4.23 post-colonial ties Flashcards
How did Britain meaning influence in its former colonial
Establishment of Commonwealth Secretary general in 1964
Permitted coordination of commonwealth activities
How did commonwealth maintain political ties with colonies?(2)
-shared political tradion
-regular commonwealth conferences that took place every 2 years in London attended by Pms and presidents
-helped booster international position (+space on UN Security Council very powerful)
Why was it significant the commonwealth was not a military alliance?
No formal commitment to Britain
(Although all citizens from commonwealth remained eligible to serve the British armed forces)
Where did Britain maintain military bases post independence (4)
Malta
Chorus
Hong Kong
Singapore
How did some men become involved in commonwealth
Some places had national service until 1960 were was abolished(not British national service)
In what ways were commonwealth financially linked to Britain
-economic commonwealth conference 1952
-London still major financial centre
-many ex colonies remain in striking area
Why was commonwealth trade especially crucial up to 1973
Exclusion from EEC
Why did British people migrate to commonwealth contoured post war
Demand for labour in Australia, Canada and NZ which offered better protesters
Rationing continues post war until
1954
87k go to Australia
66k to Canada
What did migrating Britain’s do to post colonial ties
Linked them to white dominions
25% population where in contact with a relative in dominions by 1948
Why did people start migrating to Britain from commonwealth in 1967?
-improved living standards and full employment
-45k from India and Pakistan
(People in Britain came into direct contact with the people from the ex-empire
What was the Monarch’s role in relations with former colonies
Queen symbol of commonwealth
She visited commonwealth and held regular meetings with heads of gov from commonwealth countries
Many people in commonwealth listened to annual Christmas Day message
How did Britain remain culturally connected with former colonies?(6)
-commonwealth citizens eligible for British honours
-empire day abolished in 1962
People in former colonies with anglicised names
-Anglican church has more members in Africa than Britain
-Boy Scout movements maintains ties across former empire
Commonwealth games every 4 years
Was there much migration to Britain pre 1947?
No
What was the British nationality act 1948
-recognition of empires contribution to the wane
-gave full British citizenship to all empire inhabitants
What was the Windrush?
-steamship carry 492 Jamaicans arrived in 1948
Why were people encouraged to migrate to British in the 1950s
-many low skill labour jobs in factories +transport and NHS
1956 London transport took 4000 new employees
What were the number of migrants from commonwealth in 1958?
115kcwestnindies
55kcindians
25k west Africans
Why did tensions increase in the 1950s
-in Italy reaction to other races was uncertainty
-worries about British cultural dilution of national identity
What inequalities did immigrants face?
-bad jobs
-bad houses
How did British public respond to arrival of migrants from around empire?(3)
-1958 gangs of ‘Teddy boy’ attack black people and a riot breaks out in Notting Hill
-Oswald Mosley anti-immigration movement by 1962 90% population supported legislation to decrease immigration
-racist attitudes in working class who found themselves loving in immigrant communities
How many migrants arrived to Britain each year 1962-65?
50,000
By 1967 black population nearly a million
What did a survey in north London 1965 show
20% of people objected to working with black or Asian people
What was the 1962 commonwealth immigrants act?
Attempt to control escalating immigration
Free migration for former colonial subjects was needed even when they had a British passport
Immigrants divided into 3 groups (those already employed incUL, those with qualifications in short supply and ex-servicemen given priority
(Irish and whites got away with it though vouchers-blacks didn’t in the 12 months after immigration fell to 35,000)
