act 1916. It later morphed into the Department of Employment.Jon Davis "Employment, Department of (1970–95)" in John Ramsden (ed) ''The ...

is established.Beckett (2006) p. 218 21 May 1917 : The first National Kitchen is opened by Queen Mary in Westminster Bridge Road, London, providing cheap meals for those affected by food shortages. Gotha_RG_im_Flug

25 May 1917 : First raid on England by German Gotha heavy bomber aircraft at

Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a port town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour and shipping port for most of the 19th and 20t ...

in Kent. 29 May 1917 : A royal proclamation issued by King George V encourages a voluntary reduction in bread consumption. 13 June 1917 : First attack on London by German heavy bombers; 104 civilians were killed, including 18 children at an Upper North Street School in Poplar.Doyle p. 29 July 1917 : The

Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...

introduce their first

air raid warning A civil defense siren, also known as an air-raid siren or tornado siren, is a siren used to provide an emergency population warning to the general population of approaching danger. It is sometimes sounded again to indicate the danger has pas ...

system, which consists of police officers detonating

maroon Maroon ( US/ UK , Australia ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word ''marron'', or chestnut. "Marron" is also one of the French translations for "brown". According to multiple dictionaries, there are var ...

s (a type of loud firework) and the " all clear" to be sounded by

Boy Scout A Scout (in some countries a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, or Pathfinder) is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split ...

buglers. 17 July 1917 : A royal proclamation issued by George V declares: "Our House and Family shall be styled and known as the House and Family of Windsor", thus renouncing their German titles. 4 September 1917 : First night-time bomber raid on London. 2 November 1917 : The Foreign Secretary, Arthur Balfour, makes his "Declaration" of the British intention to provide "a national home for the Jewish people" in

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

, which is being captured from the Ottoman Empire. 17 December 1917 : Residents of

Pontypool Pontypool ( cy, Pont-y-pŵl ) is a town and the administrative centre of the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales. It has a population of 28,970. Location It is situated on the Afon Lwyd ri ...

are issued with ration cards for sugar, tea, butter and margarine. 29 November 1917 : Former cabinet minister, Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, writes a letter to the ''

Daily Telegraph Daily or The Daily may refer to: Journalism * Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks * ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times'' * ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...

'' appealing for a peaceful settlement to the war which would become known as the "

Lansdowne Letter The "Lansdowne Letter" called for Britain to negotiate a peace with Germany during the First World War. It was published by a London newspaper and written by Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, a former foreign secretary and war mi ...

". 31 December 1917 : National sugar rationing is introduced.

1918

January 1918 : Women's Royal Naval Service is established. 1 January 1918 : Food rationing on certain items introduced in Birmingham, soon followed by other major towns and cities. 5 January 1918 : Lloyd George makes his War Aims speech to trades union leaders, setting out the government's terms for peace with the Central Powers. 16 February 1918 : First 1,000 kilogram (2,205

pound Pound or Pounds may refer to: Units * Pound (currency), a unit of currency * Pound sterling, the official currency of the United Kingdom * Pound (mass), a unit of mass * Pound (force), a unit of force * Rail pound, in rail profile Symbols * Po ...

) bomb is dropped on London during the twelfth night bomber raid.Castle & Hook p. 8 25 February 1918 : Start of rationing of meat and fats in London and the Home Counties. 1 April 1918 : Women's Royal Air Force is established. 18 April 1918 : Military Service (No. 2) Act 1918 extends conscription up to age 50 and to residents of Ireland; although the latter is never implemented because of the Conscription Crisis. 19 May 1918 : The " Whitsun Raid" the largest and last of 17 bomber aeroplane raids on London; 49 civilians are killed in London and Essex. The total number of civilian casualties from air raids since 1915 within London's

Metropolitan Police District The Metropolitan Police District (MPD) is the police area which is policed by the Metropolitan Police Service in London. It currently consists of the Greater London region, excluding the City of London. The Metropolitan Police District was create ...

was 668 killed and 1,938 injured. 10 June 1918 :

Representation of the People Act 1918 The Representation of the People Act 1918 was an Act of Parliament passed to reform the electoral system in Great Britain and Ireland. It is sometimes known as the Fourth Reform Act. The Act extended the franchise in parliamentary elections, also ...

gives the vote to women over 30. 31 August 1918 :

go on strike. 28 October 1918 : Peak mortality of the Spanish flu pandemic in the UK. 11 November 1918 : Lloyd George announces that an armistice has been signed and that hostilities will cease at 11 am. Church bells are rung and the

Royal Family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term ...

appear on the balcony of

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

before cheering crowds.

Notes

References

* Beckett, Ian Frederick William (1985), ''A Nation in Arms: A Social Study of the British Army in the First World War'', Manchester University Press 1985, * Beckett, Ian Frederick William (2006), ''Home Front 1914–1918: How Britain Survived the Great War'', The National Archives, * Castle, Ian and Hook, Christa (2010),
London 1917–18: The Bomber Blitz
', Osprey Publishing, * Doyle, Peter (2012), ''First World War Britain'', Shire Books * White, Jerry (2014), ''Zeppelin Nights: London in the First World War '', Bodley Head, {{World War I World War I *