20th Century (1900s)

Question 1

Who was King George V, and why is he significant? (r. 1910-1936)

Answer 1

• Who He Was:
  
  • Successor following his father Edward VII’s death.
• Significance:
  
  • Led Britain in World War I.
  • Oversaw significant political and social changes, including the expansion of the electorate and the Irish independence movement.

Question 1

Who was King Edward VII, and why is he significant? (r.1901-1910)

Answer 1

• Who He Was:
  
  • Successor following his mother Queen Victoria’s death.
• Significance:
  
  • Oversaw the Edwardian era, a period of relative peace and prosperity before World War I.

Question 2

What was the Representation of the People Act 1918 and why is it significant?

Answer 2

• What It Was:
  
  • Extended the vote to all men over 21 and women over 30.
• Significance:
  
  • Marked a major step towards universal suffrage in Britain.
  • Significantly expanded the electorate.

Question 3

What was the the Great Depression and its impact on Britain? (c.1929-1939)

Answer 3

• Impact:
  
  • Led to widespread unemployment, economic hardship, and political unrest.
  • Prompted government interventions and the rise of new political movements.
  • Exacerbated class tensions and influenced the politics of the 1930s.

Question 4

Who was King Edward VIII and why is he significant? (r.1936)

Answer 4

• Who He Was:
  
  • Successor to his father George V.
• Significance:
  
  • Abdicated in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée.
  • His abdication led to his brother George VI becoming king.

Question 5

Who was King George VI, and why is he significant? (r. 1936-1952)

Answer 5

• Who He Was:
  
  • Ascended following his brother Edward VIII’s abdication.
• Significance:
  
  • Led Britain through World War II.
  • Symbolized national resilience and unity during a period of great turmoil.

Question 6

What was the Battle of Britain in World War II and its significance? (1940)

Answer 6

• What It Was:
  
  • A crucial air campaign where the Royal Air Force defended Britain against German Luftwaffe attacks.
• Significance:
  
  • Successfully prevented a German invasion.
  • Boosted British morale and demonstrated the strength of British air power.

Question 7

What was the Beveridge Report and its impact? (1942)

Answer 7

• What It Was:
  
  • A report laying the foundations for the post-war welfare state in Britain.
• Impact:
  
  • Proposed comprehensive social insurance and welfare programs.
  • Addressed poverty, unemployment, and healthcare, shaping the modern welfare state.

Question 8

What was the significance of the NHS establishment? (1948)

Answer 8

• What It Was:
  
  • The National Health Service provided free healthcare at the point of use for all citizens.
• Significance:
  
  • Marked a revolutionary step in public health and welfare in Britain.
  • Became a model for healthcare systems worldwide.

Question 9

What was the significance of the Labour Party’s victory in 1945?

Answer 9

• Significance:
  
  • Led to the implementation of key welfare reforms, including the NHS.
  • Nationalized industries and initiated significant social changes.
  • Marked the start of a new era in British politics, focusing on social welfare and economic recovery.

Question 10

What was the impact of the Irish War of Independence on Britain? (1919-1921)

Answer 10

• Impact:
  
  • Led to the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922.
  • Reduced British control over Ireland, marking a major shift in British-Irish relations.

Question 11

Who was Neville Chamberlain, and what was his role in the lead up to WWII? (c.1869-1940)

Answer 11

• Who He Was:
  
  • Prime Minister from 1937 to 1940.
• Role:
  
  • Known for his policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany.
  • Culminated in the Munich Agreement of 1938, which failed to prevent WWII.

Question 12

Who was Winston Churchill, and why is he significant? (1874-1965)

Answer 12

• Who He Was:
  
  • Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955.
• Significance:
  
  • Famous for his leadership during WWII.
  • Rallied the British people with his defiant speeches and guided the nation through its darkest hours.

Question 13

What was the significance of Winston Churchill’s “We shall fight on the beaches” speech? (June 4, 1940)

Answer 13

• What It Was:
  
  • A powerful declaration of British resolve to continue fighting against Nazi Germany.
• Significance:
  
  • Boosted national morale at a critical time after the Dunkirk evacuation.
  • Demonstrated Churchill’s leadership and ability to inspire resilience.

Question 14

What was Winston Churchill’s role in the Yalta Conference? (1945)

Answer 14

• Role:
  
  • Negotiated the post-war reorganization of Europe alongside Roosevelt and Stalin.
• Significance:
  
  • Shaped the future geopolitical landscape but also laid the groundwork for the Cold War.

Question 15

What was the significance of Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech? (1946)

Answer 15

• What It Was:
  
  • Delivered in Fulton, Missouri.
• Significance:
  
  • Coined the term “Iron Curtain” and highlighted the emerging divide between the Soviet Union and the West.
  • Signaled the onset of the Cold War.

Question 16

Who was T.S. Eliot, and what did he author? (c.1888-1965)

Answer 16

• Who He Was:
  
  • A famed modernist poet and British transplant.
• Notable Work:
  
  • The Waste Land (1922), a poem reflecting the disillusionment of the post-World War I generation.
  • Used fragmented imagery and multiple voices to convey a sense of cultural decay.

Question 17

What were the main causes of World War I and why was Britain obligated to intercede? (1914-1918)

Answer 17

• Main Causes:
  
  • Militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism.
  • The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand acted as the immediate trigger.
  • Britain forced by obligations to defend Belgium under the Treaty of London.

Question 18

What was the impact of World War I on Britain? (1914-1918)

Answer 18

• Impact:
  
  • Led to immense loss of life, economic strain, and political changes.
  • Weakened the class system and accelerated women’s suffrage (near-universal suffrage passed around here).

Question 19

What was the Enigma machine, and how was it decoded? (1941)

Answer 19

• What It Was:
  
  • A cipher device used by Nazi Germany to encode military communications.
• Decoding:
  
  • Decoded by British cryptanalysts at Bletchley Park, led by Alan Turing.

Question 20

Who decoded the Enigma machine, and what was their significance? (1941)

Answer 20

• Who They Were:
  
  • A team of British cryptanalysts at Bletchley Park, most notably led by Alan Turing.
• Significance:
  
  • Their breakthrough in cryptography played a vital role in the Allied victory in WWII.

Question 21

What was the Dunkirk evacuation and its significance for the war effort? (1940)

Answer 21

• What It Was:
  
  • A critical operation that rescued over 300,000 Allied soldiers trapped by German forces in northern France.
• Significance:
  
  • Seen as a “miracle of deliverance.”
  • Bolstered British morale and demonstrated the resilience of the Allied forces.

Question 22

What were the causes of Britain’s loss of India in 1947?

Answer 22

• Causes:
  
  • The independence movement led by figures like Gandhi and Nehru.
  • Growing international pressure for decolonization.
  • Economic strain on Britain post-WWII.

Question 23

What was the Suez Crisis, and why is it significant?

Answer 23

• What It Was:
  
  • A conflict sparked by Egypt’s nationalization of the Suez Canal in 1956.
• Significance:
  
  • Britain, France, and Israel invaded but withdrew under U.S. and U.N. pressure.
  • Signaled the end of Britain’s global dominance and marked a turning point in post-war geopolitics.

Question 24

What was the Partition of India and its significance to Britain? (1947)

Answer 24

• What It Was:
  
  • The division of British India into two independent dominions, India and Pakistan.
• Significance:
  
  • Resulted from religious and political tensions between Hindus (India) and Muslims (Pakistan).
  • Marked the end of British rule in the Indian subcontinent and led to widespread displacement and violence.

Question 25

What was the influence of the British Broadcasting Center, founded in 1922, on British culture?

Answer 25

• Influence:
  
  • Became a cornerstone of British culture.
  • Promoted British arts, music, and literature through radio and later television broadcasts.