- National Insurance Act 1911
- Lloyd George's flagship reform, divided into two parts. Part 1 (health insurance): workers paid 4 pence per week, employers 3 pence, the state 2 pence — providing sick pay and medical treatment for about 13 million workers. Part 2 (unemployment insurance): covered 2.5 million workers in seasonal trades, paying 7 shillings per week for up to 15 weeks. The "Lloyd George" model — workers, employers, and state each contributing — became the template for the post-1945 welfare state.
- DORA (Defence of the Realm Act, 1914)
- Passed by Parliament on 8 August 1914, just days after war was declared. Gave the government sweeping powers to restrict civilian life for the war effort: censorship of newspapers, restriction of pub hours, ability to requisition land and buildings, introduction of British Summer Time, ban on spreading false rumours, and the right to try civilians by courts martial for offences against the Act. DORA represented an unprecedented expansion of state power over everyday life.
- Conscription
- Compulsory military service introduced by the Military Service Act of January 1916 for single men aged 18-41, extended to married men in May 1916. It was Britain's first peacetime conscription. By the end of the war, 2.5 million men had been conscripted. Conscientious objectors (about 16,000) could apply to tribunals — roughly 6,000 were imprisoned when their appeals were rejected. Conscription represented a fundamental change in the relationship between the state and its citizens.
- Pals Battalions
- Units formed from men of the same town, workplace, or organisation who volunteered together with the promise they would serve together. This built morale and unit cohesion in training. The tragedy was that when a Pals Battalion suffered heavy casualties, an entire community might lose its young men on the same day. The Sheffield City Battalion lost hundreds of men on 1 July 1916 — the Somme's first day. The suffering of Pals Battalions was one factor in the decision to introduce conscription.
- Shell Shock
- The term used during the First World War for what we now call post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Caused by exposure to prolonged artillery bombardment, the horror of trench warfare, and combat trauma. Symptoms included tremors, paralysis, nightmares, and inability to speak or walk. Initially treated as cowardice or moral weakness and could result in court martial. By 1917, it was increasingly recognised as a genuine medical condition — a significant shift in understanding psychological trauma.
- Suffragette
- A member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), founded by Emmeline Pankhurst in 1903. Suffragettes campaigned for women's right to vote using direct action — demonstrations, window-smashing, arson, hunger strikes. Distinguished from suffragists (like Millicent Fawcett's NUWSS) who used peaceful, constitutional means. The term "suffragette" was originally used dismissively by the Daily Mail newspaper in 1906; the WSPU adopted it with pride.
- Representation of the People Act 1918
- Gave the vote to women over 30 who met a property qualification (about 8.4 million women) and to all men over 21 (removing previous property qualifications — about 5.6 million new male voters). Tripled the electorate from 7.7 million to 21.4 million. Full equal voting rights for women did not come until 1928 (Equal Franchise Act). The 1918 Act was widely seen as a reward for women's contribution to the war effort, but the over-30 restriction was deliberately designed to prevent women from forming a majority of the electorate.
This definitions covers Key Terms You Must Know within Britain in Peace and War, 1900-1918 for GCSE History. Revise Britain in Peace and War, 1900-1918 in Component Group 3 — British Depth Studies for GCSE History with 14 exam-style questions and 18 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 12 of 17 in this topic. Make sure you can use the exact wording confidently, because definition marks are often lost through vague language.
Practice questions for Britain in Peace and War, 1900-1918
Describe four features of the wealth and class divide in Edwardian Britain around 1900. [4 marks]
Describe four features of the Liberal reforms introduced between 1906 and 1911. [4 marks]
Quick recall flashcards
What did the Old Age Pensions Act 1908 provide?
5 shillings per week (7s 6d for a couple) for those aged 70 or over with incomes below £21/year. Paid at the post office — no need to enter the workhouse. Lloyd George called the recipients 'God's children.'
How did the National Insurance Act 1911 work?
Workers paid 4d/week, employers 3d, state 2d. Part 1 (health): sick pay and medical treatment for ~13 million workers. Part 2 (unemployment): 7 shillings/week for up to 15 weeks for 2.5 million workers in seasonal trades.