Economic Empire 1890-1914

Question 1

Imperial trade good? (vague- not stats)

Answer 1

Investments
Colonies provided markets for exports
Colonies provided natural resources and foodstuffs for imports

Question 2

Stats re British imports and exports

Answer 2

C.1875-1900, 20% Br imports came from colonies and roughly 1/3 Br exports went to Empire market

Question 3

Importance of India for exports?

Answer 3

By 1914, India provided market for 20% of Br total exports worth 150m

Question 4

Increase in Br oversea investment between 1900-13?

Answer 4

From 2 to 4bn (2x amount of Fr and 3x amount of Germany)

Question 5

How much Empire trade worth in 1896?

Answer 5

745m

Question 6

Imperial trade bad? (vague- not stats)

Answer 6

Britain lagged behind in development of new industries- they relied on rubber imports from SE Asia while the French, Germans and Russia all had generated their own synthetic rubber production by 1910
Colonies, ie dominions, began to impose their own protectionist tarriffs (eg Au, NZ and SA) all did before WWWI and Canada had own trading agreements with Germany, Japan, Italy and France
No internal free trade between colonies
Expansion of empire didnt always mean expansion of trade

Question 7

How much of Br exports went to Africa by 1894

Answer 7

Only 1.2%

Question 8

Wheatflour: Canada v USA

Answer 8

Britain spent 64m on wheat imports; 30.2m from USA vs 3.6m imported from Canada (1894)

Question 9

Imperial Federation League?

Answer 9

Established in 1884 to promote closer economic ties with imperial possessions but was disbanded in 1893 reflecting lack of interest and hope for the Empire’s commercial importance

Question 10

Total trade share with empire decline c.1860-1929

Answer 10

From 49% to 36%

Question 11

Specific groups of people who trade with the empire impacted on?

Answer 11

• The city (bankers/ finance houses/ insurance etc.)
• British public (workers/ tax payers)
• British industry

Question 12

Pos effects on the city?

Answer 12

Finance capitalsits made huge profits: 22 new merchant banking millionaires c.1860-1919
Britain became economic hub of the world- between 1913-14 60% of the transactions passing through the City didnt even involve a British party
British freight suppliers specifically profitted- profits rose from 80m (1870) to 150m (1914). BUT THIS COULD BE SEEN AS RESULT IN WORLD TRADE INCREASING
Tourism companies thrived- By 1900, Thomas Cook and Sons was the largest single Egypian employer (helped by Baring’s role in Egypt)

Question 13

British freight suppliers stat

Answer 13

profits increased from 80m in 1870 to 150m in 1914

Question 14

Neg/ opposing evidence re the city?

Answer 14

Frieght suppliers- growth in global trade
Only 1/4 of 6bn invested by the city from 1850 went to the Empire
Many colonial investments led to losses (eg EAC went bust)
Investment elsewhere (eg Latin America and America) suggest the Empire wasnt necessary

Question 15

Pos effects on British public?

Answer 15

Administration of the EMpire was very cheap- only 20p/head/year
Naval spending meant increase in British shipbuilding yards which employed 1m people; particularly beneficial to portsmouth, belfast and glasgow
Indian army was supplied by Br manufacturers- employed nearly 1m by outbreak of WWI

Question 16

Neg effects on British public?

Answer 16

payed for the majority of defence : eg Royal Navy= 3p/head/year for natives vs 1.56 pound/head/year for taxpayer BUT THIS WAS ONLY THE NAVY: INDIANS CONTRIBUTED 70% COST TO INDIAN ARY (340k troops)

Question 17

Pos effects on British industry?

Answer 17

Lancashire cotton- 15 new cotton millionaires in the area between 1850-1914
Empire greew in importance when Britain couldnt sell to Europe for the USA (they had domestic industries)

Question 18

Decline in British goods going to Europe and Germany c.1870-1900

Answer 18

from 40% to 31%

Question 19

Growth in exports going to Empire 1870-1914

Answer 19

26% to 35% by 1914

Question 20

Neg effects on British industry?

Answer 20

If Br had abadoned Empire, loss of trade would have amounted to 3% total and savings on defence would have compensated
Loss of Empire would have encourgaed new industry development in Britain
Imperial Federation League

Question 21

Due to growth in foreign trade, British trade share in empoire decline from 1860 to 1929?

Answer 21

from 49% to 36%