(Changing political landscape) The National Government, 1931-1945

Question 1

_______ government won a chance to serve as a _______ ________ government in 19__.

Answer 1

a) labour
b) second minority
c) 1929

Question 2

Why were labour’s plans for social reforms blunted?

Answer 2

There was a depression in 1929 that created an ‘economic blizzard’.

Question 3

How did Britain’s economic recovery after the depression compare to the rest of the world?

Answer 3

They recovered quickly.

Question 4

When was the NG established?

Answer 4

1931

Question 5

Who were the leaders of the NG between 1931-1945?

4

Answer 5

Ramsey MacDonald 1931-35

Stanley Baldwin 1935-37

Neville Chamberlain 1937-40

Winston Churchill 1940-45

Question 6

What were the 4 threats the NG was faced with?

Answer 6

Economic threats

Opposition of labour

Rise of extreme politics

Foreign policy threats

Question 7

Economic threats - it felt necessary to support British industry at a time when economies around the world were similarly suffering.

How did the government do this?

Answer 7

1932 Imports Duties Act - 10% tariff on most imports.

Attempts were made in line with this to establish Imperial preference by encouraging trading with countries in the British Empire.

Question 8

Economic threats - to support British industry, the govt attempted to establish imperial preference by encouraging trading with countries in the British Empire.

Why didn’t this work?

Answer 8

Wasn’t a coherent system of free trade as many of the countries depended on strong global networks outside the Empire.

Question 9

Economic threats - what was done to deal with the economic threats?

(5)

Answer 9

Support British industry

Adopt conservative spending measures

Lower interest rates

Break with Gold Standard

Introduce grants where necessary

Question 10

Economic threats - the govt adopted conservative spending measures which helped lower govt spending and stimulate recovery in some areas of the country.

Give evidence of how they did this.

Answer 10

Unemployment Act of 1934 introduced a “means test”, meaning that while most workers were covered by the 1920 Unemployment Insurance Act, most benefits only lasted for 15 weeks per year.

Question 11

Economic threats - the govt adopted conservative spending measures which helped lower govt spending and stimulate recovery in some areas of the country.

One way they did this was through the Unemployment Act of 1934.
How could this be viewed as NECESSARY?

Answer 11

Without these cuts, the May Report in 1931 predicted the spending deficit would be as high as £120 million in 1932.

Question 12

Economic threats - the govt adopted conservative spending measures which helped lower govt spending and stimulate recovery in some areas of the country.

One way they did this was through the Unemployment Act of 1934.
How could this be viewed as BAD? (2)

Answer 12

Made the poor poorer & those who could take advantage of other measures like cheaper bank loans tended to be middle-class.

A wealth gap opened up as well as less overall spending, arguably delaying the speed of recovery.

Question 13

Economic threats - the govt introduced lower interest rates to encourage borrowing.
Give evidence of this.

Answer 13

6% to 2%.

Question 14

Economic threats - why did the govt adopt conservative spending measures?

Answer 14

To lower govt spending and stimulate recovery in some areas of the country.

Question 15

Economic threats - why did the govt support British industry?

Answer 15

It was a time when lots of economies around the world were all similarly suffering.

Question 16

Economic threats - the govt cut interest rates to encourage borrowing.
How is there evidence of this having a POSITIVE effect on the economy?

(2)

Answer 16

Car ownership increased so car manufacturing improved.

The number of homeowners grew in the 30s, suggesting some could take advantage of more affordable mortgages.

Question 17

Economic threats - what is considered the most crucial step the govt took to dealing with the ‘economic blizzard’?

Answer 17

Breaking with the Gold Standard in 1931.

Question 18

Economic threats - why is breaking with the Gold Standard in 1931 considered the most crucial step the govt?

Answer 18

Previously in 1924, aligning with the Gold Standard raised the value of the pound too high, making countries less interested in ‘buying British’.

Question 19

Economic threats - how did the govt introduce grants for areas of the country that were particularly affected?

Answer 19

The Special Areas Act 1934

Question 20

Economic threats - the govt introduced grants for areas of the country that were particularly affected in the Special Areas Act of 1934.

Evaluate this.

(2)

Answer 20

The money didn’t work in areas of traditional industry where productivity was low so employment suffered.

Where there was recovery, it was in south-east with newer manufacturing industries as they involved production of light-manufacturing goods that helped service new homes etc.

Question 21

Economic threats - what did the economic threats and the govt’s approach to saving the country ultimately create?

Answer 21

A regional divide that was drawn along class lines.

Question 22

Opposition of labour - explain how the NG dealt with the opposition of labour.

(3)

Answer 22

The NG was effectively operated as an elected Dictatorship due to support from the public.

In the 1931 GE, the NG won 554 seats, the conservatives winning 473 of those and Macdonald’s labour the rest.

The independent Labour opposition won 52 Seats.

Question 23

Rise in extremism - what was the context in which the NG worked in?
Give evidence.

Answer 23

The Depression - gave fuel to left and right-wing extremism.

At its height, BUF had 50,000 members - its presence shouldn’t be underplayed as part of British life in the 30s.

Question 24

Rise in extremism - explain what extremists on the left and right both wanted.

Answer 24

Left - Communist Party of Great Britain called for a Communist Revolution

Right - British Union of Fascists (Oswald Mosely) wanted a system similar to Mussolini’s Italy and later Germany.

Question 25

Rise in extremism - how was the NG GOOD at dealing with the rise in extremism?

Answer 25

Represented consensus and compromise - contrast to Germany.

Took direct action with 1936 Public Order Act which banned inflammatory political meetings and the wearing of military-style uniforms by political groups.

Question 26

Rise in extremism - the NG was slow at dealing with the rise in extremism.
This biggest threat was the British Union of Fascists.

Give evidence of this.

Answer 26

It had grown to 40,000 members in its first 4 years and was calling for authoritarian govt and adoption of wider institutional antisemitism.

Question 27

Rise in extremism - what is an example of how the NG was too slow at dealing with the rise in extremism?

Answer 27

1936, an intimidatory march through Cable Street was planned and the Home Office refused to ban it, so Jewish support groups had defend themselves and resist the intimidation of the Fascists.

After, only when public sentiment against the BUF swelled, the govt pass the Public Order Law which was delayed sufficiently so Fascists could carry out the Mile End pogrom - an event that damaged many Jewish businesses along Mile End Road.

Question 28

Rise in extremism - where is Cable Street?

Where is Mile End Road?

Answer 28

London

Question 29

Foreign policy threats - what was the NG’s main focus regarding foreign policy threats?

Answer 29

The rise of Hitler and rearming the country in anticipation of WW2.

Question 30

Foreign policy threats - what did the British population widely support in the 1930s?

Answer 30

Appeasement and attitudes to the Treaty of Versailles softened to the point that it was used to justify Hitler’s rearming of Germany and the beginnings of his territorial expansion. Even in 1938, British people didn’t widely supported a war.

Question 31

Foreign policy threats - what was the approach to appeasement based upon?

Answer 31

The financial constraints placed on Britain by its Empire and the fact it faced threats from Mussolini’s Italy, Stalin’s USSR and Japan.

Question 32

Foreign policy threats - briefly outline what the NG chose to do in terms of foreign policy threats, including Germany, Italy, USSR and Japan.

Answer 32

Chose the policy of appeasement and not rearmament.

Question 33

Foreign policy threats - why has the NG been criticised for not following rearmament?

Answer 33

It would’ve quickened Britain’s economy’s recovery in the Depression.

It become the motivation behind Chamberlain when he became PM, continuing with appeasement, even when it was clear Hitler wanted power beyond a ‘Greater Germany’.

Question 34

Foreign policy threats - how did Neville Chamberlain view appeasement?

Answer 34

Emotional, as well as political.
He lost a cousin during WW1 and became a pacifist at heart. Therefore, he was inexperienced in the context of dealing with how to respond to a Dictator.