britain since 1945 Flashcards
the welfare state
significant reforms to the education system and wider social reforms
Labour government elected in 1945
- new PM as clement atlee, who promised to introduce the welfare state outlined in the Beveridge report
in 1948, aneurin bevan led the establishment of the NHS, which guaranteed a minimum standard of healthcare for all
national security of benefits also introduced to provide social security
government nationalised the railways, coal mines and gas, water and electricity
self-government for former colonies
in 1947, independence granted to nine countries
- india, pakistan, sri lanka (ceylon)
- other colonies achieved independence over the next 20 years
national defense
developed its own atomic bomb
joined NATO, an alliance of nations set up to resist the perceived threat of invasion by the Soviet Union and its allies
1951 to 1964
Conservative governments
50s as a period of economic recovery after the war and increasing prosperity for people
PM was Harold Macmillan, famous for his wind of change speech about decolonisation and independence for the countries of the Empire
Clement Atlee
born in 1883 in London
was a barrister, gave it up to do social work in East London, and then became a Labour MP
Churchill’s deputy PM in the wartime coalition government
- became PM after Labour won the 1945 election
PM from 1945-1951 and led Labour for 20 years
undertook the nationalisation of major industries, created the NHS, and implemented Beveridge’s plans for a stronger welfare state
introduced measures to improve conditions of workers
William Beveridge
British economist and social reformer
served briefly as a Liberal MP and was leader of the Liberals in the House of Lords
best known for the 1942 report Social Insurance and Allied Services (Beveridge Report)
- commissioned by wartime government in 1941
- recommended that they find ways of fighting the five ‘giant evils’ of want, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness, and provided the basis of the modern welfar estate
R A Butler
conservative MP, held several positions before becoming responsible for education in 1941
oversaw the introduction of the education act 1944 (often called the butler act) which introduced free secondary education in england and wales
Dylan Thomas
Welsh poet and writer
read and performed his work in public, including for the BBC
most well-known works include the radio play under milk wood, and the poem do not go gentle into that good night
died at the age of 39 in NY
memorials in his birthplace Swansea (statue and Dylan Thomas Centre)
migration in post-war Britain
labour shortages so the government encouraged workers from Ireland and other parts of Europe to come to the UK and help with the reconstruction
during the 50s, still a shortage of labour so further immigration encouraged
social change in the 1960s
60s known as the swinging sixties
- growth in British fashion, cinema and popular music
- beatles and the rolling stones well known
time when social laws were liberalised (i.e. divorce and abortion)
position of women in the workplace improved
- Parliament passed laws giving women the right to equal pay and made it illegal to gender discriminate
technological progress in the 1960s
Britain and France developed the world’s only supersonic commercial airliner, Concorde
new styles of architecture with high-rise buildings and the use of concrete and steel became common
television
developed by Scotsman John Logie Baird in the 1920s
first TV broadcast between London and Glasgow in 1932
radar
Scotsman Sir Robert Watson-Watt
- proposed that enemy aircraft could be detected by radio waves
first successful radar test took place in 1935
radar and astronomy
Sir Bernard Lovell made new discoveries in astronomy
radio telescope built at Jodrell Bank in Cheshire was the biggest in the world and continues to operate today
Turing machine
theoretical mathematical device invented by Alan Turing in the 30s
theory was influential in the development of computer science and the modern-day computer
insulin
Scottish physician and researcher John MacLeod
co-discoverer of insulin for diabetes
structure of the DNA molecule
discovered in 1953 through British universities in London and Cambridge
many scientific advances, particularly in medicine and fighting crime
Francis Crick was one of those awarded the Nobel Prize
jet engine
developed in britain in the 30s by Sir Frank Whittle
hovercraft
Sir Christopher Cockerell
Harrier jump jet
aircraft capable of taking off vertically
designed and developed in the UK
cash-dispensing ATM
James Goodfellow in the 1960s
first put into use by Barclays Bank in Enfield
IVF
pioneered by physiologist Sir Robert Edwards and gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe
first test-tube baby born in Oldham, Lancashire in 1978
Dolly the sheep
Sir Ian Wilmot and Keith Campbell led the team in 1996 to clone a mammal successfully
MRI scanner
Sir Peter Mansfield as the co-inventor
world wide web
Sir Tem Berners-Lee
information successfully transferred via the web for the first time on Dec 25 1990
problems with the economy in the 1970s
post-war economic boom ended
- prices increased and the exchange rate was unstable
- problems with the balance of payments
problems between the trade union and government
- industries/services affected by strikes
- people argued trade unions were too powerful and harming the UK
time of unrest in Northern Ireland
- Parliament suspended in 1972 and Northern Ireland directly ruled by the UK government
- 3000 people died after 1969 in the violence
Mary Peters
born in Manchester and moved to Northern Ireland
won an Olympic gold medal in the pentathlon in 1972
then raised money for local athletics and became the team manager for the British Olympic team
Dame of the British Empire in 2000
european economic community
west Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands formed the EEC in 1957
UK did not want to join the EEC but eventually did so in 1973
was a full member of the EU but did not use the euro currency
margaret thatcher
daughter of a grocer from Grantham in Lincolnshire
trained as a chemist and lawyer
elected as a conservative MP in 1959 and became a cabinet minister in 1970 for the secretary of state for education and science
in 1975, leader of the conservative party and leader of the opposition
after the conservative victory in 1979, first female PM
- longest-serving PM of the 20th century, remaining in office until 1990
worked closely with reagan and was one of the first western leaders to recognise/welcome changes in the leadership of the soviet union which led to the end of the cold war
led the conservative government from 1979-1990
- privatisation of nationalised industries, legal controls on trade union powers
- deregulation led to an increase in investments, insurance, financial services, etc.
- traditional industries declined
falkland islands invasion
1982 when argentina invaded
naval taskforce sent from the UK and military action led to the recovery of the islands
PM after Thatcher
John Major
helped establish the Northern Ireland peace process
Roald Dahl
born in Wales to Norwegian parents
served in the RAF during WWII
published books and short stories in 1940s
labour government from 1997-2010
led by tony blair in 1997
- introduced a scottish parliament and welsh assembly
scottish parliament has substantial powers to legislate
welsh assembly given fewer legislative powers but considerable control over public services
in northern ireland, blair government built on the peace process, resulting in the good friday agreement signed in 1998
northern ireland assembly elected in 1999 but suspended in 2002, not reinstated until 2007
conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq
throughout the 1990s, Britain played a key role in the liberation of Kuwait, following the Iraqi invasion in 1990 and conflict in the former republic of Yugoslavia
British troops left Iraq in 2009
UK operates in Afghanisatan as part of the UN mandated 50-nation international security assistance force
coalition government in 2010-
in 2010, for the first time since 1974, no political party won an overall majority in the general election
coalition of conservative and liberal democrat parties
- leader of conservative party David Cameron became PM
