1. Scotland & The Great War Recruitment
Starter:
Why would men sign up in large numbers to fight in a war?
Write a list of your reasons.

2. Today we will… Revise the causes of the First World War
Identify the reasons for recruitment into the army
Explain the reasons why so many Scots volunteered

3. Issue 1: Scots on the Western Front
What you need to know…
Exam questions will focus on the following:
Voluntary Recruitment
Life on the Western Front
The Scots Regiments
Wider role of Scots in WWI

4. Issue 1: Scots on the Western Front
The outbreak of war
Long term causes – the British/ German naval race, trade rivalry, alliances
Short term causes – assassination at Sarajevo

5. Europe’s two armed camps
The Triple Entente
(or Entente Cordiale)
The Triple Alliance
(or Central Powers)
BRITAIN
GERMANY
FRANCE
AUSTRIA- HUNGARY
RUSSIA
ITALY

6. Issue 1: Scots on the Western Front
Outbreak of War
Britain joined the Great War on August 4th after the German invasion of Belgium.
Britain had promised to guarantee Belgian neutrality – Germany invaded using the Schlieffen Plan.

8. Scots Recruitment in WW1
Issue 1: Scots on the Western Front
Scots Recruitment in WW1
Following the invasion of Belgium, Britain sent a small force – the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) to France on August 10th 1914, roughly 100,000 men.
This was far too small for modern warfare. The Secretary State for War, Field Marshal Lord Kitchener put out an urgent call for volunteers to join the armed forces.

9. Scots Recruitment in WW1
Issue 1: Scots on the Western Front
Scots Recruitment in WW1
All young men aged were asked to volunteer and it was a huge success.
By 1915 almost 1¼ million men volunteered.
However more Scots volunteered in proportion to the population than any other part of Britain e.g. by the end of august 1914 over 20,000 had volunteered to fight from Glasgow alone.

10. Why did so many Scots volunteer?
Issue 1: Scots on the Western Front
Why did so many Scots volunteer?
Patriotism – a love for your country
Belgian atrocities – supposed treatment of Belgians by German soldiers
Peer pressure – friends volunteered, girl friends, fathers
Guilt - fear of white feather
Sense of adventure – get away from mundane lives.
Money – wages in the army were higher than in many jobs – a shilling a day

12. ‘Over by Christmas’
Young men were convinced by propaganda and censored newspapers that the war would be ‘won by Christmas’
They didn’t want to miss a chance to be a hero

13. Government recruitment posters played on patriotism, sense of duty and sense of adventure

14. Why did so many Scots volunteer?
Issue 1: Scots on the Western Front
Why did so many Scots volunteer?
Along with standard reasons, there were also particular reasons for Scottish soldiers:
Scottish martial (fighting) tradition inspired many.
Scotland suffered higher unemployment and more widespread poverty than most areas in Britain. The army was a chance for a regular job and wage.
‘pals battalions’ - many Scots rushed to join up together to fight alongside friends.

15. Why did so many Scots volunteer?
Issue 1: Scots on the Western Front
Why did so many Scots volunteer?
There were two famous ‘pals’ battalions’
the 15th battalion of the Highland Light Infantry (the HLI were Glasgow’s regiment) called the ‘Tramway Battalion’ as it was made up mainly of tram drivers and workers.
McCrae’s Battalion who were made up of the Heart of Midlothian football team & supporters.

16. Issue 1: Scots on the Western Front
Tramway Battalion
The ‘Tramway Battalion’ were the Glasgow regiment of the Highland Light Infantry.
The ‘Tramway Battalion’ were the fastest recruited battalion in the history of the British Army – some 1100 recruits in 16 hours.
The ‘Tramway Battalion’ fought at the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

17. Issue 1: Scots on the Western Front
McCrae’s Battalion
The footballers of Heart of Midlothian football team continued to play football once the war had started and they were accused of cowardice for continuing with the “awful farce of football”.
The Edinburgh Evening News suggested that they should be renamed “The White Feathers of Midlothian”.
Sir George McCrae launched an appeal for recruits and within 7 days, 13 professional footballers and 100s of supporters had signed up.
McCrae’s suffered massive losses at the Battle of the Somme and 3 players were killed.

18. McCrae’s Battalion Memorial

19. Why did so many Scots volunteer?
Issue 1: Scots on the Western Front
Why did so many Scots volunteer?
The pals’ battalions were soon discouraged when it became clear the disastrous effect it could have on communities.
As pal’s battalions fought together, in battles where there were heavy losses, there were communities where large numbers of men were killed.
Memorial built in 1922 to the soldiers of McCrae’s battalion who were killed.

20. The Scottish Experience in WW1
Issue 1: Scots on the Western Front
The Scottish Experience in WW1
Trench warfare
By Christmas 1914 due to poor weather and exhaustion the troops on both sides began to dig trenches for protection and shelter.
Soon these trenches would stretch 600 miles from the English Channel to Switzerland. The trench would be the main feature of warfare between 1914 – 1918.

21. The Scottish Experience in WW1
Issue 1: Scots on the Western Front
The Scottish Experience in WW1

22. The Scottish Experience in WW1
Issue 1: Scots on the Western Front
The Scottish Experience in WW1
Life in a trench:
Muddy conditions leading to trench foot.
Vermin e.g. lice, corpse rats, clouds of flies in summer.
Boredom e.g. cleaning weapons, filling sand bags, basic food rations etc.
Constant fear of death led to nervous breakdowns e.g. snipers, shell shock.
Basic food rations – bully beef, biscuits, tinned jam, stale bread
Censorship of letters, worrying about wives etc. left behind.

23. The Scottish Experience in WW1
Issue 1: Scots on the Western Front
The Scottish Experience in WW1
Research Task - Life in a trench:
As a pair, or a small group, you are going to investigate one aspect of trench life and produce an informative PowerPoint.
You should know the basics from S3, but you need to research your topic in a lot more detail and find sources, photographs, testimonies that can be used to support your findings.
You should have:
Detailed information
Primary sources
Specific Scottish examples (soldiers, battalions etc.)