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Britain Under Threat: Civil Defence in the Era of Total War, 1914–1989 - Volumes
Volumes
3 volumes in Britain Under Threat: Civil Defence in the Era of Total War, 1914–1989
First World War
Sourced from The National Archives (UK), this volume explores British civil defence during the First World War, the first major conflict to feature aerial warfare. German air raids led the government to develop protective measures, marking the origins of modern civil defence.Civil defence relied not only on the government, but also on civilians safeguarding their homes and communities. The documents in this volume highlight these collective efforts, showcasing a range of materials on air raid precautions. For example, AIR 1/498/15/316 includes a poster designed to help the public identify hostile enemy aircraft, as well as those that were friendly. The documents demonstrate how civil defence authorities believed that cultivating awareness and preparedness amongst Britain’s population was crucial for national defence. Documents such as AIR 1/537/16/12/143 and AIR 1/308/15/226/185 contain reports on the organisation of air raid warnings. These reports detail the system for communicating warnings and contain maps depicting warning districts. Documents such as HO 45/10789/300000 and HO 45/10794/302000 discuss wartime lighting restrictions that were put in place in towns, villages, and in London. HO 45/10899/371825 contains correspondence on the relaxation of these restrictions post-Armistice. Together, these records provide insights into the challenges faced by civil defence in response to aerial warfare, and how, over time, civil defence strategies evolved to overcome this threat. Read more →
Second World War
Sourced from The National Archives (UK), this volume contains documents on civil defence during the Second World War. Fearing that aerial bombing could force Britain’s surrender before a shot was fired, the government established the Air Raid Precautions (ARP) service to enforce blackouts, build shelters, and oversee fire-watching.This volume explores this extensive civil defence effort, which included shelter construction, recruitment of wardens and post-raid helpers, as well as major propaganda campaigns. Public information leaflets such as "Some Things You Should Know If War Should Come" (HO 186/114), “Evacuation, Why and How” (HO 186/116), and "Your Food in Wartime" (HO 186/117), were produced to keep the public informed on how to handle difficult situations. A range of films and pamphlets likewise instructed people on what to do when they heard an air raid siren (HO 186/1064, HO 186/1219, and HO 186/1216) and how to use gas masks (INF 6/315, HO 186/115).Documents such as HO 205/230, HO 205/231, and HO 205/233 contain public letters, police statements, and reports on the tragic Bethnal Green Tube Station disaster of 3 March 1943, which claimed 173 lives. This volume also includes records that shed light on the Imperial War Museum’s efforts to preserve wartime civil defence material and so record a turbulent period of history as it unfolded (e.g. HO 186/2097 and HO 186/2681). Women played a vital role in civil defence, many joined the Women’s Voluntary Service (WVS). Documents such as HO 186/572, HO 199/401, HO 199/452, and HO 186/1654 allow you to explore the essential duties of the WVS in more detail, while HO 186/1471 and HO 199/401 highlight gender-based pay disparities in civil defence work. By capturing not just government policy, but also the lived experiences of ordinary people, the sources in this volume paint a holistic picture of civil defence during the Second World War. Read more →
Cold War
Sourced from The National Archives (UK), this volume contains a range of documents related to civil defence during the Cold War. The advent of the atomic bomb brought a constant threat of nuclear attack, forcing the British government to develop protective measures, despite the immense destructive potential of such weapons. The emergence of the hydrogen bomb made it harder to predict anuclear attack or its impact on basic services.The documents in this volume illustrate Britain’s attempts to protect against nuclear attack. With limited funding and political will for public shelters, the focus shifted to home-based survival. The Home Office issued leaflets such as “How to make your home and your family as safe as possible under nuclear attack” (INF 6/2531) and “Advising the householder on protection against nuclear attack” (HO 338/57), which guided citizens on how to construct makeshift fallout shelters. Emphasis was also placed on creating civil defence recruitment posters (INF 13/236, INF 13/237, INF 13/116), as well as films on nuclear warfare, such as “The Walking Point” (INF 6/37).Additionally, this volume explores the physical and psychological effects of nuclear war, including Sally Leivesley’s detailed analysis of potential psychological responses (HO 322/1242) to this extreme form of conflict. These documents offer insight into the challenges of civil defence in an era defined by the nuclear threat. Read more →
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