"Keep Calm and Carry On": England's Home Front in World War II

About this event

British government propaganda dubbed World War II "The People's War." In it, there would be no sharp distinction between a soldier and civilian, as air raids targeted populations once considered off limits: women, children, and the elderly. Historian Julie Taddeo looks at the many ways in which civilians participated in the war effort, from the Home Guard volunteers of "Dad's Army" to housewives who were reminded to "Make Do and Mend," to child evacuees and those raising rabbits and collecting scrap metal. Rationing also led to many creative responses to shortages in everything from women's stockings to butter and sugar, the latter essential for a birthday or Christmas celebration. Not all people experienced war in the same way, with factors such as age, gender, class, and race influencing how they lived through the conflict. Taddeo looks at Prime Minister Winston Churchill's radio speeches and how wartime films like 1942's Mrs. Miniver encouraged audiences to "Keep Calm and Carry On." She also discusses how memories of "The People's War" live on in British TV shows and films in the 21st century-so much that Queen Elizabeth II invoked the wartime spirit as a rallying call for unity during the Covid-19 pandemic, with Britons and Americans proudly growing Victory Gardens in 2020. General Information View Common FAQs and Policies about our Online Programs on Zoom .