Why did the Government create DORA and what impact did they

want it to have?

• Recapping Churchill: Are the following statements true or false?

• Churchill was originally a member of the Conservative Party.

• A famous quote of his was “I have nothing to offer but blood, salt, sweat and tears.”

• Churchill listened more to the advice of his friends than the military advisers.

• He was defeated in the 1945 election after winning the war.

DORA – Defence of the Realm Act 1914

• Look at each if the options on the cards and sort into two columns:

Necessary to

Win the war Fake

• Necessary to win the war

• Fake

no-one was allowed to talk about naval or military matters in public places

no-one was allowed to buy binoculars

no-one was allowed to light bonfires or fireworks

no-one was allowed to give bread to horses or chickens

no-one was allowed to use invisible inkwhen writing abroad

no-one was allowed to ring church bells

the government could take over any factory or workshop

the government could try any civilian breaking these laws

No-one was allowed to buy a drink for someone else in a pub.   

the government could censor newspapers

TRICK!They were all part of DORA!

pub opening times were restricted and alcoholwas watered down.

no-one was allowed to fly a kite

Why did the Government need to introduce these measures?

• The Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) was passed in the United Kingdom on 8th August 1914, during the early weeks of World war One. It gave the government wide-ranging powers during the war period, such as the power to requisition buildings or land needed for the war effort, or to make regulations creating criminal offences.

• The law was designed to help prevent invasion and to keep morale at home high.

• It imposed censorship of journalism and of letters coming home from the front line. The press was subject to controls on reporting troop movements, numbers or any other operational information that could be exploited by the enemy.

• People who breached the regulations with intent to assist the enemy could be sentenced to death. 10 people were executed under the regulations.

• DORA was also used to control civilian behaviour. This including regulating alcohol consumption and food supplies. In October 1915 the British government announced several measures they believed would reduce alcohol consumption. A No Treating Order laid down that people could not buy alcoholic drinks for other people. Public House opening times were also reduced to 12.00 noon to 2.30 pm and 6.30 to 9.30 pm. Before the law was changed, public houses could open from 5 am in the morning to 12.30 pm at night.

• The Defence of the Realm Act was added to as the war progressed and it listed everything that people were not allowed to do in time of war.

• Once World War Two began, initiatives used previously like rationing and censorship were resurrected again.

Questions to complete:

• Why was it illegal to fly a kite?

• How would this boost morale?

• Why was it important that the government controlled censorship of the press, literature and letters home?

• Why was DORA an important piece of continuing legislation?