Interwar years and WW2's impact on the Empire Flashcards
What 4 events dominated the interwar years?
1) George V death and funeral
2) Rise of fascism
3) Wall Street Crash
4) Great Depression
What 4 things caused a diminishment in belief in the Empire?
1) Questioning the Empire by the peoples under its rule
2) New communication technologies
3) British innovations
4) Britain being seen as a medium-sized power and not the apogee of world civilisation
How did new communication technologies lower belief in Empire?
They allowed the mystery of the British state to be permeated through nationalists communicating with each other and getting international news
How did British innovations lower belief in Empire?
British education of their subjects (especially Indian) undermined British rule because it made high-class Indians able to infiltrate the British ruling classes and see themselves as equal to the Brits
What 4 economic problems changed British attitude to Empire?
1) lines of unemployed people
2) closed and decaying businesses
3) Britain felt threatened in Europe
4) WW1 undermined the feeling of the strength of Empire
What 4 reasons contributed to the failing of the British Empire?
1) Gradual decline
2) Will to rule failing
3) Means to rule failing
4) Ruled people seeing their own strength
How economically strong was the Empire by the start of WW2?
Not very: they came under competition from Japan and America, and became part of the ‘world market’. The Empire wasn’t solely an Empire, it also had economic and commercial value for Britain
What did the British do to try and remain economically strong by the start of WW2?
They tried creating a ‘closed market’ by buying raw materials from colonies, making stuff in Britain, and selling the products back to their colonies
How militarily strong was the Empire by the start of WW2?
Not very - they attempted to keep up an “iron net” of battleships worldwide in a 2+1 policy, but during the interwar years they abandoned this policy
What was the 2+1 policy?
Britain’s fleet had to be larger than the fleets of the next two powers combined
