Impact Of WW1 Flashcards

1
Q

How much did WW1 cost the empire in comparison to the Boer War?

A

WW1: estimated £3.5 billion
- 1.3 times as much as for Boer War, which was already regarded as a lot

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2
Q

How many soldiers and Britons died in WW1?

A

Almost a million Britons and 200,000 soldiers from all across the empire

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3
Q

Why was Britain left in severe debt following WW1?

A

Huge amounts of public finances were directed towards the war effort

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4
Q

What happened to the gold standard during WW1?

A

. Pound sterling had to be removed from the gold standard during WW1as gold reserves ran so low
- considered a measure of a ‘last resort’
- the gold standard was meant to keep a stable value on British currency backed by gold, but suspending this shows that the empire struggled to hold up a stable economy, seeming weak

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5
Q

How did British wartime production damage the trading power of the empire?

A

. Britain prioritised wartime production during the war over producing goods to be exported overseas.
. This meant that Britain received competition (especially from USA and Japan) in markets that their exports usually dominated
. Not all of these overseas markets were won back after the war

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6
Q

How were Britain’s traditional industries such as textiles, shipbuilding, iron and steel damaged between WW1 and WW2?

A

. There were industrial shifts during and after WW1 as the war led to the decline of traditional industries, except shipbuilding and munitions which temporarily increased during WW1, but then contracted post war.
These ‘British’ industries faced fierce overseas competition, such as from Japan in textile production.

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7
Q

How did WW1 damage the British financial sector?

A

As this sector of banks and financial institutions relied on lending money to overseas institutions to make profits, the vast overseas economic territories of the empire became a burden to Britain as they struggled to pay for lending money to all of these territories. This meant Britain struggled to support international trade

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8
Q

Why were much of Britain’s capital investment overseas wiped out by the war and what did this mean?

A

. They relied heavily on borrowing money to fund the war effort, especially from US. This meant that Britain had to sell off many profitable overseas investments to pay this back as they were in debt.
. The war led to serious devaluation of many currencies of countries that Britain had investments in. This meant that there was much less income when converting back to sterling for Britain.
. Britain’s status as a financial power had shifted to America, so it was difficult for Britain to exert influence over international financial markets and made it difficult for Britain to secure new investments abroad
. The decline of the British pound as a universally stable currency due to the suspension of the gold standard undermined the profitability of many overseas investments that had been supported by the international stability of the sterling during the gold standard.
Overall: Britain were no longer the global financial power they once were, and the economic impact of the war led them to realise the importance of the empire to Britain’s economy

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9
Q

How did the Great Depression intensify Britain’s economic problems after WW1?

A

. 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.

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10
Q

How much did India economically contribute to the war efforts in Britain and what was the consequence of this?

A

Almost £146 million
- resulted in inflation from printing more money to fund war efforts
- meant India experienced shortages during the war as their spending went to the war effort

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11
Q

How did India economically do okay in moving away from empire in the long-term after WW1?

A

. 1914 - 2/3 of Indian imports came from Britain
- this fell during war due to trade disruption
- fell further in the long term due to growing economic strength of foreign rivals

. This meant Indian manufacturers began to capture more of the domestic markets

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12
Q

How was Indian industry protected against competitors after WW1?

A

. Britain determined to get revenue to cover wartime expenditure and strengthen control in India in face of rising nationalist movement
. British placed taxes on Indian imports
- 1917: 11% tax
- 1931: 25% tax

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13
Q

How did Canada fare economically after WW1 and how did this affect the empire?

A

. Emerged as an industrial power, increasingly looking to the USA for investment and markets as the inter-war period progressed
- the USA were becoming a greater economic power than Britain
- Britain manufacturers lost ground and influence here like in India, making the empire seem weak

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14
Q

How were Australia and New Zealand (parts of empire) affected by WW1 economically?

A

Relied heavily on British markets as they were exporters of food
. The disruption of trade during the war therefore hit them hard

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15
Q

How did British leaders during WW1 seem to blunder in their view of how the war would go?

A

Churchill and Kitchener made arrogant decisions during the war
Most British leaders believed it would be ‘over by winter’
Anticipated that the war could be fought by British themselves, with limited help from empire

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16
Q

When was the imperial war cabinet made and why?

A

1917 by David Lloyd George to coordinate imperial military policy
- the meetings included a number politicians of so-called ‘white Dominions’

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17
Q

How did the settler populations and government of the dominions initially feel about fighting in WW1?

A

. Rallied to the allied cause
. More than two million served in the armies of the dominions
. In ‘white dominions’, children had been brought up with a strong sense of loyalty towards the empire
. Canadian, Australian and New Zealand leaders insisted on their forces maintaining their own national identities when fighting

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18
Q

What were the stats for the number of indigenous people who served in the Dominion forces during WW1?

A

. Canada: over 4000 First Nations people volunteered, over 50 got medals of bravery (shows they were committed to empire)
. 1000 indigenous Australians
. 2500 Mãori

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19
Q

How did WW1 affect the Empire’s grip on their colonies?

A

As national pride grew from events such as Australia and NZ’s bravery in the Gallipoli campaign and the Canadians valiancy in the Battle of Vimy Ridge (April 1917), desire for independence from imperial control increased

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20
Q

Was enthusiasm for the war from the dominions long-lasting?

A

It dried up after heavy losses in 1915
1916: conscription introduced in NZ
1917: conscription introduced in Canada

21
Q

How did South Africa (dominion) help the Empire during WW1?

A

. South African Defence force successfully fought against the German army and its colonies
. 136,000 white South African troops fought in the Middle East and on the Western Front

22
Q

Where was WW1 not popular in the Dominions?

A

French Canadians in Quebec regarded the war as a pro-British affair: March 1918 riots against conscription in Quebec City
Australians rejected conscription in two referendums: October 1916 and December 1917
South African republican movement led by Hertzog grew, movement questioned the imperial connection of South Africa with Britain

23
Q

Who was General Smuts and what does his role in WW1 say about loyalty towards empire?

A

. A South African who once fought against Brits in Boer War
. Formed South African defence force
. Member of the imperial war cabinet and attended London imperial war conference
. Advised on military strategy in Europe during WW1

24
Q

How bad were the casualties for the dominions in WW1?

A

Deaths:
. 60,000 Australians
. 16,000 New Zealanders
. 61,000 Canadians
. 7000 South Africans

Many returned home injured and traumatised too

25
Q

Which part of the empire contributed the most for Britain during WW1 and give evidence?

A

India, around 1.3 million enlisted - four times as many as the Dominions combined
. Conscription never introduced, Indian Army fully relied on volunteers
. 1/3 of troops in France in 1914 Autumn were Indians or British soldiers formerly serving in India
. Major contributions to fighting in Middle East and Africa
. 1917 - Indian government contributed £100 million to Britains war efforts

26
Q

How many Indian soldiers were killed during WW1?

A

Over 74,000

27
Q

What was the August Declaration of 1917 and how was it so important?

A

Edwin Montagu (Secretary of State for India)
. Acknowledged India’s contribution to WW1
. Montagu promised more ‘responsible’ self-government in India, including a measure of democratic representation for ordinary Indians

These measures didn’t really develop enough and seemed to fail Indian nationalism as India expected a big reward after serving so valiantly during the war.

28
Q

What was the August Declaration of 1917 and how was it so important?

A

Edwin Montagu (Secretary of State for India)
. Acknowledged India’s contribution to WW1
. Montagu promised more ‘responsible’ self-government in India, including a measure of democratic representation for ordinary Indians

These measures didn’t really develop enough and seemed to fail Indian nationalism as India expected a big reward after serving so valiantly during the war.

Overall: it set the scene for Indian nationalism in the inter-war period e.g Amritsar massacre

29
Q

How many Egyptians were recruited for WW1 and how many of them fought in Europe?

A

1.2 million to defend Egypt and the Middle East
- 100,000 soldiers fought in Europe, with 50% killed

30
Q

How did involved of Africans from empire in WW1 reflect the racial prejudices in the American system?

A

Servicemen from East and West Africa, as well as black South Africans, couldn’t fight alongside British army as equals
- Black African soldiers in Europe were only allowed to work as labourers or carriers

31
Q

How did Black African soldiers fight in WW1 outside of Europe?

A

Fought inside Africa, especially West India regiment, against German-led forces

32
Q

What was the West India regiment originally used for and what does this reflect about the empire?

A

Made in 1795 to crush rebellions of enslaved people on British plantations in the Caribbean
- reflects loyalty of some black Africans to empire

33
Q

What did the West India Regiment do during WW1?

A

Volunteers joined from: Caribbean islands, Nigeria, Gold Coast and India
- won many victories, taking German colonies of Togoland and Cameroon in 1915

34
Q

Who were the ‘human porters’ and what was the effect of their experiences and black Africans in Europe as well?

A

Black Africans from British east Africa who were forced to fight against Germans in Tanganyika
- nearly 100k died

Importance: these awful experiences for Africans in the empire helped catalyse movements towards independence

35
Q

What evidence is there that Africans were clearly unhappy about the way they were treated by the empire after WW1?

A

. 1919: first Pan-African Congress held in France (French hate British)
. 1919: delegate from South Africa attended Versailles Peace Conference to present their unrest

36
Q

How did the war office change its views on Caribbean’s before and after 1915 and what did this result in?

A

Before: tried to stop men from British West Indies for volunteering for service (racist)
After: enlistment allowed to begin in Britain’s Caribbean colonies
Result: British West Indies Regiment formed and 15000 men joined

37
Q

Which other regiment did some men from the Caribbean join?

A

West India Regiment

38
Q

How were Caribbean soldiers roles restricted during WW1 in Europe?

A

. Couldn’t fight alongside British and Indian armies
. Relegated to dangerous support roles, digging trenches and ammunition dumps

Reflects racial prejudice of empire again

39
Q

How did the Dominions feel about the empire after WW1 and how did Britain react?

A

. Dominions wanted more control over their own affairs
- Especially Canada after Vimy Ridge
- South Africa wanted more control especially, and Britain were worried that they would be very easy to abandon the empire given the bitter history of the Boer War

Britain proposed the idea of a commonwealth in response

40
Q

Was the idea of a Commonwealth new?

A

No, it was often used as a euphemism to nicely describe the empire as being united and equal when it wasn’t really

41
Q

What were the goals of the Commonwealth when Britain proposed the idea?

A

. Mostly based on economic and political co-operation
. Gradually move dominions towards becoming fully independent nations, but still with a ‘special relationship’ with Britain and loyalty to the British monarch

42
Q

When was the idea of a Commonwealth first put into proper essence?

A

1926 Balfour declaration (not to be confused with the Jewish one)

43
Q

When was the Statute of Westminster and what were its recommendations ?

A

1931:
. Certain Dominions should become completely independent
. Laws passed in Britain couldn’t be enforced in these newly independent areas without the permission of parliament in that area
. The Dominions to be free to pass their own laws without interference or approval from Britain

44
Q

Where did the Statute of Westminster take immediate effect and why?

A

. Canada
. South Africa
. Irish free state became Ireland

Canada especially immediately became an independent dominion as it didn’t rely on Britain as much now due to land size and how close it was to America, which was a bigger superpower than Britain by now

45
Q

Why countries took a while to ratify (check) the statute of Westminster and why?

A

. 1942: became law in Australia
. 1949: became law in New Zealand

These countries are essentially in the middle of nowhere so rely on the British empire heavily, so they were more reluctant to become independent.
- however their sense of national identity out of WW1 was strong enough to later accept the statute’s terms

46
Q

What happened to Newfoundland following the Statute of Westminster?

A

. Didn’t ratify it
. Reverted back to a Crown Colony
. Later became part of Canada

47
Q

How was the statute of Westminster and Commonwealth portrayed in press vs reality?

A

Press: in Britain it was seen as evidence of the civilised nature of the British empire trying to be equal.

Reality: Britain were sneakily ensuring global influence without needing imperial rule as Britain knew some of the Dominions relied on Britain for many things. These Dominions were still new and couldn’t fully function alone yet except Canada of course

48
Q

What were the 3 main problems with imperial defence in Britain following on from WW1?

A

. Severe economic difficulties caused industries to lose out on international markets as well as the Great Depression meant cost of defending empire was too great
. 1930s: new aggressive regimes in Europe and Asia threatened the empire and Britain
. Increasing nationalist movements increased urgency of military resources in case of any trouble