Did the normal politics of the day exist during the WW11?

Question

What other things concerned the government other than the war and the consequences of war on everyday life.

Okay ww 1+1

equals + 2 smarty pants

Answer 1

Last Updated: Friday, 31 March 2006, 01:32 GMT 02:32 UK

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WWII schoolgirls 'solicited GIs'

The first UK campaign about sexual diseases was launched during WWII
"Feckless" WWII schoolgirls with "lax morals" caused concern in government by skipping class, soliciting GIs - and catching venereal disease, papers show.
Correspondence released at the National Archives in Kew show "a good deal of trouble" was caused by the girls in the West End of London.

Officials wanted to bring the girls, aged 15 to 17 and from approved schools - a type of care home - under control.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4862570.stm

More on this story at the link above.

At the start of World War II, the UK Government brought into force legislation to freeze bank accounts and other assets belonging to residents in enemy countries. The Governments aim was to prevent the enemy from benefiting from any assets held in the UK.

http://www.bba.org.uk/bba/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=367&a=3453

This next link is a good one - recently released cabinet papers of WWII

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/releases/2006/january/january1/default.htm

That should keep you busy!

Answer 2

The usual democratic arguments raged on throughout the war years. Indeed, Michael Foot MP and one time editor of the Evening Standard, actually brough the Welsh miners out on strike, right in the middle of the war.

The only thing[s] which did not happen, were elections.

The first general election at the end of the war [after the war], took place in 1945 which resulted in a massive landslide victory for Labour.

Michael Foot was right then!

Answer 3

It is surprising what a large amount of dissidence was tolerated in Britain 1939-45. Only enthusiastic support for the enemy would get someone in trouble.
That having been said, the party political truce annoyed many people. For that reason the Common Wealth party was founded and had a brief surge of popularity. After 1945 it joined Labour, I think.
There was an IRA 'war' on Britain in the first months of the conflict.
The arrest and trial of a medium occupied a lot of attention and police time. It enraged Churchill when he heard about it.

Answer 4

There was normal politics in that there was a continent size country to govern, laws to pass, politicking, interests fighting over the spoils, people moving, marrying, asking for new laws. If you read a newspaper of that time you will see not only the news about the front but all the local news and the normal political infighting.

The problem of your question is that a war tends to change the focus of a country. Instead of governing to have a stable country growing richer, you have to govern to have a stable country supporting a war effort so even normal politics have to take that abnormarlity into account.

Answer 5

The United States was recovering from the Great Depression, which concluded just 8 years before America's entry into World War II. Industry and manufacturing were the "major focus" during World War II. Strengthening America's infrastructure was also a major concern during the war; furthermore, the United States focused on banking reforms. As a consequence of the war, Americans were introduced to rationing, meaning, there were limits and restrictions placed on certain consumer goods.

When the United States entered World War II, manufacturing "boomed" and unemployment plummeted. This was welcomed and, concurrently, the United States enjoyed and focused on a better quality of life.

The unemployment problem ended in the United States with the beginning of World War II, as stepped up wartime production created millions of new jobs, and the draft pulled young men out.

In the United States, women also joined the workforce to replace men who had joined the forces, though in fewer numbers. Franklin D. Roosevelt stated that the effort of civilians at home to support the war through personal sacrifice was as critical to winning the war as the efforts of the soldiers themselves. "Rosie the Riveter" became the symbol of women laboring in manufacturing. The war effort brought about significant changes in the role of women in society as a whole. Upon the end of the war, many of the munitions factories simply closed. Other women were replaced by returning veterans. Most women, however, who wanted to continue working, did so.

Labor shortages were felt in agriculture, even though most farmers were given an occupational exemption and few were drafted. Large numbers volunteered or moved to cities for factory jobs. At the same time many agricultural commodities were more needed for the military and for the civilian populations of allies. In some areas schools were temporarily closed at harvest time to enable students to work. Several hundred thousand enemy prisoners of war were used as farm laborers.
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Answer 6

In the UK there was a National Government in both WW I and WW II so there was not the usual inter-party rivalry.

Answer 7

The homefront was busy coming up with money for the war, building weapons, providing day care for the women in the factories.

Answer 8

Yes but they were not as important as the war issue so we did not get to hear about them.

Answer 9

It certainly did because it had to. Tony Blair would have had a field day "burying bad news"

Answer 10

I hope we wouldn't have WW11... Two are just enough