Munitions of War Act 1915 facts for kids
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act to make provision for furthering the efficient manufacture, transport, and supply of Munitions for the present War; and for purposes incidental thereto. |
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| Citation | 5 & 6 Geo. 5. c. 54 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 2 July 1915 |
The Munitions of War Act 1915 was a British law, also called an Act of Parliament. It was passed on July 2, 1915, during the First World War. This law aimed to greatly increase the production of weapons and supplies for the war.
It placed private companies that made war materials under the strict control of a new government department. This department was called the Ministry of Munitions, and it was led by David Lloyd George. The main idea behind the law was that nothing should stop the country from getting the supplies it needed for the war.
Contents
Why the Act Was Needed
The Shell Crisis of 1915
The Munitions Act was created because of a big problem known as the Shell Crisis of 1915. During this time, the British army did not have enough artillery shells and other important war supplies. This shortage caused a political crisis for the Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith.
Because of this crisis, a new government was formed on May 17, 1915. It was a "coalition government," meaning it included members from all three main political parties. They worked together to solve the problem of not having enough war materials.
What the Act Did
Controlling War Industries
The Munitions of War Act brought many changes to how factories and workers operated. It put very strong rules on wages, working hours, and job conditions. The law made it a serious offense for a worker to leave their job at a "Controlled Establishment" without their employer's permission. Getting this permission was almost impossible in practice.
The Act also made strikes and lockouts illegal. Instead of workers stopping work or factories closing, any disagreements had to be settled through something called "compulsory arbitration." This meant a special group would make a decision that both sides had to follow.
Changes for Workers and Factories
The law set up a system to control industries that were important for the war. It created special courts called "munitions tribunals." These courts were set up to make sure workers followed good practices and that factories produced what was needed.
For the time the war lasted, the Act also put a stop to certain rules made by trade unions. Trade unions are groups that protect workers' rights. These rules often limited how many hours people could work or who could do certain jobs. The Act also limited how easily workers could move between different jobs.
The courts decided that the definition of "munitions" was very broad. This meant the law applied not only to weapon factories but also to workers in textile factories and even dock workers.
After the War
The Munitions of War Act was eventually cancelled in 1919. However, similar laws were put in place again during the Second World War.
As promised when the Act was first made, many of its main features were removed. This happened under a new law called the Restoration of Pre-War Practices Act 1919. This new law brought back old rules about who could work, like allowing women and less skilled workers to be employed. It also changed rules about overtime and how apprentices (people learning a trade) were trained.
See also
