Fishing and farming in WW1

1. National 5 History:
Era of the Great War
Impact on Fishing & Farming

2. Today’s lesson – Fishing & Farming
We are developing our knowledge and understanding of
the impact on the Scottish Economy as a result of World
War One
By the end of today’s lesson I should be able to:
1) Describe ways Scotland’s fishing and farming industries were
impacted by the war.
2) Describe problems faced after the war by these industries.
Today’s lesson involves:
Note taking
National 5 Question

3. Task 1
Take a new page in your jotter placing the following in the centre of the
page:
Impact on
Fishing
Together we are going to populate the mind-
map using the notes from the PowerPoint.

4. German Naval Blockade
During World War One, German ships created a
blockade around Britain not allowing goods/or
food to enter the country.
This was a positive for the fishing industry as it
increased demand and prices for fish that was
caught in Scotland.
However it also brought problems for the
Fishing Industry as the Naval Blockade/War
(Including the Battle of Jutland) made the seas
extremely dangerous. Also it rendered the
North Sea unusable for fishing at this time.
Discussion points:
1) Look at the map of Britain why
would a naval blockade be an
effective strategy?
2) Why would the fishing industry
suffer increased demand as a
result of the blockade.

5. Employment
Before the war around 32,500 men worked in the
Scottish fishing industry out of ports such as Mallaig
and Peterhead. They caught around 25% of all British
fish.
By 1917 the number of fishermen dropped to 22%. To
find other work many men left these communities.
Many men from these communities also went off to
fight with 22% of the population of the Isle of Lewis
joining up.
In addition, the Government often took over ports on
the East Coast where they used fishing vessels for the
war effort.
Discussion point:
1) Why do you think employment
contributed to the increased
demand for fish?
2) What do you think the impact of the
war would have been on villages like
Mallaig which heavily depended on
the industry?

6. Trade
One of Scotland’s largest exports was herring with Scotland before
the war exporting herring from the west coast to countries such as
Russia, Poland and Germany.
However due to the war and many of these countries now becoming
enemies the trade stopped. It did not resume after the war either.
Overseas customers never bought fish from Scotland at the same
rate as they did before the war despite improvements after the war.
The Government gave compensation to the fishermen to help them
after the war but this was not enough to cope with the lack of trade
happening across Europe.
Discussion Point:
1) Did the Great War have a long-term or short-term impact
on fishing in Scotland?
2) Why do you think trade never resumed to the same levels?

7. TASK 2
Answer the following question at the bottom of your mind-map:
1) Do you think that the Great War had a positive or negative impact on
the fishing industry? – Explain your answer.

8. Task 3
Take a new page in your jotter placing the following in the centre of the
page:
Impact on
Farming/Agriculture
Together we are going to populate the mind-
map using the notes from the PowerPoint.

9. German Naval Blockade
The German Naval Blockade had a significant impact on the
farming industry in Scotland.
Before 1914 British imported most of its food from abroad,
however the blockade meant that Britain would have to grow
it’s own food. Why?
Due to this higher demand, farmers could sell more products
– at a higher price than before – making them more money.
Wages for farm workers increased too, doubling for
shepherds.
Discussion points:
1) Why would the farmers sell their
products at a higher price?
2) Is a positive or negative impact of
the war? Why?

10. Workers
The farming industry suffered a lack of workers due to many farmers
and farm-hands signing up to fight in the war.
Other people took their jobs including women, older men and even
prisoners to grow food.
Discussion point:
1) Why would prisoners be a good substitute
for a farm-hand?

11. Equipment & Resources
Farms also lost a lot of horses as they were taken
abroad to fight in the war.
This led to the introduction of new machinery such as
tractors which actually made farming more efficient in
the long-term.
However farmers struggled to get access to fertiliser as
it was also used for munitions.
Feed for animals was also harder to get to the naval
blockade.
Discussion point:
1) Did the war have
a positive or
negative impact on
the farming
industry?

12. Land
The Great War also contributed to the great land-debate in the
Highlands which had been raging on since the Highland Clearances.
Some Highlanders were only encouraged to fight in exchange for land
on their return, however they often did not get what they were
promised.
Land owners often tried to stop Government attempts to give land to
returning soldiers. As a result some soldiers illegally occupied the land
and used it for farming, not many were punished for this.
Eventually the Government passed the Land Settlement Act which let
the Government buy land and split it into little crofts. The legacy of this
is still seen together in areas such as the Western Isles.

13. Nat 5 Questions
Explain why heavy industry declined after the Great War – 6 Marks
How fully does Source A explain the reasons for the decline of Scottish
industries in the 1920’s – 6 marks
Before the First World War, the Scottish economy was very dependent on traditional
industries. When the war ended there was a sharp drop in demand for Clyde-built
warships. The decline in shipbuilding in the 1920s had a damaging effect on the iron and
steel industries. Many of these countries had depended on shipbuilding for their orders.
Despite increased competition from abroad, Scottish manufacturers failed to invest in
new technology. Not surprisingly, overseas markets lost during the war often preferred to
stay with their new supplies.