4.20 colonial policy and administration Flashcards
How successful was the labour government in developing the commonwealth?
-policy to guide colonies towards self government within commonwealth
-premature withdraw could result in anarchy, soviet subversion, dictatorship or loss of British influence
What was Britain’s relationship with the old dominions?
Regarded as reliable friends
However they had their own in tears and were prepared to asset secreted ide
What was the new commonwealth Attlee hoped to build?(2)
-association of independent free stares serving as an effective vehicle of British influence
-seen as way of surrendering formal control whilst maintaining informal ties
What was the problems with creating new commonwealth?(3)
India, Pakistan and Ceylon did not share enthusiasm of white dominions
Commonwealth members had little in common with each other
Racial equality did not match policy of Apartheid in SA
What compromises did Britain have to make to prevent the commonwealth collapsing?
-allowed countries to drop king as head of state and remain within the commonwealth as republics
In what ways did the Stirling area tie British to its former colonial possessions (4)
-almost all dominions pound Stirling and banked their overseas earning in London-it helped maintain value of the pound
-British remained most important market for members for Stirling area
-danger of pound collapsing in 1947 would have meant bankruptcy for all countries who use the currency
-25% of world trade in Stirling area(more than dollar equivalent)
In 1950 how many African troops was it estimated could be provided for an imperial army?
400,000
What did the British gov to do encourage development?
-1945 coolant welfare act giving £120 million to colonies over 10 years
1948 act established Colonial development cooperation and the overseas food corporation to improve the living standards in the colonies
What is meant by the term ‘second colonial occupation’?
-British gov interfere will all economic life to develop colonies to provide Britain with raw materials
What did the labour gov claim about its colonial rule and what was the reality?
Claimed:
Abolished old type of capitalist imperialism
-raise standard of living
Reality:
-exploited colonies for all they were worth restricting investment, controlling trade and the prices of their main commodities and rationing the goods they could purchase from Britain
-less power to indigenous leaders
-from 1945-51 colonies forced to sent more money back to Britain than they were getting
How did labour reform the colonies in west Africa?
-system of universal suffrage (1948)
What was the result of the political reforms that Attlee’s government introduced?
It helped to create the conditions in which colonial politicians would have the means to organise on a large scale and ultimately drive out British rule
- However, in Labour’s defence, the move towards African independence was gathering momentum and there was little any government could have done to prevent it
How did Britain have a strong position in the middle
East in the 1940s despite losing Palestine
-had right to keep troops in Suez Canal Zone
-military bases in Iraq and close ties with Jordan
According to labour foreign secretary Ernest Bevin, why was the Middle East so important to Britain?(3)
-because of its oil and the Suez Canal
-determined to maintain influence to keep Russian influence out
-central to imperial defence
What labour projects kept some finds from empire
NHS 1948
War debts
When was Churchill PM for the second time
1951-55
What were Churchill’s aims for empire?
-was convinced of British superiority
-wanted to preserve commonwealth and empire
What problems did Churchill’s give face with imperial policy(2)
-economy was recovering but faced competition from Germany France and Japan
-Britain was carrying too many forgiven responsibilities warned treasury
What advantages did Churchill have in imperial policy(3)
USSR not really active outside Europe
USA wanted no communism rather than focusing on decolonisation
By 1951 British economy improved after pound devaluation in 1949(2.8 to 2.4)
What was Churchill’s approach to west Africa?
Accepted by 1955 Gold Coast and Nigeria should become independent
