1 Changing Political and Economic Environment 1939-1945 plus the national government? Flashcards
The National Governemnt 1931-1945
What happened to MacDonald and the National Government as a result?
- MacDonald called an election in October 1931 because the Conservatives within the national gov insisted on one
- The National Government won by a huge majority, but the conservatives won most of the seats.
- many voters believed labour were putting its own interest/unions interests above national interest
The National Government, 1931-1945
what happened to the Labour party image?
- the conservatives within the national gov presented them as running away from difficult decisions
The National Government, 1931-1945
MacDonald’s premiership
dominated by economic challegnes and attempts to alleviate it
The National Government, 1931-1945
Economic Policy + Its effects
- spending cuts: 10% public sector pay cut - led to mutiny in the Royal Navy at Invergordon
- tariffs: 1933 end of Gold Standard and low interest rates begun to stimulate the economy
- National govs popularity increased, but MacDonald still became isolated
The National Government, 1931-1945
Labour party opposition
- throughout early 1930s labour became the official opposition
- Clement Attlee as leader, gained 154 seats in 1935 G.E.
The National Government, 1931-1945
growth in extreme political ideas..
- 1934: BUF had 50,000 members
- Communisty party of Great Britain: 9000 members
- intellectuals on the left including fabians Sidney and Beatrice Webb visited the Soviet Union, believing communism was an economic successs. They argued convicngly for state planning
The National Government, 1931-1945
Oswald Mosely 1896-1980
- Labour MP
- inspired by economics in Mussolini’s Italy.
- mosely setup ‘The New Party’ in March 1931 after resigning from Labour
- demanded a co-ordinated national economic plan to deal with economic crisis
- Mosely established his own violent enforces called ‘Biff Boys’ who attacked oppponents
- 1932 he established the BUF from the New Party.
- National Goverment passed the Public Order Act 1936 preventing groups from wearing uniforms and requring permission for marches/demonstrations
- Mosely overall never became a threat to the government, but he demonstrated a brief challenge to law and order.
The National Government, 1931-1945
Disarmament and rearmament
- Hitlers election menat a public opinion divide between rearmament/disarmament
- hundreds of thousands of people attracted to organisations such as the Peace Pledge Union and the League of Naitons
- most people blamed secret arms races and treaties for world war one rather than Germany
The National Government, 1931-1945
Peace Ballot and Pledge
1934: millions of householders asked their opinions on war and security
- 11m people who answered made it clear they supported ‘collective security’
- ballot followed by the Peace Pledge Union. Over 100,000 men/women sent Sheppard postcards pledging to oppose the war
The National Government, 1931-1945
world disarmament conference
- ran for 2 years 1932-1934
- broke down when Germany withdrew
- Germany withdrew because it wanted to rearm to levels equal to France, Britain and the USA.
The National Government, 1931-1945
Britain and rearmament
From 1934
- RAF increased in size to 40 squadrons
- British Army reorganised
- Navy expanded
- munitions industry developed
The National Government, 1931-1945
Stanley Baldwin’s permiership 1935-1937
- MacDonald stepped down due to illness
- Baldwin became PM and called a GE in October
- manifesto: new houses, jobs, helping poorest parts of country, improving defences
The National Government, 1931-1945
Labour and collectivie security
- Labour divided on the question of peace/security
- left believed rearmament made war more likely
- centre led by Clement Attlee argued collective security would make war impossible, so rearming was unneccessary
The National Government, 1931-1945
The Abdication Crisis
- Edward was popular, playboy lifestyle??
- many affairs with married women
- in the months after his coronation rumours circulated about a relationship with an American divorcee, Wallis Simpson
- November 1936 he told Baldwin he was goint to marry her, but Baldwin replied marriage would be seen as morally unacceptable
- Baldwin talked him into abdicating, on 11 December 1936 making way for his brother, George VI.
The National Government, 1931-1945
World Events
1935: italian invasion of Abyssinia
1936: Hitler reoccupies the Rhineland
1936: outbreak of the spanish civil war
1937: japan invades china
1938: Hitler annexes the Sudetenland and Austria
The National Government, 1931-1945
National Gov divided over Hitler
- when hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles in 1936 Labour opposed economic sanctions but National Gov was divided
- British and French governments did nothing but Baldwin continued to rearm
The National Government, 1931-1945
Chamberlain’s premiership, 1937-1940
- Baldwin resigned in 1937 due to ill health
- chamberlain took over during a period of economic recovery, falling unemployment and stable prices
- main issue: increasing chances of war, but antiwar movement in Britain strong
The National Government, 1931-1945
national governments actions against Hitler
- they allowed a series of concessions, as Hitler continued to tear up the Treaty of Versailles.
The National Government, 1931-1945
Neville Chamberlain 1869-1940
- associated with appeasement
- on 3 occasions he went to Germany in 1938 to try to prevent an outbreak of war by negotiating with Hitler
- 1938: Munich agreement basically granted all of Hitler’s demands.
- After a failed military expedition to Norway in April 1940, Chamberlain resigned.
The National Government, 1931-1945
ops on chamberlain
- many think hes weak
- but this is simplistic, he wrote throughout 1930s that Hitler could not be trusted
- he also encouraged Baldwin that rearmament should have been central in 1935
- (As chancellor) he misjudged the scale of military spending needed, he increased it to £120m in 1934, believing this would cover the next 5 years, by 1937 this had increased to £1.5b, and 2 years later, this was still an underestimate.
The National Government, 1931-1945
Chamberlain #replaced
- ‘phoney war’ ended in April 1940 with a bungled British attempt to save Norway from German invasion.
- Chamberlain then was berrated for the incompetent handling, and narrowly won a vote of no confidence but recognised it as basically a defeat.
- 9 May Chamberlain attempted to form a new coalition government but the Labour Party refused to serve under him, leaving Lord Halifax or Churchill.
chamberlain replaced
churchill’s watertime cabinet
- mix of cons, labs, and libs
- included labs from the centre/right who he believed were ready to place the national interest above party politics
Churchill’s permiership 1940-1945
Churchill’s permiership 1940-1945
- By the end of May, 1940 the British Expeditionary Force withdrew to Dunkirk, trapped on the beaches and awaiting evacuation. There were divisions in gov over whether to make peace because Germany looked very strong.
- Halifax proposed a settlement, Churchill disagreed
- Churchil argued Britain would be a ‘slave state’ if it agreed to German terms
Winston Churchill, 1874-1965
Why was Churchill unpopular with MacDonald and Baldwin, meaning they refused to invite him to be part of the National Government?
- India: Britain’s control over India had declined to where Home Rule seemed inevitable. Churchill opposed this but had little support
- Support for Edward VIII: Churchill thought Edward should remain King
- Disarmament: Churchill was in support of military spending, and opposed appeasement.
Creating a managed economy, 1939-1945
which ministries did Churchill develop for controlling the wartime economy
- Ministry of Aircraft Production
- Ministery of Supply
- Ministry of War Production
- Ministry of Food
- Ministry of Labour and National Service
creating a managed economy, 1939-1945
what powers were ministries given?
- intervene and sometimes take over the running of essential war industries
- during wartime, production levels were deciided by the government unlike peacetime, when they were determined by prices for goods and profits
- managed economy was maintained by post-war labour gov through nationalisation
creating a managed economy, 1939-1945
Military spending
- 1939: still significant shortages in military equpment
- 1940: huge increase in war production and military spending (15,000 aircraft in 1940, 47,000 in 1944 and between 6-8000 tanks per year)
- By 1945, military spending was 51% of national income
creating a managed economy, 1939-1945
Economic aid
- 1939 American Neutrality Act allowed britain to buy supplies with cash only, but by December 1940 Britain’s cash/gold reserves were spent
- Churchill arranged the Lend-Lease Agreement, where America would supply Britain with the resources it needed but the bill would be paid after the war
- also American ‘Liberty ships’ - large vessels full of oil, coal, timber, food, raw materials for the war effort.
- economic lifeline as German U-Boats in the Atlantic prevented British merchant ships from bringing goods to Britain
Changing working oportunities and conditions, 1939-1945
Second World War effect on employment
- movement to war production brought full employment
- women in jobs previously for men
- factories that may have been idle in the 1930s were fully operational
- By 1944, 33% of the civilian population was involved in war work, including 7m women
- so mass unemployment virtually disappeared, but the working conditions, wages, and benefits that unions could negotiate improved
Changing working oportunities and conditions, 1939-1945
wartime employment
- Bevin issued an Essential Work Order in March 1941
- made it difficult for employers to dismiss people in jobs essential for the war effort
- still a shortage of skilled workers in engineering and ship building
- September 1939 Control of Employment Act used to allow semi-skilled workers to undertake formerly skilled jobs. Skilled workers in essential war industries also were exempt from military service
Changing working oportunities and conditions, 1939-1945
working conditions improving
- Bevin insisted employers as far as possible provided medical centres, canteens, creches for working mothers
- he also established ‘worker’s playtime’ radio programme which was highly popular, and ensured the munitions workers knew they were a vital part of Britain’s eventual victory
- wages increased, but hours were long.
Changing working oportunities and conditions, 1939-1945
Bevins boys
- began in December 1943
- conscription of 10% of young men into the mines rather than military service
- the mines had lost 36,000 of their workforce and were replaced by ‘Bevin Boys’, many of whom resented this enforced alternative
Industrial relations, 1939-1945
what did the Emergency Powers Act 1939 meant for Bevin and the Unions?
Ernest Bevin had almost complete control over the British workfroce as minister of Labour nad national service
Industrial relations, 1939-1945
What was Bevin’s previous position? why was he seen as trustowrthy by Chrurchill?
- previously the chair of the transport and General Workers Union
- he repeatedly preached for moderation and co-operation, hoping workers and bosses could compromise.
Industrial relations, 1939-1945
Bevin’s achievements as chair of the Transport and General Workers Union
- fostered joint production committees in factories between workers and management
- offered piece rate bonuses to more efficient workers
Industrial relations, 1939-1945
what happened to skilled workers valuability during the war?
- skilled workers and union shop stewards became powerful durign the war because of labour shortages and high demand for quality work
Industrial relations, 1939-1945
which problems did the war create?
- long antisocial hours
- lack of recognition for workes
- changeable pay packets
Industrial relations, 1939-1945
1940 regulation gov introduced and what did it do?
- Defence Regulation 58AA banning strikes and lockouts
Industrial relations, 1939-1945
1942 Betteshanger, Kent, what happened? what did the governemnt do?
- miners striked immediately
- governemnt took over running of the coal industry from its private owners
- they prosecuted 1050 miners, fining most of them between £1-£3.
industrial relations 1939-1945
what did other miners do in response to government actions?
- miners in other pits stopped working in solidarity, forcing home
- ‘Bevin’s boys’ also went on strike because they were angry about the lower rates of pay they recieved
Industrial relations, 1939-1945
South Wales coal fields strikes
- 514 alone between 1939-1944
Industrial relations, 1939-1945
spring of 1944, welsh miners strike? why were they striking? how many? what did the government do?
- 100,000 striked
- for better wages (daily rate was £5 per day, whereas the average wage in manufacturing was £6.10s a day)
- the war presented opportunities for improved pay that peacetime had not offered
