1915 Rent Strikes

1. National 5 History:
Era of the Great War
1915 Rent Strikes

2. Today’s lesson – 1915 Rent Strikes
We are developing our knowledge and understanding of
the impact of the 1915 Rent Strikes
By the end of today’s lesson I should be able to:
1) Explain why the 1915 Rent Strikes took place.
2) Describe the events of the 1915 Rent Strikes
Today’s lesson involves:
Note taking
National 5 Question

3. What was the 1915 Rent Strikes?
During the Great War there
were large scale protests across
Scotland; these aimed to stop
the rent increases on houses
and flats in the city which were
rising at a high rate.
Discussion point:
1) What would the impact of
rent increases be on the average
Glaswegian?

4. Why did the 1915 Rent Strikes take place?
Population Increase
The Great War led to an economic boom in
Scotland; more people than ever had jobs and
many industries in fact were desperate for
workers. As a result many workers came to
Glasgow in search for work.
Areas such as Glasgow, Dundee and
Clydebank saw increases in their population.
As a result of this population movement there
was a greater demand than ever for housing.
Discussion Point
1) Why did Glasgow, Dundee and Clydebank
experience population increases? Have a
detailed answer prepared.

5. Rent Increases
In Glasgow, due to the increasing population
landlords decided to charge an extra 25% on
some rents in the city.
This meant that tenants had to pay their money
or lose their homes.
These rent increases also took place at the same
time as rising food prices, meaning that some
people were already short of money.
In addition, many of the houses in Glasgow were
of poor quality and people did resent paying
more than required for them.
This was not new to Scotland as previous
protests took place in Dundee in 1912.
What adjectives would you
use to describe this
photograph? Try to come
up with at least 4

6. Responses to the Rent Strikes
Due to many men being at war, landlords assumed
that individuals would not fight against the rent
strikes. However women tenants in particular
fought back.
One campaign group formed was the Glasgow
Women’s housing association led by women such
as Mary Barbour.
Task
Watch the following clip about Mary Barbour and
take down some notes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-
S4ecGYwQ4
The Mary Barbour ‘Song’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1REUYD01Nr
0
Why do you think it is
significant that
women played a role
in the strikes?

7. Methods of resistance
Identify the methods of resistance and write them into your jotter.
Protests
Propaganda
What other methods of resistance can
you think of?
The campaign groups
worked to stop
evictions, they worked
with large crowds to
stop Sheriff officers
evicting people in the
city. Thousands often
turned up to stop the
eviction.

8. The Strikes
The strikes began in May 1915. The rent was mainly
formed around the idea that tenants would not pay
their rent, 25,000 Glaswegians took part in this.
The protests often turned violent with officers often
being attacked with flour bombs or other materials.
At other times male workers would strike and
support the women in the campaign. These workers
often worked in the munitions factories which
damaged the war effort.
The strikes then spread across Scotland to cities such
as Dundee and Aberdeen.

9. Aftermath of the Strikes
The Government was worried about the strikes hurting the war effort
so they passed the Rent Restriction Act of 1914 to keep rent prices at
1914 levels.
As a result of the success of the strikes many working class people saw
striking as a way to get what they wanted such as higher wages.
These protests continued after the war and culminated in the Battle of
George Square in 1919.

10. Comprehension Question(s)
How fully does Source A explain why there was political protests in
Scotland between 1910-1919? – 6 Marks
In the period just after the Great War there was a wave of working-class protest. It was
feared that the soldiers returning from war would find no work and many women had
also lost their jobs. The Government was worried that the workers of Clydeside would
attempt to copy the Bolshevik revolution of 1917. There was a great deal of political
unrest and some of the protestors even called for a ‘Scottish Workers’ Republic’