Why did the Government create
DORA and what impact did they
want it to have?
• Recapping Churchill: Are the following
statements true or false?
• Churchill was originally a member of the
Conservative Party.
• A famous quote of his was “I have nothing
to offer but blood, salt, sweat and tears.”
• Churchill listened more to the advice of his
friends than the military advisers.
• He was defeated in the 1945 election after
winning the war.
DORA – Defence of the Realm Act
1914
• Look at each if the options on the cards
and sort into two columns:
Necessary to
Win the war
Fake
• Necessary to win the
war
• Fake
no-one was allowed to talk about naval
or military matters in public places
no-one was allowed to buy binoculars
no-one was allowed to light bonfires or
fireworks
no-one was allowed to give bread to
horses or chickens
no-one was allowed to use invisible ink
when writing abroad
no-one was allowed to ring church bells
the government could take over any
factory or workshop
the government could try any civilian
breaking these laws
No-one was allowed to buy a drink for someone
else in a pub.
the government could censor newspapers
pub opening times were restricted and alcohol
was watered down.
no-one was allowed to fly a kite
TRICK!
They were
all part
of DORA!
Why did the Government need to
introduce these measures?
• The Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) was
passed in the United Kingdom on 8th August
1914, during the early weeks of World war One.
It gave the government wide-ranging powers
during the war period, such as the power to
requisition buildings or land needed for the war
effort, or to make regulations creating criminal
offences.
• The law was designed to help prevent invasion
and to keep morale at home high.
• It imposed censorship of journalism and of
letters coming home from the front line. The
press was subject to controls on reporting troop
movements, numbers or any other operational
information that could be exploited by the
enemy.
• People who breached the regulations with intent
to assist the enemy could be sentenced to
death. 10 people were executed under the
regulations.
• DORA was also used to control civilian
behaviour. This including regulating alcohol
consumption and food supplies. In October 1915
the British government announced several
measures they believed would reduce alcohol
consumption. A No Treating Order laid down that
people could not buy alcoholic drinks for other
people. Public House opening times were also
reduced to 12.00 noon to 2.30 pm and 6.30 to
9.30 pm. Before the law was changed, public
houses could open from 5 am in the morning to
12.30 pm at night.
• The Defence of the Realm Act was added
to as the war progressed and it listed
everything that people were not allowed to
do in time of war.
• Once World War Two began, initiatives
used previously like rationing and
censorship were resurrected again.
Questions to complete:
• Why was it illegal to fly a kite?
• How would this boost morale?
• Why was it important that the government
controlled censorship of the press,
literature and letters home?
• Why was DORA an important piece of
continuing legislation?