The 20th Century

World War I (1914–1918)

• The war was triggered by complex alliances and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
• Battle of the Somme (1916): British forces suffered 60,000 casualties on the first day
• The war ended at 11:00 on 11 November 1918 — now Remembrance Day
• Remembrance Day: people wear poppies and observe a two-minute silence

Before WWI: Social Reforms

• State retirement pension and free school meals were introduced before WWI
• Florence Nightingale — founder of modern nursing (Crimean War era, but important context)

The Suffragettes

• Emmeline Pankhurst — leader of the suffragette movement
• 1918: Women over 30 gained the right to vote
• 1928: Women gained equal voting rights at age 21, the same as men

The Great Depression (1929)

• Economic downturn with high unemployment, especially in heavy industries
• New industries developed: aviation and automobile manufacturing

World War II (1939–1945)

• 1939: German invasion of Poland led the UK and France to declare war on Germany
• Hitler led the Nazi Party in Germany

Key Events of WWII

Event	Year	Details
Evacuation of Dunkirk	1940	Rescue of 300,000 men by volunteers and small boats
Battle of Britain	1940	Aerial battle between German and British forces
The Blitz	1940–1941	German bombing of British cities

• Winston Churchill was Prime Minister during most of WWII

The Beveridge Report (1942)

• Written by William Beveridge
• Recommended fighting the five "Giant Evils": Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor, and Idleness
• Provided the basis for the modern welfare state

The Butler Act (1944)

• R A Butler introduced the Education Act 1944
• Introduced free secondary education in England and Wales
• Created the distinction between primary and secondary schools