Hi there, I'm Mr. Roberts, and thanks for joining me for today's history lesson where my job will be to guide you through our history resources.

I'll be making sure that by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to securely meet our lesson objective.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to recall that many soldiers from Britain's colonies fought for Britain in both World Wars, and that this had impacts on both migration and empire.

There are three key terms which we need to make sure we're comfortable with before we embark on our lesson today.

A colony is a country or area under the control of another country and occupied by settlers from that country.

The Commonwealth is an international organisation consisting of states which once belonged to the British Empire.

And Windrush was the name of the ship bringing the first cohort of migrants from the Caribbean to Britain after the Second World War.

Our lesson on the impact of the First and Second World Wars is separated into two learning phases, and the first one revolves around the impact of the First World War on the empire and migration.

During the First World War, from 1914 to 1918, thousands of Indian soldiers played a vital and heroic role on the Western Front.

Drawn from India's diverse regions, these soldiers were among the first to be deployed to France in late 1914 as part of the British Indian Army, one of the largest volunteer forces of its time.

They fought valiantly in some of the war's most brutal battles, including the First Battle of Ypres, the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, and the Battle of the Somme, enduring the horrific realities of trench warfare.

The Lahore and Meerut divisions, comprising Sikhs, Gurkhas, Pathans, and Punjabi Muslims demonstrated courage and resilience despite facing language barriers and cultural differences.

Their bravery was recognised, with over a thousand of these soldiers being awarded medals, including the prestigious Victoria Cross.

After the war, some Indian soldiers were relocated into Britain where they were stationed in military hospitals and convalescent homes, like the Brighton Pavilion, converted specifically for them.

This period began a unique cultural exchange introducing British people to Indian customs and traditions and vice versa.

So now it's time for a learning check.

True or false? Indian men fought in the British Empire's army in the First World War.

Pause the video while you come to a decision and press play to continue.

Welcome back, and well done if you said the answer is true.

Now let's justify that statement.

Which of the following provides an accurate justification for this? A, they fought valiantly in some of the war's most brutal battles despite facing language barriers.

Or B, they fought valiantly in some of the war's most brutal battles because they could all speak fluent English.

Pause the video again while you come to a decision on the correct justification, and then press play to continue with the lesson.

Welcome back, and well done if you said the answer was A, Indian soldiers fought valiantly in the British Army in some of the war's most brutal battles despite facing language barriers.

World War I was also the beginning of many African and Caribbean soldiers joining the British Armed Forces, including the Royal Navy.

These recruits played crucial roles in naval operations, serving on warships and merchant vessels, and ensuring the maintenance of supply lines.

After the war, many of these servicemen remained in Britain, seeking employment and better opportunities during a struggling post-war economy.

Unfortunately, despite their contributions to Britain's defence, there was opposition to the presence of black ex-servicemen in British cities such as Liverpool and Cardiff.

This opposition led to rising racial tensions exacerbated by competition for jobs and housing.

And in June, 1919, and in June, 1919, these tensions erupted into violent race riots.

In Liverpool, black sailors were attacked, leading to mob violence.

Similarly, Cardiff experienced severe racial unrest resulting in several deaths, injuries, and extensive property damage.

These riots underscored the deep-seated racial inequalities and social challenges faced by black communities in Britain, highlighting the complex relationship between war, migration, and racial tension.

Now I'd like you to answer the following question.

World War I also saw a great many men from what backgrounds join the British Armed Forces? A, African; B, South American; or C, the Caribbean.

Pause the video while you work out the two correct answers, and when you're ready to continue, press play.

Welcome back, and well done if you said A, African, and B, Caribbean men joined the British Armed Forces in World War I.

Next, I'd like you to complete the following task: explain the impact of the First World War on migration.

Include the following in your answers: Indian soldiers, and African and Caribbean soldiers.

Again, pause the video while you complete this task.

Again, pause this video while you complete this task using your learning so far.

Press play when you are ready for some feedback in the form of a model answer.

Welcome back.

I asked you to explain the impact of the First World War on migration, and well done if you managed to include any of the following in your answer.

The First World War significantly influenced migration for Indian, African, and Caribbean soldiers in the British Armed Forces.

Thousands of Indian soldiers from units like the Lahore and Meerut divisions were deployed to the Western Front and fought in key battles, earning numerous medals.

Post-war, some relocated to Britain, initiating a cultural exchange that introduced British society to Indian customs. Similarly, many African and Caribbean soldiers joined the British Armed Forces and remained in Britain after the war, seeking employment in a struggling post-war economy.

However, opposition to their presence led to racial tensions and violent riots in cities like Liverpool and Cardiff, highlighting the racial inequalities and integration challenges they faced.

These migrations underscored the complex relationship between war, migration, and racial tension, shaping post-war British society.

Very well done there.

And with that finished, it moves us on to the second and final learning phase in our lesson today where we'll be learning about the impact of the Second World War on the British Empire and migration.

During the Second World War, many soldiers from British colonies served in crucial roles in the Allied war effort.

Recruited from Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia, these soldiers were deployed in various places, including Europe, North Africa, and Asia.

They served in combat roles and engineering and medical services.

Despite their significant contributions though, colonial soldiers often faced racial discrimination, segregation, and unequal treatment compared to their white counterparts.

Indeed, after the war, many colonial soldiers were demobilised and they returned to their home countries where often they encountered economic hardship and a lack of employment opportunities.

Their wartime experiences fueled anti-colonial sentiments and ignited independence movements across the British Empire where veterans played crucial roles in advocating for greater rights and independence from Britain in their respective countries.

So now I'd like you to complete the following sentence using the same word to fill both gaps.

Pause this video while you work out the correct answer, and when you are ready to continue, just press play.

Welcome back, and well done if your sentence now reads as follows: the wartime experiences of these soldiers fueled anti-colonial sentiments and ignited independence movements across the British Empire, where veterans often played crucial roles in advocating for greater rights and independence from Britain in their respective countries.

World War II also created a significant labour shortage in Britain, prompting the government to encourage immigration from colonies throughout the British Empire, which had now become known as the Commonwealth.

The war had damaged infrastructure and industries, and many British workers had been killed or injured.

The reconstruction efforts required a large workforce to rebuild cities, transport networks, and public services.

To address this, the government implemented policies to attract Commonwealth workers.

The British Nationality Act of 1948 granted citizenship to people from Commonwealth countries, allowing them to settle and work in the UK.

The arrival of the ship named HMT Empire Windrush from the Caribbean in 1948 marked the start of large-scale immigration from the Caribbean, Africa, India, and Pakistan.

Commonwealth immigrants played a vital role in the post-war recovery, working in essential sectors like transportation, healthcare, and manufacturing.

This immigration wave led to lasting demographic changes, enriching Britain's cultural diversity.

Now let's try this one for a learning check.

True false? World War II created a labour shortage, so the government encouraged immigration from the Commonwealth.

Pause the video while you come to a decision, and press play to continue.

Welcome back, and well done if you said the answer is true.

Now let's justify that statement.

Which of the following provides the accurate justification for this? A, reconstruction required a large workforce, so the government wanted to attract Commonwealth workers, or B, reconstruction required a large workforce, so the government wanted to use only British workers to help them.

As ever, pause the video while you come to a decision on the correct justification, and then press play to continue with our lesson.

Welcome back, and well done if you said the answer is A, reconstruction required a large workforce, so the government wanted to attract Commonwealth workers.

And for the first part of our final written task today, I'd like you to complete the following task.

Discuss with a partner or jot down some ideas on how experiences in the Second World War encouraged campaigns for independence from the British Empire.

Pause the video while you do this, and press play when you're ready for me to review the potential discussion points.

Welcome back.

You may well have discussed or jotted down the following points.

Many soldiers from British colonies in Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia, served crucial roles in the Allied war effort, but faced racial discrimination despite their significant contributions.

After the war, many returned home to face economic hardship with little support from Britain, fueling anti-colonial sentiments and independence movements, with veterans advocating for greater rights.

Next, I'd like you to explain the impact of the Second World War on migration.

Include the following in your answer: labour shortages after World War II and the Commonwealth.

Once more, pause this video while you complete this task, and press play when you are ready for me to give you some feedback in the form of a model answer.

Hello again.

I asked you to explain the impact of the Second World War on migration.

Your answer could have included any of the following.

The Second World War profoundly impacted migration to Britain.

The impact of the war created a labour shortage in Britain, leading the government to encourage immigration from the Commonwealth.

The British Nationality Act of 1948 granted citizenship to Commonwealth citizens, facilitating their settlement in the UK.

The arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush in 1948 marked the start of large-scale immigration from the Caribbean, Africa, India, and Pakistan, with immigrants playing a vital role in post-war recovery and enriching Britain's cultural diversity.

Really well done for your efforts today.

With that task finished, we've arrived at the end of our learning journey.

The following is a summary of our key learning points from today, and it would be really useful if you could remember these moving forwards.

Firstly, during World War I, thousands of Indian soldiers fought on the Western Front, with some moving to Britain after the war.

Next, many African and Caribbean soldiers enlisted in the British Navy.

When some settled in British port cities, opposition to their presence contributed to the 1919 riots in Liverpool and Cardiff.

Next, in World War II, numerous colonial soldiers served, although many returned to their home colonies afterward.

Their experiences contributed to campaigns for independence from the British Empire.

And finally, the labour shortage caused by World War II led the government to encourage immigration from the Commonwealth.

Thank you so much for joining me for our lesson today.

It's been a real pleasure to guide you through our history learning resources, and I very much look forward to seeing you again in the future where we'll be looking at the impact of empire on migration in and out of Britain.