4. Post-war Society (1945-1950s)

Question 1

What was significant about the 1945 general election in Britain?

Answer 1

The Labour Party won, forming its first majority government, with Clement Attlee as Prime Minister.

Question 2

What were the five “giant evils” identified in the Beveridge Report?

Answer 2

Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor, Idleness.

Question 3

Why did the Conservatives lose the 1945 election despite Churchill’s wartime leadership?

Answer 3

They lacked a clear post-war policy, were associated with pre-war hardships, and the public sought improvements in living conditions.

Question 4

Who were key ministers in Attlee’s government?

Answer 4

Ernest Bevin (Foreign Secretary), Stafford Cripps (Chancellor of the Exchequer), Aneurin Bevan (Minister of Health).

Question 5

What economic policy did the Labour government adopt after WWII?

Answer 5

Keynesianism, focusing on government intervention to maintain full employment and nationalization of key industries.

Question 6

Name some industries nationalized by the Labour government.

Answer 6

Bank of England, Civil Aviation, Coal, Electricity, Gas, and the Steel industry.

Question 7

What major healthcare legislation was introduced in 1946?

Answer 7

The National Health Service Act, which established universal free medical care.

Question 8

What challenges did the Labour government face with the welfare state?

Answer 8

Rising administration costs, the need for charges in healthcare, and educational problems.

Question 9

What was the significance of the Marshall Plan for Britain?

Answer 9

It provided $2.7 billion in American aid to help recover the British economy post-WWII.

Question 10

What was the Labour Party’s stance on colonial policy post-WWII?

Answer 10

They began disengaging from the Empire, granting independence to India in 1947 and recognizing the importance of the Commonwealth.

Question 11

What marked the beginning of the Cold War?

Answer 11

The establishment of pro-Soviet regimes in Eastern Europe and the Truman Doctrine in 1947, which was a response to Soviet expansion.

Question 12

What was NATO and when was it established?

Answer 12

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, established in 1949, was a military alliance to counter the Soviet threat.

Question 13

What led to the fall of Attlee’s government in 1951?

Answer 13

Economic challenges, internal divisions within the Labour Party, and the rising support for the Conservatives.

Question 14

What was the outcome of the 1951 general election?

Answer 14

The Conservatives, led by Winston Churchill, won, marking a return to power after six years of Labour governance.

Question 15

What was the 1948 creation of the state of Israel a result of?

Answer 15

The British withdrawal from Palestine after losing control of the region due to rising tensions between Jewish and Arab groups.

Question 16

How did the US emerge post-WWII?

Answer 16

As a leading economic, political, and military power, using economic assistance as a strategic element of its foreign policy.

Question 17

Who won the 1945 UK general election?

Answer 17

The Labour Party, forming the first majority Labour government with Clement Attlee as Prime Minister.

Question 18

Why did the Conservatives lose the 1945 general election despite Churchill’s wartime leadership?

Answer 18

• Labour’s commitment to the Beveridge Report and the welfare state.
• Conservatives’ lack of post-war planning.
• Association of Conservatives with the depression and war hardships.
• Churchill’s focus on wartime leadership, not peacetime policies.

Question 19

What was the Labour Party’s 1945 manifesto?

Answer 19

“Let Us Face the Future.”

Question 19

Name three key ministers in Attlee’s government and their roles.

Answer 19

• Ernest Bevin: Foreign Secretary (1945–50)
• Stafford Cripps: Chancellor of the Exchequer (1947–50)
• Aneurin Bevan: Minister of Health (1945–50)

Question 19

What economic theory influenced Labour’s domestic policies?

Answer 19

Keynesianism, which emphasized government intervention to maintain full employment and economic stability.

Question 19

Which industries did Labour nationalize?

Answer 19

• Bank of England (1946)
• Coal, cable, and wireless (1946)
• Civil aviation (1946)
• Electricity, gas, and inland transport (1948)
• Iron and steel (1951)

Question 20

What were the five key measures of the welfare state introduced by Attlee’s government?

Answer 20

• Family Allowances Act (1945)
• National Health Service Act (1946)
• National Insurance Act (1946)
• National Assistance Act (1948)
• Industrial Injuries Act (1946)

Question 20

What was the significance of Clause 4 in Labour’s constitution?

Answer 20

It advocated for “the common ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange.”

Question 21

What did the National Health Service Act of 1946 establish?

Answer 21

Universal free healthcare, including nationalized hospitals, free prescriptions, glasses, and dental care (initially).

Question 22

What major geopolitical conflict began post-WWII?

Answer 22

The Cold War, an ideological conflict between communism and liberalism.

Question 23

Why were charges introduced in the NHS in 1951?

Answer 23

To manage the high costs of providing free healthcare.

Question 24

What was Britain’s role in the early Cold War?

Answer 24

• Allied with the USA against communism.
• Joined NATO (1949).
• Developed nuclear weapons (first detonation in 1952).

Question 25

What event marked Britain’s reliance on the USA for defense?

Answer 25

The Berlin Blockade (1948–49).

Question 25

What international organization allowed Britain to maintain ties with former colonies?

Answer 25

The Commonwealth.

Question 25

When did Britain grant independence to India and Pakistan?

Answer 25

1947

Question 25

What was Britain’s role in the establishment of Israel?

Answer 25

Withdrew from Palestine, leaving the matter to the United Nations, leading to the creation of Israel in 1948.

Question 26

What issues led to Labour’s defeat in 1951?

Answer 26

• Divisions over state control.
• Economic crises from rearmament and welfare spending.
• Decline in middle-class support.
• Rationing and austerity measures.

Question 27

Who succeeded Attlee as Prime Minister in 1951?

Answer 27

Winston Churchill.

Question 28

What was the “post-war consensus”?

Answer 28

Agreement across political parties on the role of government in maintaining the welfare state and economic intervention.

Question 29

What was Keynes’ warning about Britain’s post-war position?

Answer 29

Britain could no longer pretend to be a world leader, describing this as “a burden too heavy to carry.”