ABSTRACT
In society as a whole, it has been suggested, the war 'widened labour's institutional horizon. Fundamental to this was the importance of the working class to the war effort: the government needed channels through which to maintain the commitment of the working class'. In some major fields, such as the provision of hospitals, the state did not assume the lead role for many years after the First World War. There is no doubt that in two specific areas, its response to poverty and its links to religion, philanthropy in 1918 was very different to the pre-war period. With regard to the latter, Prochaska has commented that 'most dramatically, the First World War offered fresh fields for voluntary social action. It contributed to a loss of faith and disrupted parish charity, but it enlarged the need for personal service and national effort'.
