Impact of the First World War Flashcards
1
Q
Empire was vital to allied success in the First World War. How did colonies help ?
A
- colonies sent approximately 2.5 million men to fight for the Empire between 1914 and 1918
2
Q
How many men did the Dominions provide ?
A
- Dominions provided some 1.3 million men to the allied cause.
3
Q
How many dominion soldiers died ?
A
- in Australia 58,500 died
- Canada 56,500
- New Zealand 16,000
4
Q
Where and when was conscription introduced ?
A
- conscription was introduced in New Zealand in 1916 and Canada in 1917
5
Q
main role/ impact of Australians and New Zealanders ?
A
- applauded for their bravery in the disastrous Gallipoli campaign
6
Q
main role/impact of Canadians ?
A
- Canada for their part at the battle for Vimy Ridge in April 1917
- Canada also supplied Britain with munitions ( third of the munitions used by British army in France in 1916-17 ) and wheat.
7
Q
What did General Smuts do ?
A
- formed the South African Defence Force , which fought successfully against the German Army in its colonies
8
Q
Who was General Smuts ?
A
- was a member of Lloyd’s George’s Imperial War Cabinet and attended the London Imperial War Conference and even advised on military strategy in Europe.
9
Q
What did the war trigger debate between the Dominions to the British Empire ?
A
- triggered debate about the Domion’s relationship to Britain and their long term future
10
Q
Opposition to the war in the Dominions ?
A
- French Canadians in Quebec regarded the war as a pro-British affair
- protect riots against conscription in Quebec City in March 1918
- Australians rejected conscription in two referendums , In October 1916 and December 1917
- In South Africa, a republican movement led by J.B.M Hertzog grew and the Afrikaner movement questioned the imperial connection
11
Q
How did the war affect the relationship between Dominions and the British ?
A
- war boosted emerging senses of distinctive national identity, affecting the relationship with Britain as the desire for independence from imperial control increased.
12
Q
What desires did the war lead to in the Dominion ?
A
- desire of freedom from imperial control.
13
Q
What was never introduced in India ?
A
Conscription
14
Q
How many Indians fought in the war
A
- over 1.4 million servicemen , all volunteers.
15
Q
role/impact of the Indian soldiers ?
A
- some fought on the western front
- others fought in the Middle East, making major contributions to the fighting
16
Q
role/ impact of the Indian government ?
A
- contributed 100 million to Britain’s war effort
17
Q
how many Egyptians were recruited to defend Egypt and the Middle East
A
- 1.2 million
18
Q
Servicemen from West and East Africa were not permitted to fight where
A
- not permitted to fight in Europe.
19
Q
impact of black soldiers not permitted to fight in Europe ?
A
- reflection of the hierarchy of racial prejudice within the imperial system
20
Q
what did black soldiers work as in Europe ?
A
- labourers or carriers
21
Q
Africans role/ experience of the war led to ?
A
the development of independence movements
22
Q
Where did African soldiers fight ?
A
- fought in the African theater of war against Germany led forces
- millions joined the human porters in Tanganyika
23
Q
Evidence of Africa being independent from Britain after war in affairs ?
A
- First Pan African Congress was held in France 1919
a delegation from South Africa attended the post war Versailles Peace Conference of 1919 to present the African case
24
Q
Result of the April 1916 Dublin Easter Rising ?
A
easily put down by the British
25
What followed the Dublin Easter Rising ?
- followed by a period of guerrilla warfare
26
Why did the period of guerrilla warfare in Ireland end ?
- the Anglo- Irish Treaty was signed
27
Terms of the Anglo Irish Treaty ?
- new Irish Free State was set up and given Dominion status
28
Opposition to the Anglo Irish Treaty ?
- contested by the six northern predominantly Protestant counties, which opted out and chose to remain under British sovereignty
29
When did Ireland achieve independence ?
- Irish Free State took the name of Eire and achieved full formal independence in the 1931 Statute of Westminster
30
Impact of the Dublin Easter Uprising
- the risings brutal suppression radicalised popular opinion in Ireland
31
When did British recognise Egyptian independence ?
1922
32
Why did British recognise Egyptian indepence ?
- serious demonstrations in 1919 convinced British officials that Britain's annexations shouldn't be permanent
- protect its strategic and economic interests
33
What was British informal control of Egypt ?
- Egypt was still effectively a client state but no longer had to pay for its development but maintained control of Egypt's foreign affairs and defence.
34
Opposition to British rule in Iraq
- conflicting nationalist movements sought independence
35
Why did Britain give Iraq independence ?
- country was never stable
- conflicting nationalist movements sought independence
36
Impact of making Ireland, Iraq and Palestine independent
- Giving independence to these countries was singifcant because it showed that violent uprisings, movements, government action could lead to independence from Britain.Showed British imperialist position suffered.
37
Impact of Irish independence
Irish independence being achieved was significant as it was Britain's oldest and closest colony inspired other nationalist movements
38
Economic costs of WW1 ?
- Huge amounts of public finances directed towards war effort
- Britain in severe debt
- Much of Britain's capital overseas investment had been wiped out
- The pound sterling had to be removed from the gold standard for the duration, because gold reserves ran so low
39
Other economic impacts of WW1
- War effort had severe consequences for some of Britain's most important export industries
40
Impact of Britain prioritising production for the war over making goods for export to traditional overseas markets ?
- Britain;s competitors were able to win markets traditionally dominated by Births exports
41
What happened after World War One the affected British markets
Britain did not win all overseas markets back.
42
What industries experiences great difficulties from competitors ?
- Britain's traditional industries such as textiles, shipbuilding, coal, iron and steel which crested one for runnings and defending of empire faced new overseas competition
43
example of competition for industries
Japanese in textile production
44
how did Britain's financial sector also suffer ?
- the banks and financial institutions which generated profits from lending money overseas.The result was that the economic burden of the empire grew, as Britain's ability to pay for it diminished
45
What intensified Britain;s economic problems
Great Depression
46
Economic impact of Great Depression
- saw a collapse of international trade and markets for British industrial exports.
- forced the country off the gold standard again
47
Economic impact of the war for India
- India contributed £146 million to the war effort
- India experienced shortages and inflation
In 1914 two thirds of India's imports came from Britain but this fell as wartime disrupted trade and also due to foreign competitors
48
How did the Great Depression intensify Britain’s economic problems after WW1?
International trade and markets for British industrial exports collapsed
. A financial crisis in 1931 kicked Britain off the gold standard again
- overall, this reduced earnings from overseas investments as many countries devalued their currencies during the Depression to boost exports.
49
How did League of Nations mandates come about?
Post-war treaties in November 1918
50
Which two nations became mandates?
The colonies of the Ottoman Empire (fall of the Ottoman Empire at end of WW1) and Germany’s former colonies (stripped of their colonies in TOV)
51
How were mandates supposed to be arranged: theory vs reality?
In theory: they were meant to help ‘less developed’ territories such as German and Turkish colonies in Africa to become independent nations (self-determination)
Reality: the main mandating powers were Britain and France, who had vast empires and just wanted imperial control and status.
52
Which mandates did Britain gain?
Palestine
. Transjordan
. Iraq
. Parts of Cameroon and Togo
. Tanganyika
53
When did British empire reach its greatest extent?
Following the post-war treaties
- 13 million new subjects
54
Why was the Middle East crucial to the empire and so therefore Palestine was?
Main overland route to Britain’s Indian and Asian empire
. So close to Suez Canal
. Mesopotamia increasingly valuable as it was oil-rich
55
Why did Iraq need to be mandated by Britain?
So Britain could protect the monarch rule in Iraq, run by the royal family of Hejaz
- the monarchical system needed protection as Iraq was unstable and didn’t want independence
56
Did Iraq’s mandation receive good protection from Britain effectively?
Not really, Iraq was never really stabilised and there were conflicting nationalists movements that sought independence
- October 1932: Iraq independence occurred under King Faisal I
57
How did Britain empire fare under Iraq’s new independence?
. Iraq maintained close economic and military ties with Britain
. Britain retained air bases in Iraq
