Child Evacuation: Top Civilian War Preparation by British Government in September 1939
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‘Child evacuation was the most important civilian preparation for war made by the British government by September 1939.
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The preparation for war made by the British government in September 1939 saw a range of measures put in place to protect civilians and ensure the smooth functioning of society in the face of potential conflicts. The view that child evacuation was the most important civilian preparation for war needs to be evaluated in the context of the broader preparations and objectives of the British government at the time.
Child evacuation was indeed a significant and unprecedented step taken by the government in anticipation of the impact of air raids on civilian populations. The fear of extensive casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and disruption of vital war production prompted the development of plans to evacuate children from vulnerable urban areas to safer rural locations. This effort required a massive national undertaking, involved a degree of social control, and demonstrated the government's commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of society.
Moreover, child evacuation served as a clear indication that modern warfare involved the entire population and necessitated innovative approaches to safeguarding civilians. By directly intervening in family life and mobilizing resources on a large scale, child evacuation highlighted the shifting dynamics of warfare and the need for comprehensive civil defense measures.
However, it is important to consider other civilian preparations that were equally crucial in ensuring the country's readiness for war. Measures such as conscription, national security planning, rationing arrangements, and air raid precautions also played vital roles in preparing the nation for potential conflicts. These initiatives demonstrated the government's recognition of the need for total war mobilization and the prioritization of state interests over individual rights.
In evaluating the significance of child evacuation compared to other preparations, factors such as the emotional impact, societal implications, and operational challenges should be taken into account. While child evacuation brought forth the tragic reality of modern war and emphasized the importance of protecting vulnerable populations, other measures like conscription and air raid precautions were essential for overall national security and resilience.
Ultimately, while child evacuation was a critical element of the British government's preparations for war in September 1939, it is important to recognize the multifaceted nature of civilian readiness efforts and the interconnectedness of various measures in safeguarding the country during times of crisis.
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Child evacuation was the most important civilian preparation for war made by the British government by September 1939.’ Evaluate this view.
Much may depend on how ‘important’ is defined. Reports of civilian bombing had alarmed British governments, especially those reported in the Spanish Civil War. It was feared that bombing would create literally millions of casualties, would destroy morale, would destroy the basic infrastructure of cities and disrupt vital war production. So quite a lot of planning went into meeting the problem. If families were concerned about their children, then this would have a major effect on both morale and production. No arrangements had been made during the First World War, but unprecedented plans for evacuation from vulnerable industrial city areas to rural areas, or even abroad, were made.
As this, unlike many of the preparations, was not based on a 1914–18 model, and involved direct intervention in family life, and assumed massive disruption to cities, then it could be seen as the most important preparation. This is because it involved large numbers of people, required an extensive national effort, a degree of social control, and engineering, to link town and country while also putting the needs of the state above normal family life. It was also the clearest indication that modern war involved the whole population in a way that even the Great War had not.
However, given that not all areas were involved and that it was not compulsory, it might be argued that measures which extended state control over the normal rights of the civilian population, were of greater or equal importance.
The war was clearly imminent from the Spring of 1939, and as British administrators and planners had the experience of the First World War to draw on. Therefore, conscription from April 1939, planning for national security measures, plans for rationing, and the provision of air raid precautions, such as blackouts, might be seen as equally or more important. There was the assumption that the state would need to wage total war, and command the resources it needed, at the expense of the normal rights of the citizens. The overarching preparation for emergency powers might be seen as more significant than the evacuation, which was a reflection of the increased role of the state.
However, the opposite case can be made. The emotional impact of child evacuation and the way that it brought home the tragic reality of modern war underlined the importance of child evacuation. As does how it involved rural areas in war, and how that brought home the gap between the poorer urban areas and many rural districts.