Impact of the Boer War on Britain Flashcards
which acts had made Britain more democratic?
1867 and 1884 Parliamentry Reform Acts
how had the 1867 and 1884 Parliamentry Reform Acts increased the franchise?
extended the vote to more men
by 1884, 2/3 of all men could vote
what was a major problem with Britain’s democracy?
women could not vote
what dominated British politcs in the late 1800s?
aristocracy in both the House of Lords and Commons
what were the 2 main political parties in 1899?
the Liberals
the Conservative-Unionists
how was religion important in voting political parties?
Liberals = nonconformist
Conservatives = Church of England
how was class important in viting political parties?
Liberals = working-class
Conservative = middle-class
what was the main thing dividing the political parties?
policy on Irish Home Rule
Liberals (under Gladstone) backed an Irish Parliament
Conservatives and many Liberal-unionists opposed
why had Gladstone been unable to pass his Irish Home Rule Bill?
1/3 of his own party voted against it
why were the Conservatives able to defeat Gladstone in the 1886 election and hold power for a decade?
the liberals who went against Gladstone’s Irish Home Rule Bill joined the Conservatives in an alliance —> formed Conservative-Unionist Party
allowed them to defeat the Liberals
what was the main justification for the British Empire?
concept of a mission
Brits were conivinced that British rule improved the quality of life of lower races
what support was there for a war in SA in 1899?
both from MPs and public
how powerful was the press by 1899?
more people than ever could buy a newspaper —> was cheaper than ever to buy and run
it encouraged support for imperialism and war
when and who set up the Daily Mail?
1896 by Alfred Harmsworth
how much was the Daily Mail sold for?
a halfpenny
by 1900 how many Daily Mail papers were in circulation?
1 million
what effect did the rise of the Daily Mail have on the wider press?
- other papers had to drop their prices to stay competitive
- new papers emerged which imitated the Daily Mail
what stance did the Daily Mal hold?
VERY IMPERIALISTIC
marketed itself as the voice of empire
how had war reporting developed by 1900?
newspapers began to send correspondents to the frontlines
was very popular with the public —> boosted sales
who were th famous Boer War correspondents?
George Stevens (the Daily Mail)
Winston Churchill (the Morning Post)
how had Buller dealt with the press?
he used methods of censorship to prevent the press digging into his plans
cost him dearly as he could not present his side of the story
the public back home came to see him as a buffoon
how had Roberts dealt with the press?
he went out of his way to seem approachable with the press
however he kept them away from disturbing scenes such as the typhoid outbreak
how had Baden-Powell manipulated the press?
although his defence of Mafeking was successful, he had used the press to patrionise himself and paint himself as a war hero
what were the other methods of media used during the Boer War?
- photographs
- bioscope
what camera was cheap and most popular in 1900?
Brownie camera
who used cameras during the Second Boer War?
soldiers as well as journalists
when was the bioscope invented?
1895
what was the bioscope?
first moving film apparatus
what did the bioscope provide?
moving pictures of the war in SA
however were often staged
BUT gave public more insight
how had the commercial world exploited the war?
soldiers would often feature in advertisments for all sorts of products
what was Khaki Fever?
women were more sexually attracted to men of uniform
how many people cheered the leaving troops at Southampton?
500,000
which important events during the war recieved a great amount of attention?
relief of Ladysmith and Mafeking
what were examples of strong public support for the war?
- 500,000 cheered troops leaving Southampton
- more men volunteered
- pro-Boers were attacked