1. Brief summary of Victoria’s reign : Great Britain before the First World War (1901 – 1914)

Question 1

Queen Victoria’s reign

dates

Answer 1

1837-1901

Question 2

Victoria became Queen of ………. at ….. and was the ………………….

Answer 2

Victoria became Queen of Great Britain and Ireland at 18 and was the last of the House of Hanover.

Question 3

What is Victoria’s era’s name?

Answer 3

the Victorian Age

Question 4

Her particular reign was a period of important ….., ………. and …………. change

Answer 4

Her particular reign was a period of important social, economic and technological change.

Question 5

Britain had its ………. in the ……….. producing …………. and …………………. which was …………….. to its colony, ………….., and other colonies

Answer 5

It had its factories in the North producing sheep woollen and cotton cloth which was exported to its colony, India, and other colonies

Question 6

By what did the Industrial Empire be supported during the 18th century?

(=> Breat Britain)

Answer 6

a very strong banking system

Question 7

What was the name of Victoria’s husband and with what was he in charge of? Why?

Answer 7

• 1851
• Albert
• in charge of organising the Great Exhibition in London
• It was held to:
  - show the world the greatness of GB
  - provide a vitrine for the world’s most advanced inventions
  => manufacturers and works of art

Question 8

The telegraph cable was laid in ……

(year)

Answer 8

The telegraph cable was laid in 1866

Question 9

We could say GB was the……….. at this time. It also had …………………. which remained unchallenged from ……….. up until ……………

Answer 9

We could say GB was the world’s most powerful nation at this time. It also had supremacy at sea which remained unchallenged from 1836 up until 1911

Question 10

Crimean war

dates

Answer 10

1854-1856

Question 11

Victorians believed ……… was a necessary precondition of ……………….

Answer 11

Victorians believed peace was a necessary precondition of long term prosperity.

Question 12

The Government remained deeply ……… for much of Victoria’s reign.

Answer 12

The Government remained deeply aristocratic for much of Victoria’s reign.

Question 13

For the conservatives and the liberals, the key words were ………… and practically ………………..

Answer 13

For the conservatives and the liberals, the key words were low taxes and practically no state interference.

Question 14

The conservatives and the liberals grew to accept the …………… need for …………. as well as the need of …………….. to allow the ……………….. to ……………….. and to ………………..

Answer 14

The conservatives and the liberals grew to accept the economic need for free trade as well as the need of social and political reforms to allow the middle class to grow richer and to expand.

Question 15

Who were the 2 politicians dominating the 1860s?

Answer 15

• Benjamin Disraeli, a conservative (PM)
• William Gladstone, a liberal

Question 16

Gladstone and Disraeli’s regular …………, whenever they met in ………….., were …………. and they continued until …………….. in …………….

Answer 16

Gladstone and Disraeli’s regular disputes, whenever they met in Parliament, were heated debates and they continued until Disraeli’s defeat in 1880.

Question 17

Much of what we know as the modern state in GB was built in the …………………..

Answer 17

Much of what we know as the modern state in GB was built in the 1860s and the 1870s.

Question 18

Irish home rule

Answer 18

• 1886
• giving home rule to Ireland
• Gladstone strongly believed in it
• split the liberals
• allowed the conservatives to dominate

Question 19

The Queen was able to add to her titles “…………” in ………… and, in ……………., the Empire extended over ……….. of the Earth land surface.

Answer 19

The Queen was able to add to her titles “Empress of India” in 1876 and in 1901, the Empire extended over ⅕ of the Earth land surface.

Question 20

Today, we associate the 19th century with the ……………………

Answer 20

Today, we associate the 19th century with the protestant work ethic.

Question 21

Margaret Thatcher

Answer 21

• PM in the 70s-80s
• championed the Victorian’s work ethic.

Question 22

Although the UK was like the world superpower at that time, …….. and …………… had already silently begun to ………………………………….

Answer 22

Although the UK was like the world superpower at that time, Germany and the US had already silently begun to surpass its industrial capacity.

Question 23

Death of Victoria

Answer 23

• 63 years as Queen,
• January 22nd of 1901
• 81yo
• succeeded by her eldest son Edward VII

Question 24

Dark side of the Victoran age

Answer 24

• GB had a lot of poverty and misery
• Half the population didn’t have the right to vote
• US and Germany were gaining ground rapidly and had begun to surpass GB industrial capacity.
• Germany was building its naval strength: British feared it
• Working class wanted better conditions, social reforms and political representation.
• Lots of pressure on the Gvt to make reforms

Question 25

Arthur Balfour

Answer 25

• PM from 1902 to 1905
• resigned

Question 26

signing of the “entente cordiale”

Answer 26

1904

Question 27

The late 19th century witnessed the rise of ……………………………….

Answer 27

The late 19th century witnessed the rise of social movements fighting for the rights of the working class.

Question 28

SDF

Answer 28

• Socialist democratic foundation
• 1884
• wanted more rights for the working class

Question 29

Some socialists were in favour of ………………. (……………….) while others wanted just to …………………………….. (…………………..).

give the name in parenthesis

Answer 29

Some socialists were in favour of extreme actions (extremists) while others wanted just to convince the gvt that the workers needed more help (moderates).

Question 30

Fabian society

Answer 30

• moderates
• society formed by the socialist intellectuals
• wanted to influence the Government or to permeate it with their idea of reform
• wrote articles and books to spread these ideas
• George Shaw

Question 31

George Shaw

Answer 31

• member of the Fabians
• very famous playwright
• wrote some of the most brilliant pamphlets, plays
• incorporated his socialist ideals in his plays

Question 32

The ……………….. had been extended to certain workers in ………….. when ……………….% of the …………………….. were given the ……………….. and they became a …………………..

Answer 32

The right to vote had been extended to certain workers in 1884 when 34% of the adult male population were given the right to vote and they became a political asset.

Question 33

Keir Hardie

Answer 33

• one of the **greatest voices of the workers **
• grew up in extreme poverty: had worked at the age of 10 in the Scottish coal mines
• became a journalist then a trade union leader
• 1892: elected MP of the district West Ham in London
• 1893: formed the Independent Labour Party.

Question 34

What was the goal of the Independent Labour Party?

Answer 34

“common ownership of the means of production”

Question 35

LRC

Answer 35

-1900
- ILP joined forces with the SDF+Fabians+Trade Unions
- Labour Representation Committee
- 1st secretary: Ramsay Macdonald
- not a proper party: no members, only organisations affiliated to it
- aim: build a strong working class party in Parliament.
- 1900: 2 of its candidates elected

Question 36

Taff Vale railway company case

Answer 36

• 1901
• This company claimed money it had lost bcs of the railmen’s union supporters’ strike
• they won the case
• The union had to pay damages of 23 000 pounds to the railway company
• key legal decision going against the unions
• serious setback to all the unions: if the workers went on strike in the future, employees would be able to ruin them by claiming damages.
• brought support for the LRC as many unions agreed to give it money, to financially support the LRC to get the law changed

Question 37

Joseph Chamberlain

Answer 37

• real conservative with imperialist ideas
• liberal before: had worked with Gladstone and was against home rules for Ireland => split in the liberal party.
  -** left the liberals and joined the conservatives**
• became** colonial secretary** in the new gvt of 1895
• believed that the British Empire should be used to export goods.
• 1903: pushed for tariff reform
• conservative party divided on this question so he left Balfour’s Cabinet
• split in the conservative party: gave the so-called dying liberal party a new breath of life

Question 38

liberal government

dates

Answer 38

1905-1914

Question 39

national efficiency

Answer 39

• if Britain was to remain the leading country in the world, it would have to take care of the well-being of its citizens
• 1906: free medical examinations for school children.
• Education act
• workmen’s compensation act: employers would pay compensation when workers were injured on the job or if they contracted diseases at work.
• Old Age Pension Act (1908)
• National Insurance Act (1911): helped the unemployed

Question 40

According to historians, it is thanks to …….. passed by ………. from ……….. to ………. that, later, a true ……………. was created (………………).

Answer 40

According to historians, it is thanks to the social reforms passed by the liberals from 1906 to 1914 that, later, a true welfare system was created (1945).

Question 41

William Beveridge

Answer 41

• person responsible for linking the welfare reforms of the years 1905 to 1914 to the build of the welfare system
• civil servant
• analysed the causes of unemployment back in 1909
• Beveridge report (1942)
• promised a welfare state
• due to the Beveridge report, liberals won the General Election in 1945 and were able to introduce measures which established the welfare state in GB.

Question 42

Dates of constitutionnal crisis

Answer 42

1909 and 1911

Question 43

As early as …., it became clear that ……… would not be easy, because of the
……………… majority in the house of …………..

Answer 43

As early as 1908, it became clear that voting in the budget would not be easy, because of the conservative majority in the house of Lords.

Question 44

The main difficulty was that in those days, the house of ….. had a …………..

Answer 44

The main difficulty was that in those days, the house of Lords had a right to veto.

Question 45

Date of Lloyd George’s people’s budget rejection by the house of Lords

Answer 45

1909

Question 46

The liberal passed a …………. according to which the house of lords would have ……………………. They could not…………….. more than ……………….. They also wanted to reduce the duration of ……………… from …. to …….. years.

Answer 46

The liberal passed a parliament bill according to which the house of lords would have no right to reject or modify a money bill. They could not delay other bills more than 3 times. They also wanted to reduce the duration of Parliament from 7 to 5 years.

Question 47

As the ……………. majority in the house of Lords would never agree to the bill, the only solution was to ………….., to ………………….. in the house of Lords.

Answer 47

As the conservative majority in the house of Lords would never agree to the bill, the only solution was to ask the king, Edward VII, to create enough liberal pears in the house of Lords.

Question 48

death of Edward VII

Answer 48

• May 1910
• succedded by his son, George V

Question 49

Suffragette’s movement’s dates

Answer 49

1903-1914

Question 50

Women were allowed to vote in many ……… elections but wanted the right to vote at ………… elections.

Answer 50

Women were allowed to vote in many local elections but wanted the right to vote at national elections.

Question 51

Emmeline Pankhurst

Answer 51

• one of the most well known members
• leader of those actions carried out by the women’s social and political union (WSPU)
• often carried out militant actions
• “shrieking sisters”

Question 52

Emily Davidson

Answer 52

• suffragette martyr
• to draw attention to the cause, died after throwing herself under the king horse during the derby of 1930.

Question 53

The years …….. to ………… were marked with ………….. between …………… and …………………

Answer 53

The years 1910 to 1940 were marked with intense strike actions between employers and employees.

Question 54

Reason why most workers were disappointed with the Labour party

Answer 54

• thought that the Labour party was more interested in forging an alliance with the liberals than fighting for the rights of the workers
• thought the Labour Party was not militant enough.

Question 55

In …….., the influential ……………. came together with the …………………… and the ………………. to form a triple ……………….

Answer 55

In 1914, the influential national union of railwaymen came together with the transport workers and the Miners’ union to form a triple alliance.

Question 56

The British Empire was …………….. after the …………… of the ………….. and ……………… century but by ………….., Britain was becoming ……………….., and the size of the British empire meant that …………………… by other powers who also wanted to ……………..

Answer 56

The British Empire was huge after the expansion of the XVIII and XIXe century but by 1895, Britain was becoming isolated, and the size of the British empire meant that certain colonies were contested by other powers who also wanted to expand.

Question 57

Unification of the German Empire

give the date

Answer 57

1871

Question 58

The situation was very ……. between ……….. and ………….. even though the …………….., Wilhelm II, who was the ………… of ………… , in ………….., came over to ……………. for his ………………. This was interpreted as an ………………….. between the two countries but in actual fact it wasn’t. …………… wanted to expand its Empire and was trying to ……………………………., putting in danger the …………………. in the way that it would …………………

Answer 58

The situation was very tense between England and Germany even though the German king, Wilhelm II, who was the nephew of Edward VII, in 1910, came over to England for his uncle’s funeral. This was interpreted as an amelioration in relation between the two countries but in actual fact it wasn’t. Germany wanted to expand its Empire and was trying to build a railway between Berlin and Baghdad, putting in danger the** British route to India **in the way that it would cut this route.

Question 59

triple alliance of Germany

Answer 59

Italia and Austria

Question 60

Alliance with Britain

Answer 60

France and Russia

Question 61

In ……., Germany tried to weaken the …………… position in ………………., but the ……………… responded.

Answer 61

In 1906, Germany tried to weaken the French position in Morocco, but the British responded.

Question 62

Alliance between Britain and Russia

give the date

Answer 62

1907

Question 63

naval agreement between France and Britain

Answer 63

• in order to limit the German expansion
• 1912

Question 64

first declaration of war

Answer 64

• JUNE 28, 1914
• archduke Franz Ferdinand, held to the throne of Austria-Hungria, was killed by a Serbian
• Austria declared war on Serbia, which was supported by Russia

Question 65

reaction to the first declaration of war

Answer 65

• Russia mobilised its armies
• Germany declared war on Russia with whom Britain had an alliance
• Germany invaded Belgium which was neutral and with whom, in 1839, Queen Victoria had passed a treaty
• British declared war on Germany on August 4th on Germany

Question 66

declaration of war by the British to Germany

give the date

Answer 66

August 4th 1914