Scotland’s economy and the war Era of the Great War Scotland’s economy and the war

Scotland’s economy and the war In today’s class I am learning to: Describe ways that Scotland’s economy was affected by the war Describe problems faced after the war by Scottish industries

Scotland’s economy and the war The First World War had an enormous effect on Scotland’s economy, both during the conflict and also after it had finished.

Scotland’s economy and the war Prior to the war starting, large numbers of people in Scotland’s urban areas (towns and cities) worked in heavy industry, such as factories and shipyards. In rural areas many were employed in farming and fishing, and also mining.

Scotland’s economy and the war Glasgow and the Clyde area had a huge number of shipyards as well as textile factories. Dundee was well known for the jute industry, and areas like Fife, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire were heavily involved in coal mining.

Scotland’s economy and the war The war had a huge impact on employment in the country. Due to the need for large numbers of men to fight – and also people to work in war industries – unemployment was almost wiped out across Scotland and Britain.

Scotland’s economy and the war However after the war there was a big increase in unemployment. The country no longer needed as many men in the military, or to make weapons, and many women lost their jobs to make way for returning soldiers.

Scotland’s economy and the war Heavy industry

Scotland’s economy and the war The war had a major impact on Scotland’s heavy industries. Heavy industries during this era included shipbuilding, mining and iron & steel production. It also covered textile factories (such as jute and cotton).

Scotland’s economy and the war The war led to a huge increase in demand in heavy industries. Shipyards saw big increases in orders to help provide ships to fight the war. Iron and steel production increased to make ships and other weapons.

Scotland’s economy and the war Textile factories had to produce more materials, whether to make uniforms for soldiers or sand bags (jute). New factories were also set up to make many of the weapons used in the war, such as guns and artillery shells.

Scotland’s economy and the war Many men that had worked in heavy industries left to join the military (although some stayed in reserved jobs). In order to replace them, large numbers of women joined the workplaces, doing jobs traditionally considered ‘men’s work’.

Scotland’s economy and the war When the war ended however, things changed considerably for the heavy industries. With Britain’s military no longer needing as many weapons, textiles, metals or coal, all of these industries saw a major fall in demand.

Scotland’s economy and the war However heavy industry faced other problems. Before 1914 Britain was a world leader in the heavy industries; now there was more competition from abroad, so British companies went out of business.

Scotland’s economy and the war Countries like the USA and Germany produced iron at a much cheaper rate than Scotland. Shipyards also lost out to competition from other countries and textile factories suffered due to cheaper cloth from India and Japan.

Scotland’s economy and the war Other countries could also mine their own coal, and British mines lost out because it was harder to sell coal abroad during the war. Coal also suffered because other sources of energy – like electricity – started to be used.

Scotland’s economy and the war There were other reasons for economic collapse too. In 1920, the introduction of prohibition (banning alcohol) in the USA meant fewer orders for whisky. This caused problems in distilleries across Scotland.

Scotland’s economy and the war As a result of this there was a big increase in unemployment amongst men after the war. In addition women that had taken men’s jobs were dismissed from their posts, or sometimes allowed to stay but on lower wages.

Scotland’s economy and the war This led to high levels of emigration, especially to other parts of the British Empire such as Canada and Australia. The British government even offered help such as free or cheap travel and land to those people making the journey.

Scotland’s economy and the war Fishing

Scotland’s economy and the war The war had a mixed impact on Scotland’s fishing industry. As the country needed to feed itself – especially due to Germany’s naval blockade – it did increase demand within Britain for fish that were caught in Scotland.

Scotland’s economy and the war However the war also brought problems for the fishing industry. The naval war made it dangerous for fishing vessels to go out to sea. The North Sea was largely cut off, and only inshore areas in the west coast could be used.

Scotland’s economy and the war Many of the men that went to war to fight came from small fishing communities, and this made fishing difficult. In addition the government used some fishing vessels and ports for war work, again hurting the industry.

Scotland’s economy and the war Before the war Scotland sold large amounts of herring to Russia, Poland and North Germany. However the war ended this, either because they were enemies or it was impossible to transport. This trade did not recover after the war.

Scotland’s economy and the war After the war there were some improvements, especially now that fishermen could again venture out to sea. However overseas countries never again bought fish from Scotland at the same rate as beforehand.

Scotland’s economy and the war Also the government gave compensation to fishermen whose boats had been taken to be used for war work. However this money was often not enough to fix the damage that had been done during the fighting.

Scotland’s economy and the war Agriculture (farming)

Scotland’s economy and the war Like fishing, the Great War had a mixed impact on Scotland’s farmers. Before 1914 most food eaten in Britain had been bought from abroad, however the Germans’ naval blockade meant Britain needed to grow its own food.

Scotland’s economy and the war As a result of higher demand for food and other products (e.g. wool to make uniforms), prices increased. This meant that farmers could sell more products – and at a higher price than before – making them more money.

Scotland’s economy and the war However farming also suffered from a loss of workers as many farm employees signed up to join the military. Other people took their place, such as women, boys and older men. Even prisoners were used to grow food.

Scotland’s economy and the war Farms also lost large numbers of horses as they were taken abroad for war work. However this led to making more use of new machinery (like tractors) which actually made farming more efficient in the long term.

Scotland’s economy and the war The war also caused arguments about land. Some Highlanders were encouraged to volunteer to fight in exchange for getting land after the war. However they did not always get what they were promised, leading to anger.

Scotland’s economy and the war In many cases land owners tried to stop government attempts to give land to these returning soldiers. As a result of this, some soldiers illegally occupied land and used it for farming. Few ever ever punished for this.