HistoryBritain, Europe and the wider world, 1901–present40 min★★★ difficulty

Lesson 5: Britain and the Second World War

Battle, empire, civilian mobilisation and moral choices make a history broader than a simple heroic story.

Part of your national curriculum

Challenges 1901 to the present: Understand challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day, including the First and Second World Wars and the Holocaust
Historical enquiry: Discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed
Challenges 1901 to the present: Understand the changing nature of the United Kingdom's relationships with the rest of Europe and the wider world in the twentieth century

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Understand challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day, including the First and Second World Wars and the Holocaust

Key learning points

• A worldwide coalition
• Home front and warfare

This lesson at a glance

40 minutes
24 parts to scroll through
3 quick checks
Marked quiz at the end
Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

challengesbritaineuropepresentsecond

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Part 1 of 24 · Discover4%

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Part 1 of 24

Short introduction

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Lesson 5: Britain and the Second World War

Britain at war, 1939-45: the home front and everyday life.

In a nutshell

Understand challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day, including the First and Second World Wars and the Holocaust

What you already know

Part 2 of 24

Before we start

What you already know

You should already know that the Second World War lasted from 1939 to 1945, and that Britain had an empire and Commonwealth partners.

Recap: Lesson 4: The Holocaust: persecution to genocide

Key words

Part 3 of 24

Key words

Words you'll need today

Blitz: The sustained German bombing of British cities from 1940.
Evacuation: Moving children and others away from likely bombing targets.
Rationing: Limiting how much food and goods each person could buy.
Coalition: States fighting together towards a shared aim.

Reset break

Part 4 of 24

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Your lesson plan

Part 5 of 24

Lesson brief

How should Britain’s war be remembered?

By the end, you will be able to

• Build an accurate twentieth-century chronology
• Connect British, European and global developments
• Use official records and testimony ethically and critically

Resources

• First World War unit war diary (1914–1918)
• Lesson notes and marked knowledge check

4 minRecall the chronology and frame the enquiry

16 minRead the textbook explanation and build the argument

12 minInterrogate the archive evidence in context

8 minAnswer the checks and write a supported conclusion

Learning cycle

Part 6 of 24

Learning cycle 1 of 2

A worldwide coalition

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

Explore the idea

Part 7 of 24

Learn

A worldwide coalition

Britain fought alongside imperial and Commonwealth forces, occupied European resistance and, later, the USSR and USA.

Reset break

Part 8 of 24

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Quick check

Part 9 of 24

Quick check

Britain fought as part of…

Give me a hint

Quick check

Part 10 of 24

Quick check

The Blitz targeted…

Give me a hint

Learning cycle

Part 11 of 24

Learning cycle 2 of 2

The home front and hard questions

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

Reset break

Part 12 of 24

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Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

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Explore the idea

Part 13 of 24

Learn

Home front and warfare

The Blitz, evacuation and rationing shaped civilians, while strategic bombing raises difficult questions about necessity and cost.

Quick check

Part 14 of 24

Quick check

A balanced account should…

Give me a hint

Investigate evidence

Part 15 of 24

Evidence 1 of 1

primary

First World War unit war diary

British Army units, 1914–1918

Daily entries record positions, orders, casualties and conditions in the language of military administration.

War diaries are contemporary operational records. They are strong for unit activity but rarely capture every soldier's experience or emotion.

Think like a historian

What can an official diary establish securely, and what would a personal letter add?

Source: The National Archives, First World War 100 resources

View the archive record ↗

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Common mix-ups

Part 17 of 24

Common mix-ups

Things people often get wrong

People often tell the story as Britain alone. Imperial, Commonwealth, Allied and resistance forces all fought.
People often avoid difficult questions about strategic bombing. Historians weigh military necessity against civilian cost.

Challenge round

Part 18 of 24

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

Challenge round

Part 19 of 24

Game · Fill the gaps

Finish the sentences

Choose the word that belongs in each gap.

____ fought alongside imperial and Commonwealth forces, occupied European resistance and, later, the USSR and USA.

Reset break

Part 20 of 24

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Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

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Challenge round

Part 21 of 24

Game · Recall cards

The immediate trigger was…

Card 1 of 4

Exit quiz

Part 22 of 24

Exit quiz

Show what you've learned

6 questions, marked together at the end. Nothing is timed.

1. Britain fought as part of…
2. The Blitz targeted…
3. Evacuation moved…
4. Rationing was introduced to…
5. Strategic bombing raises difficult questions about…
6. A balanced account of Britain's war should…

Mastery quiz

Part 23 of 24

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Lesson 5: Britain and the Second World War

4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

1. The immediate trigger was…
2. Why was it global?
3. Best causal account?
4. Total war means…

Lesson round-up

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Lesson round-up

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Understand challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day, including the First and Second World Wars and the Holocaust
Not looked at yet
Discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed
Not looked at yet
Understand the changing nature of the United Kingdom's relationships with the rest of Europe and the wider world in the twentieth century