Chapter 5: Political Issues 1900-1914 Flashcards
Why did Britain need to reform its armed forces in the early 1900s?
Germany was potentially hostile
The Boer war highlighted several issues with it
When was the LRC formed?
February 1900
When was the Taff Vale judgement?
December 1901
When did the Boer war end?
May 1902
When was the Tariff Reform League set up?
June 1903
When was the Licensing Act passed?
October 1904
When did Balfour resign as PM?
December 1905
When was the Trade Unions Act?
1906
Who won the 1906 General election?
Henry Campbell-Bannerman & the Liberal Party
What were the results of the 1906 General Election?
Liberals - 397 seats
Conservatives - 156 seats
Labour - 29 seats
Irish Nationalists - 82 seats
When did Asquith become PM?
April 1908
When was the People’s Budget?
March 1909
When were the 2 1910 general elections?
February and November
When was the Parliament Bill introduced?
February 1910
What was the result of the February 1910 election?
Liberals - 274 seats
Conservatives - 272 seats
Irish Nationalists - 71 seats
Labour - 40 seats
What was the result of the December 1910 election?
Liberals - 272 seats
Conservatives - 272 seats
Irish Nationalists - 74 seats
Labour - 42 seats
When was the Parliament Act passed?
August 1911
When was the Solemn League & Covenant?
September 1912
When did WW1 start?
4th August 1914
What was Tariff Reform?
The idea that Britain should impose import tariffs on goods coming in to the country.
Who was J Broderick?
War minister who attempted to reform the military in early 1900s
Failed - his corps were too big for colonial duties but too small for national warfare
Who was Jacky FIsher?
A man who reorganised the navy in the early 1900s
Made solid improvements, but his soldiers still blindly followed orders.
Why did Britain need to end its isolationism?
Territorial disputes with France in Africa
USA was the new economic powerhouse
Concerns over Russian influence in the far East
When was the Anglo-Japanese Alliance?
1902
What were the terms of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance?
Mutual assistance if either were to be attacked by more than one power
What was the effect of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance?
Japan joined WW1 for the allies
When was the Entente Cordiale signed?
1904
What was the effect of the Entente Cordiale?
Ended territorial disputes in Africa between Britain & France
Germany felt antagonised
What were some arguments for tariff reform?
Protectionism from German goods
Revenue could be used for social reform programmes
Britain should rely more on the empire
What were some arguments against tariff reform?
Food prices would rise
Free Trade has historically worked
Isolationism should be avoided to improve international relations
What prominent figures supported Free Trade?
Churchill
Ritchie (Chancellor at the time)
Which prominent figure supported Tariff Reform?
Joseph Chamberlain
Was Balfour for Tariff Reform or Free Trade?
Neither - no clear side taken
Why did party unity cause the 1906 Liberal landslide?
Conservatives split over Tariff Reform
Liberals united behind HCB
Why did loss of working class support lead to the 1906 Liberal Landslide?
Taff Vale case lost a lot of union & worker suport for the Conservatives
Why did the Boer War cause the 1906 Liberal Landslide?
People viewed Imperialism in a more negative light
Why did the Lib-Lab pact lead to the 1906 Liberal Landslide?
Liberals made a pact not to split the vote against Labour in some seats
29 ‘Lib-Lab’ MPs elected
How many Trade Union members were there by 1900?
2 million
When was the TUC set up?
1868
What were the ‘New Unions’?
Trade Unions for lower skilled jobs, such as miners, factory workers, railways, etc
Who were Sydney & Beatrice Webb?
Prominent Socialists who founded the Fabian Society
Who was Keir Hardie?
First Labour MP & founder of the party
What were some successes of the early Labour Party?
29 MPs elected in 1906
Miner’s union allied with Labour in 1909
Leaders gained political experience
What were some failures of the early Labour party?
Liberals ruled the government - Labour struggled to establish independent authority
They were an amalgam of socialists
Political contributions from the TUC made illegal until 1913 (Osborne Judgement), meaning the Labour party had little to no money.
What were some problems faced by the Trade Unions 1900-1914?
Improved technology meant there were more unskilled workers
New Unions led to a growth in militancy
Employer’s associations became stronger
Legal challenges (Taff Vale)
How did Trade Unions deal with their problems?
Backed a new party - Labour
Taff Vale overturned 1906 by Liberal government
Increased militancy - 2.7m days lost in 1909, 40m in 1912
What is Syndicalism?
The idea that Trade Unions can be used to gain political power as opposed to actually improving the worker’s lives
What were the effects of some of the large scale strikes in 1910-14?
Threatened power supply & comms - Rail strike 1911
Some strikes were violent - Tonypandy 1910
How many strikes were there in 1913 alone?
1,500
What was the Triple Alliance?
Miners, Transport workers,. and Railway workers joined together to one union organisation
Had 1.3 million members
What was the Constituional Crisis 1909-11?
The debate about the powers of the House of Lords to block government bills
What were some social reforms passed by the Balfour government?
Education Act 1902, Licensing Act 1904, Unemployed Workmen Act 1905
What was the Taff Vale Judgement?
Trade Unions could be sued for lost earnings by employers if their employees went on strike.
What was the People’s Budget?
A set of proposed tax rises that would fund Liberal welfare reforms
What measures were in the People’s Budget?
Death duties were increased
Incomes of over £5000 a year would face an additional rate of 6d - ‘Super tax’
Duties on liquor licences, drink, and tobacco went up
New land tax
Why was this opposed in the Lords?
The House of Lords was dominated by the Conservatives, who represented the interests of the richer members of society.
What happened to the People’s Budget in the Lords?
It was rejected
What were the effects of the Constitutional crisis?
The power of the Lords was severely reduced
The Irish question had been re-opened & the Lords could no longer block it
Why was the February 1910 general election called?
Asquith asked the king if he could flood the Lords with ‘500 Liberal peers’ - the King would only say yes if he won an election
Why was the December 1910 general election called?
To secure the support of the new King George V over the ‘500 Liberal peers’ threat
What happened in May 1910?
King Edward VII died
What did the Parliament Act 1911 entail?
reducing the powers of the Lords to a 2-year veto: could not block legislation entirely
HoL cannot vote on budgets
Commons elections take place every 5 years, rather than 7.
What other attempts were made to resolve the constituional crisis?
DLG proposed a Conservative-Liberal coalition to help solve the issue
What was the NUWSS?
National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (Suffragists)
Who led the Suffragists?
Millicent Fawcett
Who led the Suffragattes?
Emmeline Pankhurst
What was the WSPU?
The Women’s Social & Political Union (Suffragettes)
What differences were there between the WSPU and the NUWSS?
WSPU - Working class, civil disobedience, radical action
NUWSS - Middle classes, moderate political activity
What was the Cat and Mouse Act 1913?
An Act that made it so hunger striking women could be realsed from prison, and would be re-arrested once they regained their strength.
What happened in the 1913 as a huge event for women’s rights?
Emily Davison was killed at the Derby - she became a martyr to the cause
What other resistance inspired some of the methods used by the suffragettes?
Irish Nationalism
What political change mde the suffragettes decide to act now?
Liberal landslide - showed potential for political change
What classes of women took part i the suffragettes movement?
All of them - Lady Constance Lytton was an example of an upper class woman
What was the main issue over Ireland?
Home Rule
Who started Home Rule as a political movement?
Charles Stuart Parnell
What year was a main turning point for Irish Nationalism?`
1910 - they propped up the Liberal Government
When was the Third Home Rule bill passed?
1912 - vetoed by the Lords until 1914
How many people signed the Solemn League & Covenant?
250,000
What was the Solemn League & Covenant?
A declaration written in blood that those who signed it would resist Home Rule.
What was the main issue with Home Rule?
Ireland was predominantly Catholic, but the northern area of Ulster was predominantly Protestant. Home Rule would have meant a Catholic majority dictating to a Protestant minority.
When were the Ulster Volunteers set up?
1913
Who were the Ulster Volunteers?
A Private militia force who were there to resist HR
What was set up by nationalists in response to the Ulster Volunteers?
Dublin Volunteers
What was a result of the two opposing militias being set up in Ireland?
Ireland was on the brink of civil war
What did Andrew Bonar Law do in a speech in Ireland?
Openly support armed resistance to HR
What were Orange Lodges?
Congregations of people who opposed Home Rule
What was the Curragh Mutiny?
British soldiers said they would rather resign than fight the Ulster volunteers
When was the Curragh Mutiny?
March 1914
How big were the Ulster Volunteers by 1914?
90,000 strong
What were both sides doing in Ireland in 1913-14 that raised tensions?
Gun-running
What compromise was set by the government to Home Rule?
Ulster could opt-out for 3 years
Why did the Opt-out not pass?
Edward Carson rejected it
Who was Edward Carson?
The leader of Ulster
What happened in July 1914 between British forces & nationalist Militia?
British forces fired on a hostile crowd in Dublin, killing 3 & wounding 38
Who wanted a hardline approach to Ireland, and who wanted to compromise?
Churchill - hardline
DLG/Asquith - Compromise
What eventually stopped an Irish civil war?
The outbreak of WW1
Who was PM 1902-05?
Arthur Balfour
