Liberal Reforms 1906-1918

Preparation and Planning

The outlined activities and supporting stimuli provide sufficient material to cover at least one lesson. Extension activities could further support learning into two or even three lessons, depending on the time available and student ability. The suggested timings in the Lesson Plan grid are only a guide and you may choose to increase the time allocated to particular activities.

Ensure you have access to a laptop and overhead or whiteboard projector to show students the attached PowerPoint Slides.

You will also need to photocopy enough of the Student Worksheets for the whole class. Student Worksheet 1-2 is completed in pairs and 3-4 are used by four large groups.

About the MOD Topic

The Boer War

The Boer War was fought from 11th October 1899 until 31st May 1902, between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics of the South African Republic (Transvaal Republic) and the Orange Free State. The War was the culmination of a prolonged struggle for control of South Africa and was triggered by a sudden influx of British settlers following the discovery of Gold deposits in the Transvaal.

In October 1899 the Boers began to mount pre-emptive strikes into British held territory in Natal and the Cape Colony. These strikes proved to be very successful and severely weakened the British authority in the state. Following these initial Boer victories the British Government greatly increased the number of troops which it had stationed in the area which lead to successful counter attacks to regain the territory which it had lost. Having regained the lost ground, the British continued to push forward and attack the Transvaal and in June 1900 captured the capital, Pretoria.

The Boers began a hard fought guerrilla warfare campaign against British Armed Forces, realising that they could not hope to match British numbers and military resources. They relied instead on their tactical understanding of the terrain. This guerrilla war lasted two years with British Armed Forces undertaking a scorched earth policy, destroying Boer farms in an attempt to cut off the guerrilla fighters' supplies.

The War ended in 1902 when both parties agreed to the Treaty of Vereeniging which led to the two Boer states being absorbed into the British Empire. However the fact that the mighty British Empire had taken over three years to quell Boer forces made up of untrained farmers, was regarded as an embarrassment. The War had also cost over £200 million, a fact that made the War particularly unpopular with the British public. Attempts to increase the strength of the British Army through recruitment served to highlight the poor health of the British working class. Up to 40% of recruits were deemed unfit for military service with many suffering from problems such as rickets which is symptomatic of malnutrition and other poverty-related diseases. As a direct result of this, the Government set up a specially appointed Committee on Physical Deterioration in 1903 which aimed to determine why so many recruits were being rejected on the grounds of health. The Committee recommended that the Government take the following measures:
a) carry out medical inspections of children in schools,
b) provide free school meals for the very poor,
c) provide training in mother craft (skills such as needlework, cooking etc).

These recommendations helped to influence the reforms which the Liberal Government introduced between 1906 and 1918.

The Military Covenant:
The recognition that Britain has a 'duty of care' to its Armed Forces began as an unspoken pact between society and the military, possibly having originated as far back as Henry VIII's reign. The pact was formally codified as a 'Covenant' in 2000. It is not a law but is reinforced by custom and convention. Whilst the Covenant only officially applies to the British Army, its core principles are taken to extend to the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy as well.

The codified Covenant reads as follows:

"The Military Covenant is the mutual obligation between the Nation, the Army and each individual soldier; an unbreakable common bond of identity, loyalty and responsibility which has sustained the Army throughout its history.

Soldiers will be called upon to make personal sacrifices - including the ultimate sacrifice - in the service of the Nation. In putting the needs of the Nation and the Army before their own, they forego some of the rights enjoyed by those outside the Armed Forces. In return, British soldiers must always be able to expect fair treatment, to be valued and respected as individuals, and that they (and their families) will be sustained and rewarded by commensurate terms and conditions of service.

In the same way the unique nature of military land operations means that the Army differs from all other institutions, and must be sustained and provided for accordingly by the Nation. This mutual obligation forms the Military Covenant between the Nation, the Army and each individual soldier; an unbreakable common bond of identity, loyalty and responsibility which has sustained the Army throughout its history.

It has perhaps its greatest manifestation in the annual commemoration of Armistice Day, when the Nation keeps covenant with those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives in Action."

The Government's 'duty of care' to troops includes paying towards healthcare, housing and also providing support for bereaved families.

The Covenant gives the Government 'combat immunity', which prevents soldiers from claiming compensation for injuries they received in combat except under official compensation schemes. Because soldiers cannot take the Crown to a civil court, the Covenant is viewed as important in protecting soldiers' rights to compensation.

Further Opportunities for Learning

Split the class into two groups and ask them to debate the following question: Poverty and ill health made British citizens unfit to fight in the Boer War. Is the growth in clinical obesity amongst young people in Britain today likely to affect the country's war-fighting ability in the future?

Student worksheet answers

Download the teachers notes PDF to access the answers for this lesson.