In August 1938
Adolf Hitler began making speeches that
suggested he was going to send the German
Army into
Czechoslovakia.
The British government now began to fear a war with Nazi
Germany and Neville Chamberlain
asked Parliament
to pass the Emergency Powers (Defence Act).
Passed on 28th August it empowered the government to take measures
to secure public safety, the defence of the realm and the maintenance
of the public order.
Over
the next five days around 100 new measures were taken. This included
the calling up all military reservists and Air
Raid Precautions (ARP) volunteers to be mobilized. About half
a million people enrolled in the ARP and others enlisted in the Territorial
Army or the RAF Volunteer Reserve.
On 27th April
1939, Parliament passed the Military
Training Act. This act introduced conscription for men
aged 20 and 21 who were now required to undertake six months' military
training.
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