Interwar Dominions and Economics Flashcards
WWI impact on Br economy
MASSIVE DECLINE
- production in Br industries were stagnant- in textiles it was declining (1914= textiles made up 40% Br exports v 1938= 25%); sluggish growth in industries that were growing eg steel
- British overseas investment didnt recover from her sale of them to pay for the War- 1b down in 1930 from 1914
- In 1935-9, import trade was 19% of national income vs 33% c. 1910-13
- After Great Depression, Britain’s share of the world’s manufactured exports fell from 25% (1913) to 19% (1937)
- Br cotton barely sold 1% of 1913 figures
Decline in imperial preference stat?
By 1930, 83% of Br imports payed no duty whatsoever
Change in economic attitudes during the interwar period?
During 20s Br had tried to create a free trade/no preference system which had operated before 1914
Post-Great Depression, Britain wanted to maintain as wide a geographicalscope as possible; far more concerned with empire now
Wall Street Crash?
When and effects?
Oct 1929
Br exports to china fell from 71.25m (1929) to 300k (1936)
Br world exports fell from 525m (1913) to 378m (1934)
What was the Empire Settlement Act of 1922?
A product of the 1919 Colonial Office creation of the overseas Settlement Committee to promote imperial emigration
The Act committed 3m/year for empire migration
Effects of the ESA 1922?
Out of those who migrated in 1923, 23% chose imperial destinations
vs 50% in 1926-7
vs 67% 1929!!!!
Egs of Imperial preference?/ what it actually is?
Empire Settlement Act 1922
Growing economic dependence on colonies, and so appropriate measures to assist this
Stats demonstrating growing importance of empire in interwar period for Britain?
1920- 27% imports and 37% exports= colonies
1935-9 39% imports and 49% exports= colonies
British trade with the world declined as trade with the empire went up: worldtrade 1913- 525m vs 378m in 1934 THEREFORE RISE IN IMPERIAL TRADE DOES NOT CORRELATE WITH GENERAL TRADE RISE (IT IS SPECIFIC TO THE EMPIRE DEMONSTRATING GROWTH IN BRITAIN’S DEPENDENCE ON IMPERIAL INCOME)
Effects of British economic decline on trading relationships
Britain continued to trade more with underdeveloped countries due to inability to compete with other nations- in 1927-9, over 75% of exports went to non-industrial countries vs 58% in 1967-9
Imperial preference social effects?
State aided emigration; providing more work at home and reinvigorating Br industry to fufill new demand from emigrants
Britain’s economic relation to dominions statas?
br imports from dominions= 14.3% (1909-13) vs 24.5% (34-38)
What was the Sterling Bloc?
After Britain forced off the gold standard in 1931, they established sterling bloc where members pegged the value of their currency to sterling and kept lots of their reserves foreign exchange in sterling
What does Sterling Bloc mean for colonies?
Currencies enjoyed stable relationship - when LDN devalued, so did the colonies
Was Sterling Bloc good?
Sterling kept at a low level to allow ‘cheap money’ - ie interests at 2%
Allowed Britain to recover faster than USA, who also withdrew behind protectionism with Smoot-Hawley (1930) pact
It helped stave off the worst effects of the depression
What/when was the Ottawa Conference?
1932
Britain imposed a general tax on all imports but crown colonies were exempts
Britain and dominions gave other’s exports preferential treatment
Australia growing nationalism?
During Depression, conflict betw middle class support for Empire (who wanted to follow economic advice of Bank of England governor) vs radical nationalists who believed there to be 'financial anarchists' in British banks in Austrialia Australia were looking for new markets- esp the East
Canada growing nationalism?
Provincialism and mistrust of federal gov also emerged from Depression; this became a political cry against the British in Quebec, Canada
Bennett’s Conservative government cried ‘Canada First’ and introduced a sharp rise on tariffs to defend Canadian industry
-Canadian Nationalism opposition also channelled through the ‘Union Nationale’ of Maurice Duplessis
-Canada gov negotiated the Halibut Fisheries Treaty (1923 Canada and America) as an independent nation
-When Britain ratified the Treaty of Lausanne in the name of the Empire in 1924, Canada refused to accept binding responsibility
SA growing nationalism?
Distinct Afrikaner identity- this movement gathered speed in the 30s due to:
the promotion of Afrikaans (it replaced Dutch as SA’s official second lang in 1924)
the rise in Afrikaaner only schools (by 1936, 55% of white children were recieving lessons only in Afrikaans)…this identity tied in perfectly with centenary in 1938 of the Great Trek
When, in 1935, Britain proposed to thee LoN that sanctions against Italy over Abyssinia should be abandoned, SA cast the sole dissenting vote against British proposal
What was the 1926 imperial conference?
Led to the Balfour Declaration of 1926 (ANOTHER ONE)
Declared that all dominions are ‘equal in status’ and not subordinate to one another
At the 1926 conference, they established that dominos were no longer bound by British foreign policy
Balfour’s diplomacy in 1926 meant that the dominions stayed on side- convinced both the growing nationalists and the loyalists to stay; phrases like ‘autonomy’ placated SA vs ‘common allegiance to the crown’ pleased colonial loyalists
What was 1931 Statute of Westminister?
It broke consitutional links in hope of loyalty of the dominions
Declared that Br could no longer legislate on behalf of a dominion, except if dominion consented, and law passed by a dominion parliament could not be invalidated due to its opposition to English law
Background to Ireland (19th cent vague details)
Ireland joined UK in 1801 but experienced rampant Home Rule movement for most of the century
Gladstone had failed and Asquith’s Third Home Rule Bill had provoked opposition in Ulster (they wanted to remain with Britain) and it wasn’t implemented because of outbreak of war
1916 Easter Rising?
Quickly put down (450 Irishmen killed and over 2500 injured)
Irish Republican Amry established in 1918- marking the beginning of the Troubles
Followed by guerilla warfare, esp under Sinn Fein who had won a majority of Irish seats in 1918, until 1921 when Anglo-Irish treaty set up
What did Anglo-Irish treaty establish?
New Catholic Irish Free State set up and given domion status
Eamon de Valera, nationalist leader, continued civil war until 1923 but he lost
6 northern counties chose to remain with Britain
When did Irish Free State achieve full independence?
1937 Statue of Westminister
1948 Republic of Ireland Act cut all links with British
