ISSUE 3- Post War Decline of Industry

1. ISSUE 3- Post War Decline of Industry

2. Today we will… • Explain the effect that the end of WWI had on Scottish industry

3. Summary • With the end of war in November, Scotland’s old traditional heavy industries went into major decline • By the 1920s Scotland was facing major unemployment • This presentation gives a brief explanation of why each heavy industry declined due to the end of wartime production

4. Shipbuilding • Increased competition from overseas countries who produced ships cheaper • Failure of Scottish shipyards to modernise • New technology and production lines led to need for fewer workers • No orders for warships, no more warship repairs required • Fishing • Rising fuel costs • Many boats damaged from being used in war effort

5. Coal • Less coal needed to fuel wartime factories • New fuels like electricity more popular • Steel • End to weapons production decreased demand • Textiles/ Jute • End to orders for soldiers uniforms, sandbags etc meant fewer orders • Other countries i.e. India producing textiles for lower prices • Workers on part time hours

6. Farming • We will cover in the ‘land issue’

7. Conclusions • The 1920s in Scotland were associated with economic problems and unemployment – ‘the hungry 20s’ • People had forgotten that these heavy industries had been in decline pre 1914 • The war years had provided an ‘artificial boom’ – one which would not last • 1920s would see large scale emigration from Scotland as unemployed Scots moved abroad to seek work