Expansion And Contraction Flashcards
What is the imperial war cabinet?
Created by Lloyd George in 1917 to co ordinate imperial military policy
Lloyd George and imperial preference
Greater effort from resources of manpower and materials from empire
DOMINIONS Australia and WW1
Rejected conscription in 2 referendums Oct 1916 and dec 1917
Applauded for bravery at Gallipoli 1915
DOMINIONS New Zealand and WW1
Introduced conscription 1916
Applauded for bravery at Gallipoli 1915
DOMINIONS Canada and WW1
Applauded for bravery at vimy ridge 1917
Supplied munitions (1/3 of munitions used by Brit army in France 1917-18)
French Canadians in Quebec City riots against conscription 1918
Conscription introduced 1917
DOMINIONS South Africa and WW1
JBM hertzog republican movement
136,000 SA troops fought in Middle East and western front
DOMINIONS South Africa and WW1: general smuts
Formed South African defence force which was successful against the Germans
Member of imperial war cabinet- advised on military strategy in Europe!
Spoke about a “community of nations which I prefer to call the British commonwealth of nations”
India and WW1
1917 Indian gov contributed £100m to British war effort
Major contributions in Middle East
In reward secutary of state Edwin montagu promised responsible self government for India
Africa and WW1
Black people recruited to work in France as labourers and carriers 100,000 died
100,000 Egyptian soldiers fought in Europe 50% killed
1.2m Egyptians recruited to defend Egypt and Middle East
Egypt became a protectorate in 1917
Aftermath of WW1 for Africa
First pan African congress held in France 1919
A delegation from SA attended Versailles peace conference 1919 to present the African case
The League of Nations
Set up by post war peace treaties
Treaty of Versailles stripped Germany of its former colonies and Ottoman Empire
Which treaty distributed land among allied powers to become mandates?
Treaty of san Remo 1920
The result of the post war peace treaties
Empire reached its greatest extent with addition of 1800,000 square miles and 13m new subjects
Dominions acquires mandates of their own
Evidence that the empire didn’t win the war for us
80% of casualties and 88% of the expenditure incurred by the British empire to defeat Germany and turkey cane from the UKs treasury and domestic tax payers
The Balfour declaration
Sympathy for Jewish Zionism
Motivation of Balfour declaration
Hoped that it would convince USA to enable Britain to extend its influence into the Middle East
In 1915 what were the British and French plotting and what did they encourage
To divide Middle East between them
Encouraged Arab rebellion against Turkish empire- TE Lawrence promoted rebellion from Arab tribes 1917-18
The result of the Balfour declaration
Violent clashes between Arabs and Jews
By 1931 how much of the Palestine pop where Jewish? Why is this significant?
17.7%
Cannot fulfil promises
Bernard porter and British promises
Made “irresponsibly”
Easter rising 1916
By Sinn Fein unsuccessful
1919 what did Sinn Fein win?
Majority of Irish seats in Westminster
1919 what did Sinn Fein declare
Irish republic and IRA began guerrilla warfare against brits
Why did Eamon de Valera refuse Anglo Irish treaty
Involved splitting the county= Irish civil war
Republic of Ireland act
1948 separates from brit
What did the irish show
British imperialism could be challenged successfully
Expansion in WW1
Iraq Transjordan Palestine tanganyika Cameroon
SA gained SW Africa
Australia gained New Guinea
Contraction WW1 and interwar period
S Ireland fully independent by 1937
Egypt 1922 granted full independence but remained client state until 1954
Iraq independent 1932 but retained close ties
4 key problems relating to imperial defence
The Great Depression
Emergence of threatening regimes- Japan facist Italy and nazi germany
Nationalist independence movements eg India need for military resources
Realisation that League of Nations could not provide security in international affairs
Policy of appeasement
Efforts to prevent another major European war by surrendering territorial demands made by Germany and Italy
What did the policy of appeasement allow Britain to do?
Strengthen forces against Japan
Modernise Indian army
Singapore naval base £25m
The failure of appeasement
Neville chamberlain underestimated German ambition who invaded Poland sep 1939
Japan attacked Singapore feb 1942 when Britain at war in Europe
DOMINION India and WW2
Over 87,000 Indian soldiers died
Commander of Indian army said British “couldn’t have came through both wars if they hadn’t had the Indian army”
Viceroy declared war on behalf of India- INC annoyed
Leaders of quit India movement imprisoned
DOMINION South Africa and WW2
No conscription All forces are volunteers Many supported going to war Took 3 days to decide Mining industry converted to war effort Group of nazis opposed
DOMINION New Zealand and WW2
Conscription Pacifists arrested Opposed appeasement- worried about invasion from Japan Declared war on Germany in own right 140,000 served
DOMINION Canada in WW2
Many opposed due to WW1 memories
Neutral at first
No conscription
South Asia and WW2
Unnamed works doing hard labour many died
DOMINION Australia in WW2
Felt dragged into it
Social pressure many people rushed to enlist
Remembered WW1
The rise of the Japanese
Fall of Singapore 1942
What was El Alamein 1942?
Battle in North Africa that pushed out nazi Germans
Secured Egypt and Suez Canal
Why was the fall of Singapore significant?
Defend of Malaya and Burma imposed
Brought the largest surrender of British troops in history
The Japanese exposed weakness of the empire: other events as a result
Ended white invincibility myth
30,000 Indian troops joined INA and fought against British 1943 in Burma
Burma formed independence army
REPRESENTED A BETRAYAL OF THE EMPIRES GUARENTEE OF SECURITY IN RETURN FOR LOYALTY
Atlantic charter 1941
Churchill wants Roosevelt in the war who wants dismantlement of imperial preference
Economic position in 1945
USA demand repayment of war debt
NHS
Labour landslide victory of 145 majority there is a need for social reform
British debt 1945
£3500m
Imported £2000m only exported £350m
The government of India act 1919
Limited self government- Indian ministers and British viceroy- step towards full dominion status
The rowlatt act
March 18th 1919
Imprisonment for suspected terrorism with out a warrant or trial and stricter control of the press
What caused the the British to introduce direct rule and repression c. 1935 (government of India act)
3 main reasons
- congress party opposed gov of India act as no independence
- princely states rejected federal India as wanted to maintain independence
- 1939 ministers in provinces resigned from office opposing Indian participation in war
Why introduce the rowlatt act?
Under the Simon commission recommended that internal security and foreign affairs remain in British control
Curb the threat from revolutionary nationalist organisations
Amritsar massacre
April 13th 1919
British Indian army under dyer fired at a crowd of Punjabi people celebrating a cultural festival
Reasons for dyers actions at Amritsar- Jeremy paxman
Jeremy paxman- his actions followed a pattern “using devastating force to impose their will” “brutal truth about empire”
Indian reactions to Dyer
- INC- Britain has no moral authority
- galvanised Gandhi’s non co op movement
Chaura Chauri 1922
Protestors in non cooperation movement set fire to police station- police opened fire- 3 civilians and 23 policeman dead- movement end
Quit India campaign 1942
Gandhi and INC demanded “an orderly British withdrawal” British imprisoned almost the entire INC leadership and movement failed
Cripps mission
1942 inc reject
Promise of full dominion status
Too little too late
Non cooperation campaign
1920-22
Refusal to buy British goods
Local handicrafts
Pocket liquor shops
The Muslim league and Jinnah
1916 Disagreed with Gandhi’s non violence 1940 wanted separate Muslim state Efforts in creating Pakistan- first Governor General Increasingly militant
=Indian independence movement not united
How did Gandhi become a national figure
Championed indigo workers in Bihar
Mediated textile industry dispute in Ahmedabad
And mediated the dispute of land taxes in Gujarat
Role of Gandhi
1915 INC president
Indian dress symbolic of commitment to Indian culture
Methods hard for British to suppress
The new labour gov victory
Landslide victory 1945
Labour gov and the empire
Loans from use
Economic crisis after WW2
Less inclined to maintain empire
Impact of WW2 on Burma
Anti fascist organisation (AFO) coalition with Burma national army under Aung San.
Atlee in dec 1946 said he’s unwilling to commit sufficient troops
Independence 1948
Impact of WW2 on Middle East and the United Nations
Tension between Arabs and Jews Possible solutions: -unitary state- federal gov Jews reject as lead to Muslim rule -provincial autonomy- Jews reject
United Nations- chosen partition of Palestine under UN
Was Palestine a success or failure?
Failure Britain had spent excess of £100m on governing Palestine since jan 1945 and over 330 soldiers dead
Summary of WW1 and WW2 expansion and contraction
WW1 followed by expansion despite loss of Ireland Egypt and Iraq
WW2 major contraction- India Pakistan Palestine and Burma
Concept of empire remained strong- Britain continued to develop Africa and Malaya
