World War 2
About 750,000 members of the British armed forces died. German submarines sank almost 8 million short tons (7 million metric tons) of British shipping. The war also created severe economic problems for the United Kingdom and shook its position as a world power.
The First World War had a profound impact upon British society. ... The central agent of change was the British state. In the early stages of the war, its role was largely confined to security issues such as the Defence of the Realm Act, censorship and aliens. But from 1915 onwards, state power was extended into new areas.
