Life in Scotland before the war

1. National 5 History: Era of the
Great War
What was Scotland like in 1910?

2. Today’s lesson
We are consolidating our knowledge and understanding of the key
events that led to the outbreak of war in 1914.
By the end of today’s lesson I should be able to…
1) Describe what life was like in Scotland before 1914.
2) Explain the short term and long term causes of WW1.
3) Describe the ‘Road to War’
Today’s lesson will involve:
Note-taking.
Guided reading
Creating a diagram

3. Life in 1910’s Scotland
In 1910 Britain was the world’s greatest
superpower. It ruled an empire which covered a
quarter of the world’s surface.
Glasgow was a very important part of the empire
due to its successful heavy industries, yet by 1910
Glasgow’s dominance as the second city of the
Empire was under threat.
Politically it was a time for change with the
Scottish Labour Party leading the charge for better
social reform so that everyone had better housing,
health care and educational opportunities.

4. Task 1
In front of you is a diagram about 1910’s Scotland. You must fill out the
diagram using the information dotted around the room. You have got
20 minutes.
When finished attempt to answer the following comprehension
question
Was Scotland in a good position prior to the war? Explain
your answer.

5. Scotland in 1910
Scotland’s People Scotland’s Politics
Scotland’s Problems Scotland’s Economy
Factor 1: The Empire Factor 1: The Scottish Labour Party
Factor 2: The Highlands
Factor 1: Housing conditions and
poverty.
Factor 2: Industrial Problems Factor 1: Glasgow
Factor 2: Industries in Scotland

6. Scotland’s People
• Many of Scotland’s people were subjects of the British Empire which
covered 25% of the world and ruled by George V.
• The Empire presented many opportunities for Scots as they could
travel across the world without entering ‘foreign’ lands so they could
travel to Canada or Australia without much fuss.
• The Empire did stretch from one end of the world to the other hence
the saying ‘The sun never sets on the British Empire’.

7. Scotland’s Politics
• There were two main political parties in Britain at the time, the
Conservatives led by Arthur Balfour and the Liberals led by Prime Minister
Herbert Asquith.
• However in Scotland more radical socialist parties began to be set up such
as the Labour Representation Committee or Labour Party for short. This
was set up by Scottish Trade Unions and the Independent Labour Party
(ILP), the Labour Party often supported the Striking workers.
• There was also political unrest in the Highlands due to landowners kicking
tenants off land. Although the Crofters Act of 1886 gave people renting
land and housing in the Highlands some protection many were still kicked
off their land.

8. Scotland’s Problems
Scotland had many problems at this time both social problems and economic
problems. Industries began to suffer due to raw materials running out and
competition from other countries who could do the work more cheaply.
Many workers also went on Strike to force employers to give workers what
they want. Trade unions often represented these workers and asked for
better pay and conditions. Problems people went on strike over included the
fact that wages in Scotland’s cities were 10% lower than in England cities
while living costs were 5% higher. An example of a strike saw 30,000 mill
workers go on strike in Dundee.
Scotland was also experiencing a population boom in the cities which lead to
slums being created in the city. In 1911, 13% of the population of Scotland
lived in overcrowded conditions, often in a tenement flat. The conditions in
these flats were dark, gloomy and unsanitary with 10% of all homes only
having one room.

9. Scotland’s Economy
Scotland’s Economy depended on the empire with Glasgow at the centre of
it. Glasgow was the largest city in Scotland and new buildings such as the
City Chambers were built to display its wealth to the country and to the
world. Glasgow’s main industries included shipbuilding and the steel works
at Ravenscraig.
The location of Glasgow was important because of the River Clyde. This
allowed for a direct trading route between Scotland and the rest of the
world.
Economic growth was also spread right across Scotland was Dundee known
for the 3 J’s (Jute, Jam and Journalism) and Aberdeen being a major fishing
port. There were also 560 coal mines in Scotland including many in the
Cumnock and East Ayrshire coal fields.

10. National 5 History:
Causes of World War One