chapter 11- attitudes towards imperialism in Britain 1890-1914 Flashcards
What was national efficiency and why had it come about?
Across the media and political spectrum, there was a concern that the nation needed to become healthier and better educated. In 1902 it became common for journalists and political commentators to speak of the need for national efficiency as the only way of preventing Britain’s decline. This became a real concern just after the end of the Boer War where 30 000 Boers had held out against British forces for almost 2 and a half years. Up to 40% of British recruits had been found unfit for military service. Living conditions and diet in Britain had weakened its manpower. British concerns were also heightened given the decline in British industrial power relative to that of the USA and Germany.
Measures to improve national effiency
-1902 Education Act raised standards and the extent of education, leading to an extra 1000 secondary schools
opening over the following decade
-Conservative initiated a new phase of battleship development to compete with the Germans. HMS
Dreadnaught was launched in 1906, and many more improved vessels were to follow
-Imperial college was opened in London, concentrating on scientific and technological courses
-Social reforms followed including free school meals (1906), school medical inspections (1907), old age pensions (1908) and National Insurance in (1911)
Leaders of these ideas were David Lloyd George, Churchill and Herbert Asquith
Imperialist suppourters?
It was widely supported at all levels of society which could be seen in the Conservatives impressive win in the
khaki election of 1900. It was often seen as a moral responsibility, or even a burden from God to bring stability, order, civilisation,
welfare, the rule of law and freedom from local oppression to the world
* The liberals aimed at the education and improvement of the colonies – with the ultimate purpose of self-rule. Both the liberals and the new labour party supported freedom through empire rather than freedom from empire
* Most of the enthusiastic imperialists were conservatives, arguing in favour of a stronger, more united empire to create an economic superpower
* Lord Salisbury (conservative PM 1885-86. 1886-92, 1895-1902, foreign secretary 1878, 1885-6, 1886-92,
1895-1900) was a moderate imperialism who believed European rule was important for the advancement of the
‘backward races’. He imposed rule by force e.g. Sudan 1896-99. He opposed alliance commitments which he
believed unnecessary and dangerous for Britain. His foreign policy was dictated by the defence and
enlargement of the Empire. Joseph Chamberlain believed only the Empire could solve the national crisis of the industrial and military advances of other powers. He believed a reorganised empire would enable industrial recovery, provide employment, generate wealth to fund social reforms and strengthen the British people’s moral fiber. He
believed educating the public about the value of empire would win loyalty from the working class. He tried to create a strong union between Britain and the colonies of settlement for the purposes of defence and trade but
his ideas failed to win widespread support
* Most imperialists argued for the economic benefits of Empire
* Some sought ‘colonial development’ beyond the white colonies and India and favoured the policy of imperial
preference
* Lord Meath, a diplomat, spoke in more social terms and argued that state-organised emigration and colonisation were essential to check the expansion of British cities and simultaneously strengthen the Empire
* Many Imperial activists were members of societies like the Royal Colonial Institute, founded in 1870 to
provide a meeting place for those interested in colonial and Indian affairs
* The Round Table movement was founded in 1909 on an idea of Lord Milner, to promote a closer union
between Britain and its self-governing colonies. Round Table groups were formed in South Africa, Australia,
New Zealand and Canada in 1910 and 1911
* The Empire Day movement followed the lead of Lord Meath in 1896. Empire Day was not celebrated until
1902 and was only officially recognised in Parliament in 1916. The idea of a day of festivities was intended to reinforce imperial unity and celebrate the image of a motherly Queen Victoria, Empress of India. The
movement was part of the imperialists’ drive to educated the British public about Empire
* Journalists such as Lord Beaverbrook (who was to become the Chief proprietor of the
Daily Express in 1916) helped to represent the Empire to the British people, emphasising the imperial family
and portraying imperial values
critics of the empire
One of the strongest critics was John A. Hobson. His views were catalysed by the Boer War. He believed that
imperial expansion benefited the rich capitalists who made profit through investment, he believed this small and powerful elite were who shaped imperial policy. He thought empire was a ‘capitalist plot’
* There were concerns about the conduct of the Boer War, rather than a direct challenge to Empire
* Emily Hobhouse – wrote reports which led to a government enquiry into the conditions in the British
concentration camps. This helped to tarnish the allure of imperialism and its supposed civilising mission. Her claims were also corroborated by the 1901 Fawcett Commission.
* Wilfred Scawen Blunt – imitated the pro-imperialist poet Kipling, and penned the line ‘the white man’s
burden, lord in the burden of his cash’
* William Digby – a writer and propagandist who had served in India and set up the Indian political and General
Agency in London in order to raise awareness about Indian grievances in the British Parliament and press in
1888
how did literature and music promote the empire?
Rudyard Kipling shaped British attitudes before 1914. He had an almost religious belief in Empire and filled
his work with reference to Britain’s higher goals e.g. The White Man’s Burden
* Samuel Baker and G.A. Henty’s tales of military campaigns proved bestsellers
* Nationalist and Imperialist themes were also present in music. ‘Imperial’ ballads, patriotic hymns, stirring
choral works and military marches were often performed
* The imperial composer Edward Elgar deliberately sought to stimulate ideas which captured the nobility of the Empire in his pieces such as Imperial March, The Crown of India and The Dream of Gerontius (which was about General Gordon)
how did youth movements and education promote the empire?
Robert Baden-Powell, hero of the Boer War, set up the Boy Scouts movement in 1908, followed by the girl
guides in 1912. It was the most successful attempt to mobilise young people behind imperial themes
* Imperialist messaged spread through books, organisations, and schools and young people were reminded of their mission and duty. Increased literacy rates produced new markets for books and comics which had stories of adventures with imperial themes and celebrated military and missionary activities e.g. Brett’s Boys of the Empire (1888-1900),
The Boys Own Paper and the Girls Own Paper which had ¼ - ½ m readers between 1890-1914
* History and geography books emphasised the glories of empire and presented explores and missionaries as
heroes
* Children took part in Empire Day
how did adverts promote the empire?
Images and motifs helped to spread awareness of the empire. They frequently used Imperial themes and connotations to sell their goods – suggesting that the British public
felt favourably disposed towards the empire
how did festivals and exhibitions promote the empire?
Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee 1897 celebrated the military power of Britain
* Empire Day
* Souvenir books and postcards, as well as the media reports all, helped convey the value of Empire to the
general public
* King George V’s coronation was celebrated with a Festival of Empire at the Crystal Palace in 1911. ¾ size
models of the parliament buildings around the Empire were constructed to display exhibitions. There was an
inter-empire sports championship which was a forerunner to the British Empire Games (Common-wealth
games)
how did popular press promote the empire?
The ‘golden age’ of newspaper publication technical advances in printing, the emergence of professional
journalism with a political agenda. It responded to the demands of the mass audience. Alfred Harmsworth pioneers the production of a new form of cheap, populist newspaper in 1896 with the Daily Mail which was deliberately aimed at the lower middle classes. During the Boer War, it sold over a
million copies a day – filling its pages with the war, damning the Boer and praising the British. Hobson criticised it ‘cruel sensationalism’. Harmsworth established the Daily Mail (1896) and the Daily Mirror (1903).
He helped to create tabloid journalism. The Daily Mail held the world record for daily circulation until his
death. He rescued the financially desperate Observer and the Times in 1905 and 1908 respectively. He also
acquired the Sunday Times in 1908
