The Defence of the Realm Act 8 th August, 1914

Why?  The Act was passed to ensure that Britons were safe from spying and news or rumours that lowered morale. The Act allowed the government to take any measures necessary to preserve the safety and good order of the country, even if this meant restricting people’s rights and freedoms( eg. free speech.)

Trivial Restrictions It was forbidden to - give bread to dogs, horses, poultry or other animals - buy an alcoholic drink for anyone else, except as a dinner host. -buy binoculars without official permission -melt down gold/silver -fly a kite -talk about military or naval matters in public -send a letter abroad wholly or partly written in invisible ink -shoot a homing pigeon.

Censorship  The reporting that newspapers could do was restricted. Casualty figures were played down and casualty names blacked out in papers. Misleading accounts of battles were printed, implying or openly stating that successes were greater than they were and exaggerating German failures and casualties. Accounts of German atrocities were widely broadcast, though few were genuine. Gruesome photographs were rarely published, and then only of enemy corpses. Propaganda was widespread in the press.

Anti-German cartoon

Military Restrictions  Military law was applied to railways and docks, so that military discipline and punishments were attached to working there (eg vandalism could mean a long prison sentence and arson, execution.) Land/property could be confiscated for military purposes.  Special constables were appointed to maintain law and order, should Britain be invaded.  All motor vehicles not required by the military were to be immobilised, should GB be invaded.  Later in the war, blackout restrictions meant that all windows had to be blacked out.  New courts were set up to deal with any who broke the new rules and punishments were harsh.

Industrial Workers  D.O.R.A. banned men in vital industries from leaving their jobs or joining the army.  Workers in “unimportant” jobs could be redirected into jobs where they could make a bigger contribution to the war effort, even if they didn’t want to go.  Factories not already involved could be forcibly taken over and converted for war material production.  Later on, the Munitions Act made it illegal for workers vital to the war effort (eg shipbuilders) to go on strike.

Munitionettes

Munitions factory