Imperialist ideals/ Attitudes towards Empire in Britain ? Flashcards
1
Q
What was public opinion of the British Empire ?
A
- very few people questioned the Empire’s importance and became more aware of the Empire
2
Q
How was Empire seen in Britain ?
A
- seen as a sign of Britain’s importance, prestige and economic prosperity
- reason they fought two world wars
- valuable asset
3
Q
Did people see the Empire as key to British victory ?
A
- Empire was seen as key to Britain’s victory, especially in WW1
4
Q
Did people see the Empire as morally right ?
A
- Most people continued to see the Empire as benevolent and as a force for good
- repression was justified to maintain Britain’s control
5
Q
Why did people vote Labour in 1945 ?
A
- did not vote for Labour in 1945 because they supported Indian independence in 1945
- voted Labour for domestic issues
6
Q
How did Labour view the Empire ?
A
- Labour party recognised that remaining colonies were key to Britain’s recovery and future prosperity
7
Q
Public reaction to Indian independence ?
A
- people lamented the loss of India in 1947
8
Q
Did people support the end/ ultimate dissolution of the British Empire ?
A
- people didn’t support the idea of the ultimate dissolution of the British Empire
9
Q
How did the message of Empire change ?
A
- message of Empire as explicit jingoism lost its attraction after horros of WW1
- Empire presented more as a family of nations led by the British - a place of peace and co -operation.
10
Q
How did the government present/ promote Empire ?
A
- Empire Marketing Board
- Exhibitions
11
Q
How was Empire promoted in other ways ?
A
- non government and private organisations like BBC
- Through education
- in literature, film and music
- advertising
- emigration
12
Q
Why was the Empire Marketing Board made ?
A
- effort made to encourage trade with Empire
- promote the Commonwealth and imperial unity
13
Q
Who and when was Empire Marketing Board set up ?
A
- set up by Leo Emery ( Secretary of State for Colonies and Dominions )
- in 1926
14
Q
What was Empire Marketing Board ?
A
- promoted the consumption in Britain of items produced in Empire through advertising campaigns and posters
- imperial imagery
15
Q
How did the Empire Marketing board become more active ?
A
- became more active with the onset of the Great Depression, interrupting world trade. Important to the British economy
16
Q
How was Empire presented through Empire Marketing board ?
A
- presented Empire as key in day to day life
17
Q
Example of Exhibitions ?
A
- Wembley Exhibitions, 1924
18
Q
How much did the Government spend for the Wembley Exhibition ?
A
- contributed to half the 2.2 million cost
19
Q
What did the exhibition include ?
A
- pavilions advertising every country in the Empire
- funfair was erected
- sports stadium became a permanent legacy of the exhibition
20
Q
Success/ support of the Wembley Exhibition and other exhibitions
A
- Over 17 million visitors attended in 1924, another 9 million in 1925, final year
- exhibit inion in Glasgow. Great success - attracted 12 million and offering a chance to boost the Scottish economy after the Depression
21
Q
Who and when was the BBC established ?
A
- established in 1923
- under its first Direct General, John Reith
22
Q
View on imperialism of the BBC ?
A
- BBC took a strong pro- imperial stance
23
Q
How did the BBC promote imperialism and empire ?
A
- covered as many major events, exhibitions and many major imperial events as possible
- there were Christmas broadcasts from 1932 which included the King’s speech, and various items about the Empire
24
Q
What power did the radio have ?
A
- the radio had the power to focus the loyalty of all the empire’s subjects as the figure of imperial unity - the monarch
25
Success/ Impact of radios ?
- Radio strengthened imperial links
- promoted a sense of identity
- exposed the empire's subjects to other cultures and ideas, not all of them conductive to imperial harmony
26
How was empire in education ?
- Empire formed a focal point for the teachings of geography, history and literature in schools
27
What writer was drawn upon in schools ?
- the poetry and writings pf such pro- imperial writers such as Rudyard Kipling
28
How was Empire involved in universities ?
- Historical study of Empire became established in universities
- with special professorship in Imperial History being created such as the Vere Harmsworth Choir at Cambridge
29
Role of education in individuals/ Colonial Servants ?
- Universities played an important tole in training Colonial Servants, as exemplified by the role of London's University's School of Oriental and African Studies, formed, in 1917
30
Why was film an unprecedented opportunity ?
- an unprecedented opportunity to spread the imperial message to the masses
31
Impact of feature films such as Sanders of the River ( 1935) and the Four Feathers ( 1939)
- used the Empire as a backdrop for adventure
- singling to the public that the Empire was a place of excitement and showing that the Empire was a force for human progress
32
Impact of Ministry of Information films such as 49th Parallel and West Indies ?
- stressed the need for tolerance and understanding of other ethnicities in the Empire
33
What were the beliefs of filmgoers about Empire ?
- that their empire represented stability and equity
- was managed by brave, right minded men who knew what was the best for natives
34
Does the pro - imperial propaganda show support of empire ?
- some argue that such strenuous efforts through propaganda to promote empire was precisely because so few of the mass of the population were either aware of it or interested in it.
It is very difficult to measure the impact of imperial messages in this period as the population was so diverse, with different views and levels of exposure to the empire
35
Why were the empire keen to encourage trade with empire ?
- following the world wars due tp its reliability
36
Did Britain find it easy to get support to set up the great exhibition?
No, it wasn’t very popular:
. First proposed by British empire league in 1906
. Liberal landslide in 1906 killed the idea off
. Post WW1, seemed ‘essential’ to have the exhibition to promote unity and reignite spirit of empire to recover
This meant the aims of the exhibition were more out of desperation than a show of dominance
37
How did commercial advertisement continue an imperial theme?
Traders and private companies used imperial motifs to promote products of private companies all the way up to 1947
E.g Co-operative wholesale society celebrated global and imperial links in their advertising, especially in its supply of products such as tea, with packets containing collectible cards illustrating places in the empire
38
What did the celebration of empire day show about the reality of the empire in the inter-war period?
Celebratory efforts to reignite the spirit of the empire were treated with enthusiasm because it was a fun event, not necessarily because the main event was the significance of the empire
- Britain’s knowledge of the empire and appeal with it was lowering
39
Why did Britain have to try and promote positive images of the empire at the start of WW2?
They needed to keep support from the empire and commonwealth as they were so vital for the war effort
- ministry of information films such as 49th parallel stressed the need for tolerance and understanding of other ethnicities in the empire
