Late imperialism Flashcards
Colonies and war effort (3)
2.5 million Indian joined army in ww2 - 36,000 died, 1,5 mill in ww1 - ‘cannon fodder’ 2) NZ used 1 out of 5 persons - more than gb 3) Indian contribution - 400 million tailored items - 1.25 billion yards of cloth supplied - ‘India clothed armies’ - colonies flattered due to need for help
Economic impact on colonies due to war (3)
drain of wealth increased - gb gave itself 2,000 million pounds of loans - paid only half back - high inflation 2) not able to loot and plunder due to fear of rebellion - print more money - price rose 3 times in rationed products in india - only rose 18% in gb due to subsidies 3) India faced direct attack - calcutta bombed by Japan
Positive economic impacts
Tariffs relaxed - higher price for agricultural products - huge demand for cotton 2) huge demand for military supplies and products - Tata - industrial house grew - price of clothes rose 5 times 3) Imports fell due to war - China filled gap - British exports to China - 96 mill taels in 1913 to 49 mill in 1918
Political impact on colonies
Revival of imperialism after ww1 - gb and france divide ottoman empire, germany etc - colonies legitimised by calling them mandates - idea of readying them for independence but basically colonialism 2) Woodrow Wilson principle of self determination - nationalists attendance of Versailles - boosted colonies 3) Indian case - power given to local bodies ran by Indian locals - (nationalists or concession for war effort?) financial decisions given to India rather than London - fuelled nationalist appetite
Empire to expensive to run?
GB exports halved in value between 1913-1938 - yards of british cloth - 150 million from 1200 million from 29 to 1939. But overall exports increased between 1913 to 38 to empire 2) empire never merely economic - economic welfare to complex to know but still appetite for empire til end - illusion of permanence