Chapter 8: British Politics 1918-29 Flashcards
When was the coupon election?
1918
When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?
June 1919
When was the Unemployment insurance act?
December 1920
When was the Government of Ireland Act?
December 1920
When was the Treaty of London?
December 1921
When was the Geddes Axe?
February 1922
When was the fall of DLG’s coalition government?
October 1922
What was the result of the 1922 general Election?
Conservatives won - Andrew Bonar Law became PM
What was the result of the 1923 General Election?
Conservatives won, but hung parliament. Liberals support Labour - Ramsay Macdonald becomes PM of a minority government
What was the result of the 1924 General election?
Conservatives won - Baldwin becomes PM again
When was the return to the Gold Standard?
April 1925
When was the Locarno pact?
December 1925
When was the ‘Flapper Act’?
March 1928
When was the Kellogg-Briand pact signed by the UK, USA, France & Germany?
August 1928
When was the Local Government Act?
March 1929
What was the result of the 1929 General Election?
Labour won - Ramsay Macdonald becomes PM again
When was the first coalition government formed?
1915
Why did the Conservatives choose to continue the coalition with Lloyd-George?
DLG had come across a great deal of power & prestige as a wartime leader
Andrew Bonar Law wasn’t hugely popular compared to DLG
Both DLG & the Conservatives were concerned about the rise of Labour
DLG was hated by a large number of the Liberal Party
Why was the 1918 election called the ‘Coupon Election’?
Because letters were sent to coalition candidates, and were jokingly referred to as ‘coupons’ after the rationing coupons needed to buy some food in the war.
How many coalition MPs were elected in 1918?
473
What were the four main parties in the 1918 election?
Coalition
Liberals (under Asquith)
Labour
Sinn Fein
How many seats did Sinn Fein win in the 1918 election?
73
Why did the coalition win the 1918 election?
DLG was personally popular
The coalition had largely been successful in government
DLG promised harsh treatment for germany & a better life for the British people post-war.
They extended the franchise to women - more inclined towards Conservative
Why was DLG incredibly dependent on the Conservatives in his coalition?
They held 379 out of the 473 seats of the Coalition
Why did the Commons represent more economic interests than it did previously?
There were over 260 new MPs - many were businessmen and industrialists
Why was Sinn Fein an issue after the 1918 election?
They tried to set up an independent Irish parliament & refused to take their seats in Westminster
What were the consequences for the Liberal party after 1918?
They were fatally split - Labour beat the Liberal party
What was DLG’s Foreign policy towards Russia?
Send troops to support the Whites in the Russian Civil War
What was DLG’s Foreign policy towards France?
He formed good relations with them - this was unpopular with his cabinet
What was DLG’s approach to the Treaty of Versailles?
Restrictions were put on future german navies, and german colonies were distributed among the allies as ‘League of Nations’ territories.
What was the League of Nations?
A group set up in 1920 by Woodrow Wilson. Britain was one of its permanent members, and the USA did not join.
What were some german colonies that were handed over to Britain after WW1?
Iraq, Palestine, Transjordan
Why did the new colonies given to Britain after WW1 cause problems?
Territories in East Asia had to be defended from Japan
There was unrest in Iraq and Palestine
What was the Balfour Declaration?
A statement from the UK government supporting the creation of a Jewish nation in Palestine (Israel)
What were the issues with the Treaty of Versailles?
It was a compromise - Too much punishment for UK and US, not enough for France, Italy, or Japan
What was the issue with Britain’s place in the League of Nations?
It could not follow an independent foreign policy
What was the Chanak Crisis?
A response to the Treaty of Sevres, where Turkish nationalists who had just overthrown the sultanate attacked the Greeks in 1922.
What was the Treaty of Sevres?
A treaty in 1920 that gave Greece some land in Turkey and demilitarised a zone in the area of old Gallpoli battlefields.
Who led the Turkish Nationalists in the Chanak Crisis?
Mustapha Kemal
What was the British response to the Chanak Crisis?
DLG wanted to enforce the treaty, but the idea of another war was unpopular so he had to back down.
What was the Washington agreement?
A treaty between the UK, USA, and Japan that limited naval power in the Pacific to a fixed ratio of 5:5:3, with 3 being Japan.
Why were UK-Japanese relations worsened under DLG?
He had to pull out of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance due to the US’s concerns over rising Japanese nationalism
What were some main issues with Lloyd-George’s foreign policy?
Britain was forced to worsen Japanese relations due to USA influence
Britain had little power to prevent the French invasion of the Ruhr in 1923
Foreign affairs became too presidential under DLG, with little to no clear benefit for the UK.
There was rising economic distress at home.
What were the issues going on in Ireland post-war?
Rise in nationalism as a response to conscription
Sinn fein set up the Dail, an independent Irish parliament - Britsh government saw this as a rebellion
When was the Anglo-Irish War?
1918-1921
What forces fought in the Anglo-Irish war?
The Irish Republic Army & the Royal Irish Constabulary (Unionists)
How many policemen did the IRA kill in 1920?
176
What were the main strategies of the IRA?
Guerilla Warfare - lacked restraint for shooting and murder
What were the Royal Irish Constabulary also known as?
The Black & tans
Why could DLG not pass Home Rule?
His coalition was mostly Conservative