Commonwealth Flashcards
What was the impact of World War One on the dominions?
Aspirations for control over their own affairs
What influence did the Boer war have on this?
Worried that South Africa would dessert the British Empire and therefore there would be a loss of influence
What was the commonwealth?
Association consisting of the UK and the states that were previously in the British empire
What would happen to the dominions under the commonwealth?
Able to become independent but maintain a special relationship with Britain
When was the idea of a commonwealth given substance?
1926 Balfour declaration (Meeting between the British and Dominion prime ministers)
When was the Statue of Westminster?
1931
What happened in 1931?
Statue of Westminster
What happened in the 1931 Statue of Westminster?
Certain dominions should become independent
Laws passed in Britain could not be enforced in countries without their own parliaments permission
Dominion countries would be able to pass laws without the interference or approval of Britain
What gave:
Certain dominions should become independent
Laws passed in Britain could not be enforced in countries without their own parliaments permission
Dominion countries would be able to pass laws without the interference or approval of Britain
1931: Statue of Westminster
Where did the 1931 statue of Westminster immediately come into effect?
South Africa
Irish Free State
Canada
Where did the 1931 Statue of Westminster have to be ratified?
Ratified by the parliaments of
Australia (1942)
New Zealand (1947)
What country never ratified the 1931 Statue of Westminster?
Newfoundland
How did the British use the commonwealth?
Way to maintain their world power, as they could end their formal empire but still maintain informal ties, which would protect the British economy and influence
Maintain a sterling area
Prevent the spread of communism
Why were they initially reluctant to admit non-white dominions into the Commonwealth?
Sharing of American strategic intelligence and discussions of the Cold War were seen as a problem when sharing with non-whites
When did India become a republic?
1949
What did India become in 1949?
A republic
What was the impact of India becoming a republic in 1949?
India didn’t need to recognise the British monarch as the head of state
What meant that India didn’t need to recognise the British monarch as the head of state?
Becoming a republic in 1949
Why did the commonwealth need to be larger?
Cold War
Bevins desire to build up British power to rival the US and the Soviet Union
Why did the British want India in the commonwealth?
Prevent India from turning to the Soviet Union
What happened in April 1949?
Criteria of the commonwealth membership was changed to allow a broader range of regimes to join
When was the membership criteria of the commonwealth changed?
April 1949
What were the changes to the commonwealth in 1949?
Allow the presence of republics
Kings would be come the new head of the Commonwealth, consisting of both Crown Colonies and Republic dominion
What happened during the 1950s and 1960s?
Many more African and Asian republic became independent and would join the Commonwealtth
What influence did the Commonwealth have?
Multiracial circle of democratic nations who were exerting a powerful influence on the world
What did Labour attempt after 1945 in terms of India?
Formal defence commitments from India, as the price of independence
What happened to Ceylon after 1947?
British still have access to military bases on the Island, even after independence
Where were the British given access to military bases even after independence in 1947?
Ceylon
When did Burma become an independent republic outside of the Commonwealth?
1948
What did the commonwealth as an alternative to?
Complete association with the US or Europe
What was expected as a result of meeting the national oppositions demand?
Moderate development and reserves of goodwill for the British
What happened in August 1955?
MacDonald (Commissioner General in South East Asia) told an audience of British businessmen that they should support opposition to make sure that future relations will be positive.
What did Lord Swinton say in 1954?
Commonwealth secretary, Lord Swinton, believed that the admission of former colonies would ensure that they stay ‘within our own sphere of influence’ and was a ‘source of strength and prestige for the UK’
When was Cyprus admitted into the commonwealth?
1961
Who was admitted into the Commonwealth in 1961?
Cyprus
What was the impact of expanding the empire to non-white colonies?
Britain and the west would have influence in the world where the Soviets lacked
Established colonies that were economically dependent
Who left the commonwealth due to racial reasons in 1961?
South Africa
Why did South Africa leave the Commonwealth in 1961?
Racial reasons as they were not happy about admitting foreign countries
What lead to the exclusion of Ireland in 1949?
When it became a republic, it therefore denied the aspect of the commonwealth where the sovereign ruler was the British monarch
With the change in April 1949, what was Britain referred to and why?
‘Head of the Commonwealth’ - Didn’t seem as if the monarch was imposing royal authority over the former colony
What took place every one to two years?
Regular commonwealth conferences
What happened in 1952??
Major Commonwealth Economic Conference
When was a Major Commonwealth Economic Conference?
1952
Where did most commonwealth meetings take place?
London (Only now was outside)
What was the impact of having majority of the Commonwealth meetings in London?
Showed that Britain dominated the commonwealth
What was the only commonwealth meeting outside of London?
January 1966- Lagos to discuss polices towards Rhodesia
In India, what did Britain still retain?
Remnant of the old Indian Army in the brigade of Gurkhas
In 1953, by what percentage did the ‘sterling area’ contribute to the UK’s imports and exports?
49%
In 1953, what are consisted for 49% of the UK import and exports?
‘Sterling area’
In what year were the ‘sterling area’ worth 49% of the UK imports and exports?
1953
