British Empire 2 Flashcards
How did the Empire contribute to the British effort in WW1? (Numbers)
1.4 Million- India
2 Million Black Africans
100,000- New Zealand
400,000- Australia
600,000- Canada
15,000- Caribbean
How did Indians contribute to WW1?
1/3 of soldiers on Western Front were Indians in 1914
Contributed more soldiers than the rest of the Empire
Didn’t need to introduce conscription, all soldiers were volunteers.
Fought on Western Front as well as Middle East and Africa
74,000 Indian soldiers died
In 1917 the Indian government ‘donated’ £100 million
Secretary of State for India (Montague) promised opportunities for more self government as a result
How did Africans contribute to WW1?
The first shots of WW1 were fired in the Gold Coast, Africa 3 days after first declaration of war by Alhaji Grenshi
2 Million Black African men served though not in fighting roles because the British didn’t want Africans fighting alongside them so took roles carrying supplies and weapons and stretcher bearers.
There was a 20% death rate.
Egypt became an official protectorate in 1914.
1.2 Million Egyptians recruited to fight in Egypt and Middle East.
100,000 Egyptians fought in Europe.
Helped develop independence movements led to first Pan-African Congress in 1919.
In 1918 South Africans were allowed in Versailles peace talks.
How did the White Dominions contribute in WW1?
In the beginning relied mostly on volunteers.
Including-
4,000 Canadian First Nations people
1,000 Indigenous Australians
2,500 Maori Kiwis
ANZAC soldiers served at Gallipoli (April-Dec 1915) against the Ottomans despite it being a disaster it became a National Myth
Canadians’ own national myth was in the Battle of Vimy Ridge (April 1917)
By 1917 1/3 of British munitions on Western Front were produced by Canada
Created a debate around the relationship between Britain and the Dominions.
But, Australians voted against conscription twice.
French-Canadians in Quebec protested in riots against conscription in March 1918
J B M Herzog lead a republican movement questioning imperialism
What contribution did South Africa make to British war effort in WW1?
Boer Commander General Smuts formed the South African Defence Force.
And became part of David Lloyd George’s Imperial War Cabinet to advise.
136,000 white South Africans fought in Middle East/on Western front.
What are ‘mandates’?
Previous German and Ottoman colonies hitch now belong to the League of Nations but mostly divided between Britain and France.
Categorised A/B/C on how developed they are and therefore how long they need to stay under League of Nations control.
What Mandates do Britain gain?
Mesopotamia
Palestine
Tanzania
(Au and NZ also gain some mandates)
What were the three promises Britain had made about Palestine?
T.E Lawrence promised the Arabs of Palestine independence to get their support against the Ottomans in WW2
Sykes and Picot made an agreement with France in 1916 that Britain would take Palestine as a mandate
The Balfour Declaration (1917)
What was the Balfour declaration (1917)
The Foreign Secretary expressed sympathy for the Zionist movement to Walter Rothschild the leader of the British Jewish community in a letter
Didn’t necessarily mean a separate Jewish state, just a national homeland
Wanted to allow the rights of Arab Palestinians
Could have been in part due to pressure for the large Zionist community in America
Who were the Zionist Commission and Muslim & Christian Association?
Zionist Commission arrived in Palestine in 1918, sponsored by the British.
Muslim & Christian Asscociation- group of Palestinian Arabs
Between 1918 and 1920 the two groups came into conflict with deaths on both sides
Jewish Immigration in Palestine from 1918
Between 1918 and 1931 the Jewish population of Palestine increased from 9% to 16.9%
Numbers of immigrants increased massively with the rise of Hitler in Europe.
1929- about 5,000 Jewish immigrants to Palestine
1933 (the year Hitler came to power)- about 30,000
Why were Britain interested in having control of Palestine?
Bordered Egypt
Could provide a buffer to their control of the Suez Canal
Oil
Why were Britain interested in having control of Palestine?
Bordered Egypt
Could provide a buffer to their control of the Suez Canal
Oil
British Rule of Palestine in the 1930s
The High Commissioner, Samuel, tried to bring members of both groups into government roles.
1931- tried to pass a law that would restrict Jewish land acquisition (the Arabs felt they were taking all the land, on average there was an acre of land for every Jewish person as the Jewish National Fund was purchasing land to settle the immigrants) but this was stopped by Zionist movements in the US and UK.
1937- The Peel Report tried to divide the land but was stopped from asking by the Arabs
1937-1939- British Respond to the Arabs Revolt with violence. 25,000 troops mobilised to arrest 9,000 Arabs
1939- took a more pro-Zionist approach but capped number of Jewish migrants per year to 15,000 for 5 years because they intended to make Palestine independent in 10 years and wanted to keep Arab population higher
The Arab Revolt (1936-1939)
Uprising of Palestinian Arabs against the British Rule, spread nationalistic sentiment in the press and education to mobilise Arabs from all classes.
Strikes, resisting tax payment, insisting ban on Jewish immigration and land sales, plead for independence.
Also attacked British and Jewish settlements
Met with over 20,000 British troops- suggested over 5,000 were killed in this violence.
The Peel Commission (1937)
Published July 1937
Admitted the two groups wouldn’t work in the mandate as one.
Instead suggested separate states for Arabs and Jewish with British control of the main Religious cities they argued over.
Idea rejected by 1938.
Arabs didn’t like it because they didn’t want Jewish to have any land
What rebellion to British Rule was there in Mesopotamia/Iraq?
1920- demonstrations by Muslims against British rule including revolt in Baghdad
Some rebellion by Kurds in the north wanting independence
How did Britain respond to Iraqi rebellion?
Military aerial bombardment
How was self-government of Iraq/Mesopotamia granted?
1921- Cairo Conference- Meeting of British with some Arabs to discuss more self-government but Britain still controlled military and foreign policy
1922- Anglo-Iraqi Treaty. Britain put King Faisal I in charge as a puppet ruler. Still had British ‘advisors’ across the government and British control of military bases + the army.
1930- Second Anglo-Iraqi Treaty agreeing both got a say in foreign policy together.
1932- Iraqi ‘independence’ but still a lot of British control of oil industry and ‘advisors’
How did Britain control the oil industry in Iraq?
Even pre- WW1 Britain interested in the oil of Mosul. Agreement with the Turks to have control of oil extraction with the Turkish Petroleum Company where the Turkish Government had a 20% share
Iraqis were promised same 20% share when they became a mandate and TPC remained Iraqi Petroleum Company but Britain didn’t follow their promise
What similarities were there between Iraq and Egypt?
Initial economic interest
Revolt against Europeans
Bombardment
Puppet Ruler
British ‘advisors’
British control their army
‘Independence’ where they keep control of economic interest
What African mandates did Britain gain after WW1?
British Togoland
British Cameroon
Tanzania
South West Africa
What was Colonial Policy in (non- White Settler) Africa 1918-1939?
Rule by Puppet Ruler
Aim to build up economic value of the area (often expected to be funded from own taxes)
Improve living standards
Sudan- 1920- British Government allotted £3M to Gezira Cotton Scheme, Promised to build Irrigation and build a major Dam
East Africa- in 1925 £10M project to improve rail and docks
West Africa- built Agricultural Research Stations, invested in Education
Colonial Development Act- 1929, Britain funded £1M towards Empire projects
What was British Colonial Policy in White Settler colonies of Africa 1918-1939?
Usually ruled directly by Britain with only white population represented in government.
Southern Rhodesia Offered self-government in 1923
Kenya given some self-government in 1920. White Settler population of 20-30,000. Indian settlers and Kikuyu natives excluded from fertile land in Northern Highlands, forced o work in industrialised cities like Nairobi and Mombasa.
1923– Devonshire declaration- due to rise in nationalism of Kikuyu, insisted wishes of Black Africans had to be respected. Improvements in agriculture and education but some very racist ‘master and servant’ laws
South Africa- 1931 given independence bc of Statute of Westminister, White minority controlled internal affairs
What was the Colonial Policy of the Dominions 1918-1939?
Performance in WW1 led to an increase of nationalism and desire for independence, especially in Canada and South Africa. Already pretty much self governing.
1926 Balfour Declaration promised a move towards Dominion Independence
1931- Statute of Westminster stated the dominions should be allowed independence, British laws dont have to be enforced in Dominions, Dominions don’t need British approval to pass laws
Ex-Dominions joined the Commonwealth.Meeting of previous Empire countries to keep a close relationship. Conditions that they have to keep British monarch as their monarch.
What was the Home Rule bill (1914) ?
Bill that would give Ireland their own Parliament like the other dominions.
Its passing was interrupted by WW1. Had it passed it would likely spark civil war in Ireland
Who were the Ulster volunteers?
People in the North of Ireland who were Protestant and wanted to remain a part of the United Kingdom. Named after the Ulster region in the North of Ireland where the Protestants/Unionists tended to be.
Who were Sinn Fein?
Irish political party. Catholic, Republican and Nationalists.
What was the Easter Rising (1916)?
Attempted seizing of buildings in Dublin led by Sinn Fein. Were supposed to use German provided weaponry but the supplier was intercepted so they continued anyways.
66 Irish rebels and 143 British were killed.
How did Britain respond to the Easter Rising?
Dublin was bombed.
Rebels were arrested and given the death penalty.
What happened in the 1918 general election in Ireland?
Sinn Fein won by a landslide slide. Majority of Ireland voted for them apart from some areas of Dublin and the Ulster region.
What happened in the Anglo-Irish war 1919-1921?
IRA guerrilla volunteers supported by Sinn Fein launched frequent surprise attacks on the British and their Black and Tan army. Included attacking government property, raids to fund them with money and weaponry, assassinating prominent British and Unionists.
What support did the IRA have from the Irish?
Volunteers (15,000 total, ~3,000 at a time)
Vast intelligence networks
Sinn Fein voters
Patriotic support
What was Bloody Sunday?
21st November 1920
Michael Collins’ IRA squad gunned down 19 British informants.
Later than day the Black and Tans marched into a football game and fired into the crowd, killing 12
How was the Anglo-Irish war resolved?
Mid 1921
Sinn Fein agreed to negotiate with Britain - their guérilla warfare was faltering.
Creates the Free Irish State, a British dominion.
Results in civil war between North and South of Ireland and in 1923- Northern Ireland becomes an art of the United Kingdom.
Irish relationship with the British following the Anglo-Irish War
When Dominions are granted freedom Ireland refuses to join the Commonwealth
Ireland does not take part in WWII so not to fight alongside Britain
How was Canada impacted by the end of World War I?
Built up its Industry during the War and continued to do so afterwards.
Became less reliant on Britain’s imports
Traded more with the USA
How was India impacted by World War I?
Contributed £146 million to the war effort, faced with inflation and shortages
Tax on imports rose from 11-25%
Indian industry built u more as a result.
Amount of its imports being from Britain fell from 2/3
How were Australia and New Zealand impacted by World War I?
Very reliant on British market because their main exports were food like mutton.
Struggled a lot
How was Britain impacted by World War I?
Spent £35 billion on the war- very in debt
Had to remove the GBP from the gold standard
Industrial competitors increased as their industry had been focused on munitions for the war.
Had to pull out of their overseas investment
British Trade and Economy in the 1920s
Attempted to continue as usual
Returned to Gold Standard in 1925
Imported mostly primary sector goods and exported manufactured goods
However, the demand for their goods like iron and textiles had not grown much
Free trade- very few tariffs only 9% of industry protected with tariffs
Trade deficit- importing more than they were exporting.
British Trade and Economy after the Wall Street Crash
Unemployment at 25% of the workforce- especially hit Scotland, Wales and northern England
15% of global GDP wiped out
Income decreased, so demand for manufactured goods decreased.
Had to import more because Britain didn’t have large primary sector goods industry.
Imports and Exports with the Empire increased.
Switched from free trade to imperial preference which lasted until 1973.
Abandoned the Gold Standard again in 1931. £ loses value -> cheaper of foreign consumers
10% tariff on most imports, except those coming from the Empire -Ottawa Conference (1932)
But, also had trade agreements of lower tariffs with Scandinavia and Argentina.
British Trade by 1934 Stats
% exports to empire increased to 44%
Total value of exports decreased £525 -> £378
% imports from Empire increased to 35%
Total value of imports more than exports and lower than 1913 £769 -> £727
What was the Empire Marketing board?
Formed in 1926
Propaganda sector of the government
Encouraged people to buy goods from the British Empire
The Rowlatt Acts (1919)
gave the Imperial Legislative Council power to arrest Indians and hold them for up to two years without trial.
Eventually not implemented because of Indian Resistance but show that the British were aware of the rise in Indian nationalism and were trying everything in their power to stop Indian Independence.
The Amritsar Massacre, 13th April 1919
Reginald Dyer, a British officer ordered 50 men to shoot into a crowd of 15- 20,000 innocent Indians for disobeying a curfew order he had set out because of the murder of 5 Englishmen. Shooting lasted 10 minutes, only stopped because they were running low on ammunition.
Britain claims 379 died and 1,200 injured but the INC put the death toll 1,000-1,500.
