World War I (1914)

World War I started in 1914. With a few European countries at loggerheads initially, the war soon spread to the other parts of the world. It was estimated that some thirty countries were involved in the war. Effects of the war proved destructive. About 8.5 million people were killed and another 21 million wounded. How did the war affect Singapore? Singapore was not very much affected during the war. This was because it was far away from Europe and the countries around it were either friendly to Britain or neutral to either sides in the war. There was only a temporary inflation of food prices as people rushed to buy food for storage. The problem was solved when the government forbade huge export of foodstuff from Singapore. The government also imported rice from Siam and Vietnam. Effects of the war only emerged when two major incidents happened…… How did Singapore help the British? At the Singapore government’s appeal, Tan Jiak Kim donated $18 000 to the British war funds. He also joined a committee to help raise war funds. Some rich Straits Chinese in Singapore contributed money to buy fighter planes to help Britain. Among them was Tan Jiak Kim, who donated a fighter plane, Malaya No. 21. Other donors included the Chinese merchants and Straits Chinese ladies. Altogether, Singapore and Malaya donated 53 warplanes to Britain. When World War I ended?   World War I ended on 11 November 1918. The war, which started in 1914, lasted 5 years.The end of the war marked the start of a new period of peace and prosperity.  Scene of World War I Flight plane at that time   World War I gun How did World War One affect my life in Singapore after that? People live peacefully and prosperously after that... And we could hear the laughter of people almost every day after the war... http://library.thinkquest.org/12405/world.htm ( 14 Feb 2013)