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
What was the Government of Ireland Act?
Established a locally elected government at Stormont House in Belfast.
What was the result of the Government of Ireland Act?
There was mass rioting between Protestants and Catholics in Belfast & Londonderry 1920-21.
When did the IRA accept a truce?
June 1921 - mostly because they were out of ammunition and guns
What was the Treaty of London?
Gave southern ireland the right to rule itself as a free state within the Empire
What were the results of the Irish crisis?
Conservatives weren’t happy with the concessions to the Nationalists
Problem wasn’t fully solved - Govt ‘abandoned’ 300,000 Protestants who lived in the South.
Why did the coalition government continue to pursue social reforms?
There was a desire among Liberals to continue the work they were doing pre-WW1
The immediate post-war boom led the government to beleive they could afford these reforms.
What was the 1918 Maternity and Child Welfare Act?
It increased maternity benefits
What was the 1919 Old Age pensions act?
It increased the benefits of the 1908 scheme
What was the 1919 National Insurance act?
Compulsory health insurance extended to all those earnign up to £250, extending the 1911 act.
What was the 1920 unemployment act?
It extended the 1911 act to more occupations.
What was the 1921 Unemployment insurance act?
There would be transitional payments after 26 weeks of payments from National Insurance if you were unemployed. Became known as ‘the dole’
What was the 1921 Unemployed Dependents act?
gave benefits to the families of unemployed workers
What was the 1919 Housing Act?
Local authorities were to build houses with low rents at a rate of 70,000 a year. Building was subsidised by £260 a house, and 213,000 were built.
What was the Coal Mines Act 1919?
Guaranteed a 7-hour day for miners
What was the Agriculture Act 1920?
Gauranteed agricultural prices to help farmers & also protected labourers’ wages.
Why did further reform stop in 1922?
The economic outlook was much more negative
How many men were unemployed in 1921 compared to 1920?
1920 - 700,000
1921 - 1.9m
What was ‘the Geddes axe’?
A proposed set of cuts that would raise £87m.
This ended a huge amount of the previous schemes, such as housing subsidies and the agriculture/coal acts.
What was the Railways Act 1920?
Ended government control of the railways
What was the impact of the huge falls in revenue post-WW1?
Led to calls for import duties to be levied - Tarrif Reform returns
What was the Safeguarding of Industries act 1921?
An act that imposed 33% duty on some imports.
What was the economic situation by 1922?
There was still a shortage of homes
Old workhouses still existed
Miners had long hours
Unemployment was incredibly high
Why was DLG unpopular by 1922?
His style of leadership was very presidential - acted against the Conservatives in the Chanak crisis
He was a Liberal running a government of Conservatives
Honours scandal - cash for peerages
Social welfare reforms were entirely backtracked by the Geddes Axe
What was the Carlton Club meeting?
A meting where 273 Tories debated on whether to oust DLG or not.
What happened after DLG resigned?
Bonar Law took control of government & called a general election which he won.
Why did Bonar Law resign?
He had throat cancer
Who became PM after Bonar Law?
Stanley Baldwin
Why did Baldwin call an election in 1923?
Naivety, and he wanted approval for his leadership.
Why did Labour become the government in 1923 despite losing?
The Liberals only agreed to support Labour - no party had enough to form a govt
Why did the Liberals choose to support Labour in 1923?
To prove they were unfit for office and become the main opposition again
What was the seat split in the 1923 government?
191 Labour, 156 Liberal
What were the key aims of the Labour government in 1924?
Implement socialist ideas
Work for world peace
End the housing shortage & reduce unemployment
Show that Labour could be trusted to govern
What were some successes of Labour foreign policy in 1923-24?
Macdonald attended League of Nations meetings
Macdonald instrumental in finding a compromise between France & Germany - Dawes Plan from the USA
Agreed a trade deal with Lenin in the USSR
What were some failures of Labour foreign policy 1923-24?
Neither measure offered permanent solution to international problems: Conservatives failed to ratify the Geneva Protocol after the Labour govt fell
Daws plan did not survive economic crises 1929
USSR Trade deal strongly disliked by Liberals and Conservatives
What were some successes of Labour domestic policy 1923-24?
More extensive protection for the unemployed - most Conservative cuts reverse, benefits increased
Agriculture Act made sure that farm workers wages were not cut below minimum standard
The Haddow Report - recognised the break between primary & secondary education; report recommended different schools for different abilities - caused 1944 Butler Act
Wheatley Housing Act - Increased subsidy for those renting council houses; further 21,000 council houses built as a result
What were some failures of Labour domestic policy 1923-24?
No sympathy to strikers - emergency act used vs. public transport workers
No solution to unemployment
No major social reforms
Only ended up in power for 10 months
Why did Labour fall from power in 1924?
Mostly due to failure to present themselves as a moderate party
What were the two incidents that caused the fall of Labour in 1924?
The Campbell Case & the Zinoviev letter
What was the Zinoviev letter?
A forged letter, supposedly from USSR official Zinoviev, that urged the CPGB to support Labour.
What were the effects of the Zinoviev letter?
Voters were persuaded a vote for Labour was a vote for communism
(effect exagerrated, Labour increased popular vote in the next election)
What was the Campbell case?
A former navy officer and founded of the CPGB wrote an open letter encouraging soldiers to refuse to turn weapons on the fellow working class.
There were recommendations he should be prosecuted by Patrick Hastings, the Attorney General, but when he changed his mind, the Liberals wnated an investigation. MacDonald called the vote a matter of confidence & lost, making the government fall.
What were the effects of the Campbell case?
The Labour government was brought down
What were the causes for the decline of the Liberal party?
Split between Asquith and DLG was fatal
No longer represented the economic interests of the new 20th century
Increased franchise benefitted Labour & Conservatives moreso than the Liberals
Left without a core ideology after giving up key belief in freedom during WW1
Who became PM again in 1924?
Stanley Baldwin
What was the appeal of Baldwin’s Conservatives to the voters in 1924?
Fear of socialism - Bolshevik revolution
Advocated respect for private property & careful financial management
Favoured more moderate social reform
Willing to spend strongly on defense
What were Stanley Baldwin’s tactics & major policies?
Critics were in govt - Churchill in the Treasury
No longer pursued policy of ending Free Trade
Moderate image
United Conservative Party - mixture of moderate reforms
Who was Chancellor under Stanley Baldwin?
Winston Churchill
When was the Pensions Act?
1925
When was the Electricity Act, which set up the National Grid?
1926
When was the BBC established?
1927
When was the Parliamentary Reform Act?
1928
What did the Parliamentary Reform Act do?
Gave women equal voting rights
In what ways was Churchill’s return to the Gold Standard a bad idea?
It made British Exports cost more & the manufacturing industry suffered as a result.
In what ways was Churchill’s return to the gold standard a good idea?
A reinstation of the 1919 act would have shown a lack of confidence to foreign investors
Finance industry gained, and was worth more than manufacturing industries anyway
What was the value of the pound on the Gold Standard?
$4.87
What were Neville Chamberlain’s reforms in the Baldwin government?
Four Year Plan
Reform of local authorities
De-rating of agricultural land
What was Chamberlain’s 4-year plan?
A set of 25 proposed acts to update social policy & improve living conditions. 22 passed, and did things like giving widows pension rights.
What was Chamberlain’s reform of local authorities?
He gave wider powers to local councils to provide public service - also furthered central control to stop councils from spending too much
What was the de-rating of agricultural land?
A policy pushed by Churchill, it gave businesses lower costs & allowed them to employ more workers. In practice, had very limited effect.
What were some general successes of the Baldwin government’s domestic policy 1924-29?
22 Ministry of Health Acts passed
Reform of local govt
Ended Poor law & the workhouse
BBC & the National Grid - modernisation
1928 Parliamentary Reform Act - equal voting rights
What were some failures of the Baldwin government’s domestic policy 1924-29?
Many policies didn’t actually help unemployment issues
Over £5000m spent in poor relief and benefits
Poor housing still an issue
Still faced long-term decline of staple industries
What were the main Foreign policy agreements 1924-29?
Geneva Protocol (rejected)
Locarno treaties 1925
Kellog-Briand Pact 1928
What were the Locarno treaties?
A set of agreements that promised to respect joint frontiers in Western Europe between Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Poland, and Czechoslovakia
What was the Kellogg-Briand Pact?
An international pact renouncing war as a national policy
What were some failures of Baldwin’s foreign policy 1924-29?
Loss of Support for the Dominions over Geneva Protocla & Locarno Pact
Unwise to commit to Locarno when there were no firm alliances
Kellogg-Briand Pact was useless - no sanctions
Bad relations with the USSR
What were some successes of Baldwin’s Foreign policy 1924-29?
Foreign sec Austen Chamberlain was renowned as an international statesman like MacDonald was
As successful as it realistically could have been - war looked unlikely at this stage
When was the first woman MP elected?
1919
How many women MPs were there by 1923?
8
Who was the first woman to take her seat as an MP?
Nancy Astor
Why did the first elected woman MP not take her seat?
She was Sinn Fein
What did women have to be to vote under the 1918 Act?
30 or older, had to either be married to or be a homeowner
When were Divorce laws equalised?
1923
What did political women’s associations campaign for after 1918?
Equal voting rights, equality of divorce laws, etc
What did the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 do?
Allowed women into the legal profession
What were some issues faced by women post-war?
Many lost their jobs due to returning men
It was hard to marry due to lots of men being dead
Women got used to freedom & independence during the war
Which Conservative ministers opposed the reform to Women’s voting?
Stanley Baldwin & Winston Churchill
Which Conservative minister proposed the change for women’s voting rights?
William Joyson-Hix, the Home Secretary
