Defence of the Realm Act 1914
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| Long title | An Act to confer on His Majesty in Council power to make Regulations during the present War for the Defence of the Realm. |
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| Citation | 4 & 5 Geo. 5 c. 29 |
| Territorial extent | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 8 August 1914 |
| Commencement | 8 August 1914 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by |
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| Relates to | See below |
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Status: Repealed
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The Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) was passed in the United Kingdom on 8 August 1914, four days after it entered World War I. 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.
DORA ushered in a variety of authoritarian social control mechanisms, such as censorship:
"No person shall by word of mouth or in writing spread reports likely to cause disaffection or alarm among any of His Majesty's forces or among the civilian population"
Anti-war activists, including Willie Gallacher, John William Muir, and Bertrand Russell, were sent to prison.
The trivial peacetime activities no longer permitted included flying kites, starting bonfires, buying binoculars, feeding wild animals bread, discussing naval and military matters or buying alcohol on public transport. Alcoholic beverages were watered down and pub opening times were restricted to noon–3pm and 6:30pm–9:30pm (the requirement for an afternoon gap in permitted hours lasted in England until the Licensing Act 1988 was brought into force).
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.
Though some provisions of DORA may seem strange, they did have their purposes. Flying a kite or lighting a bonfire could attract Zeppelins and, after rationing was introduced in 1917, feeding wild animals was a waste of food.
Section 1(1) of the Defence of the Realm Act read as follows:
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