Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Economics > New Industries and Edwardian Boom, 1896-1914 > Flashcards

New Industries and Edwardian Boom, 1896-1914 Flashcards

1
Q

Who claimed Britain’s industrial structure to be “one of the most outstanding features of the prewar economy”

A

M. W. Kirby claimed Britain’s industrial structure to be “one of the most outstanding features of the prewar economy”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

By 1907 how much of industrial output came from old industries?

A

approximately 50% of total industrial output in 1907 was accounted for by old industries

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What was occurring to the markets of old industries in the prewar era?

A

Old industries were having to increasingly rely on a narrow export market range (mainly empire and informal colonies)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is one interpretation of the old and new industries in prewar Britain?

A

Some historians claim that bias towards old staples was an ‘over-commitment’ to technologically static industries with low growth potential

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What industries does M. W. Kirby consider to be ‘wave of the future’?

A

industries which used new scientific instruments and advanced processes alongside new organisation methods etc.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Outline the climacteric thesis which is often applied to Edwardian economics:

A

The climacteric thesis means the ‘decline’ thesis of productivity and output in industry

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is a thesis in opposition to the traditional climacteric thesis?

A

Other historians have conceded that the climacteric thesis applies to exports, but that regarding output it is clear that productivity growth was dependent upon tech advancements, which were small but commonplace

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is one focal point of the over-commitment interpretation of old industries in Edwardian Britain?

A

Historians often query why in response to foreign competition and narrowing markets Britain went into new and less prosperous markets instead of diversifying the economy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is one argument often applied to the perseverance of old industries well into the twentieth century?

A

Many historians often turn to the ‘early start’ argument- Britain had industrialised before its competitors- who were now industrialising on much more modern terms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the issue with the ‘early start’ interpretation of the Edwardian economy?

A

Surely the pioneering economy should be able to maintain its trailblazing nature? The countries which industrialised on modern terms had equal issues with the entanglement of capital

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is a secondary explanation for the prevailing of new industries into the Edwardian era?

A

Some historians highlight the collective failures of industrialists to move away from “safe” imperial markets and traditional staple industry production and practice

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What contributed to the shrinking of overseas markets for Britain?

A

British businesses had little marketing or advertisement presences abroad, whereas other nations were aided by consulates / marketing teams

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Is the third generation decline argument applicable to the continuation of old industries into the Edwardian era?

A

Sort of. Historians have certainly applied it, highlighting the refusal to reorganise labour etc and instead just cut wages, but exogenous market factors were just as to blame

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How can failures of entrepreneurship be analysed?

A

Entrepreneurship failures can be analysed through looking at rationalisation of industry (i.e. techniques and organisation)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

How did J. M. Keynes characterise the period 1870-1914?

A

Keynes said of the period 1870-1914 that it was “an extraordinary episode in the economic progress of man”,

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

How can the prevailing of old industries be summarised into one sentence?

A

it was commercial stability based upon pax Britannica, this allowed new industries to develop in a relatively safe environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Outline the importance of cotton to British exports in 1850 and 1913?

A

In 1850 cotton was worth 50.7% of the total value of exports, by 1913 it was worth only 24.1% of the total value of exports

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What was the volume growth of coal between 1880-1913?

A

Coal grew from 147mil tonnes to 287mil tonnes in the period 1880-1913

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What was a cause for the shrinking export movements?

A

The instalment of tariffs across Europe and America to protect growing domestic industries forced Britain to rely on the traditional market of the empire- ie settled colonies

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What does the term ‘Zollverein’ mean?

A

Zollverein refers to a customs union

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What are two flaws with the concept of the British imperial Zollverein argument?

A
  1. An imperial Zollverein was an antithesis to the City’s cosmopolitan capitalism and growing market interests. 2. Tariff protections favouring the empire may have been good for mets, but had little appeal for cotton and shipbuilding which had expanding markets 1904-14
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What does M. W. Kirby highlight as the overall role of international economic change?

A

M. W. Kirby argues that Britain’s transition to a diversified economic structure being smooth was wholly dependent on a stable and expanding international economy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What shows the consumerist culture emerging in the Edwardian era?

A

Gordon Selfridge opened Selfridges in 1909, service sector had rapid employment increases

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What can be said of the changes in domestic demand in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras?

A

Changes in demand were met by changes in manufacturing, transport and distribution.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Who claims that there was a retailing revolution 1850-1914?
The idea of a 'retailing revolution' comes from W. H. Fraser
26
What hindered economic advancement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries?
Repressive legislation which was in force from 1865-96 discouraged the development of new industries and overall diversification of the economy
27
When does T. May believe there to have been a turning point in the diversification of the British economy?
T. May thinks that around 1900, Britain began to 'make good' of its late start at diversifying
28
What did S. Sayer claim in regards to contemporary interest in the motorcar industry?
For S. Sayers, cars were "the toy not of every rich man, but only of those with a taste for mechanical things"
29
What fact highlights the lack of interest in motorcars in prewar Britain?
one country town of 16,000 had only 4 cars
30
Why was electricity slow to catch on?
Electricity provided a supply for a demand already been met by gas power, which in the case of light was still 10x more effective than electricity
31
Where did electricity see significant headway?
In railways and trams- between 1897 and 1906 2000 miles of electrified tram rail was built
32
What is a common interpretation of the British electrical industry?
Historians such as I. Byatt claim that the British electrical industry was not an industry on its one at all, but an offshoot of foreign companies in Britain
33
Where was Britain a leading producer and why?
Britain was a leading producer in the chemicals industry (3rd), because any economy could find a niche product in which they could perfect technique
34
How can we prove Britain's success in the chemicals industry?
Nobel's explosives factory in Scotland was the latest in the world, producing 10,000 tonnes pa in 1880s
35
What is an example of British industrialists refusing to change methodologies in light of international developments
British industrialists clung to the traditional Leblanc process in alkali production despite the Solvay process producing 1.65mil tonnes by 1902 compared to 150,000 Leblanc
36
What was the damage done by chemical industrialists refusing to change?
Not that much damage, the industry continued until 1920s because of incremental improvements long-term which other economies hadn't done and because of business amalgamations improving production
37
In electricity how much of British industry was actually foreign?
By 1914, 3/4 of all major British firms were offshoots of foreign firms such as Siemens, Westinghouse and GE.
38
What does R. S. Sayers claim about technological change?
R. S. Sayers claims that 'technological progress does not occur smoothly' - this is what was happening in the prewar era
39
What was the nature of new and old exports?
In the Edwardian era, 35% of exports went to the empire- but this proportion was higher for old industries, new industries were moving into the empire too
40
What does R. S. Sayers claim about the nature of international trade?
R. S. Sayers claims that 1900-1914 the terms of trade were against Britain, so there was a need to innovate/ rely on the home market such as with bicycles
41
How was the engineering industry supported in the Edwardian era?
Engineering was supported by the demand generated by bicycles and electrical engineering which required more engineering capacity
42
What can be said about British reliance on exports?
Although exports had an important role in reviving industries in the late Victorian / early Edwardian era, industries were maintained by domestic trade
43
What industries undoubtedly developed from domestic interest before overseas interests?
The tram and the underground certainly developed from domestic interest before overseas interest
44
What caused a mid-1900s general decline of home trade?
A general decline of home trade in the mid-1900s was caused by a fall in incomes from the export trades until 1907.
45
What was the impact of America during the Edwardian era?
America influenced Britain via its conditions of supply and fluctuations in demand
46
How can America's impact on the Edwardian economy be shown?
There was a revival of home trade because of incomes in export trades being revived when America recovered financial collapse in 1909, and America played a big role as competition and encouragement for new industries
47
What happened to the shipping industry in the Edwardian era?
In 1911 the shipping industry surpassed its record-breaking 1906 export- due to the rapid modernisation internationally
48
How much of the population remained in old industries in the Edwardian era?
1/4 of the occupied population was still in old industries- there was no indication that these industries would default / were decaying
49
When was the Singer sewing machine factory built in Britain?
The British Singer sewing machine factory was built in Glasgow in 1867
50
When did the Singer Sewing machine factory begin to use British rather than American parts?
The Glasgow Singer sewing machine factory began to use British rather than American parts in the 1870s
51
By 1880, how many sewing machines were being produced at the Glasgow Singer sewing machine factory?
By 1880, 5000 sewing machines were being produced per week- output was higher than America
52
How does S. B. Saul characterise the late Victorian economy?
S. B. Saul claims that there wasn't technological decline, new industries were merely in their infancy
53
How can Britain's global lead in the textile machinery industry right up to 1914 be shown?
Britain's global lead in the textile machinery industry right up to 1914 can be shown by Platt's firm employing 12,000 having a higher output than all of America
54
How does S. B. Saul characterise railways with regards to engineering?
S. B. Saul characterises railways as 'universities of mechanical engineering'
55
What was the difference between British success in industry and America's lower output rates?
America had lower output rates than Britain (e.g. Glasgow had 3/4 largest locomotive building firms) because America was too dispersed to engender rationalisation
56
What was the role of Indian railways in stimulating the British economy?
Britain could mass produce steam engines, but post-1900 there were attempts to standardise orders for the Indian market
57
What was an overall issue with British engineering in the Edwardian era?
In the Edwardian era and before, the British engineering industry focused on quality- this was considered a proud career- but a lot of markets were moving away from less at higher quality
58
How can it be shown that there was little indication of old industries' decay in the Edwardian era?
The total number of flour mills was falling from 10,500 -> 8,900 approx. Late Victorian era, but by 1908 E. R. & F. Turner decided to specialise in just flour mill equipment- 460 roller mills erected in the era
59
What can be said about Edwardian agricultural machinery?
British Edwardian harvesting machinery was <10% of McCormick alone in America, but this wasn't bad- there wasn't a huge domestic demand and British firms were content with small jobbing
60
By 1900 how much had the Glasgow Singer factory's output increased by?
By 1900 Glasgow's Singer factory's output had increased by a further 50%
61
By 1879 how many firms were making bicycles?
By 1879 there were 60 firms producing bicycles, these declined/ amalgamated/ diversified which helped standardise etc the industry
62
What was the relationship between financiers and the bicycle industry?
The cycle boom attracted investors- such as Raleigh receiving an injection of capital in 1889 from a man who cycled for his health
63
Who claims that small metals trades provided the ideal background for the development of bicycles and other new industries?
G. C. Allen claims that the small metals trades provided the ideal background for the development of bicycles and other new industries
64
What were two key techniques which the bicycle industry established in British production?
The bicycle industry popularised milling and grinding techniques as well as the differential gear which was used in the motor car industry
65
How did Edwardian Britain move from steam to diesel engines? What is an issue with this?
Edwardian Britain moved from steam to diesel slowly- in 1914 3 major shipbuilding firms ignored diesel because it was perceived to be a sideline for quick profits rather than a serious long term innovation
66
How was the Edwardian mindset of diesel engines being a sideline for profits rather than a serious innovation changed?
The mindset of diesel engines not being seen as a serious innovation was broken by two traditional and conservative bastions of economic practice encouraging investment
67
What traditional and conservative bastions of economic practice encouraged innovation into Diesel engines?
The Navy in their demand for faster engines, and the Lloyds Chief Engineer Surveyor's publicising of the advantages of Diesel engines helped change the British mindset
68
Where was the petrol engine developed?
Although Britain contributed innovations such as the differential gear to the motorcar industry, the petrol engine was developed on the continent
69
What could explain a lack of domestic demand for motorcars in the Edwardian era?
It could perhaps be the case that there was such lacking demand (e.g. 4 cars in a town of 16,000) because of the effectiveness of internal public transport)
70
How many French cars were exported to Britain in 1904?
In 1904, Britain took 1/3 of the French motorcar industry
71
What was the total output of the British motorcar industry by 1907, and 1913?
By 1907, the total output of the British motorcar industry was 11,700, by 1913: 34,000 cars
72
In 1900, how many carmakers were there in Britain, how many survived until 1913?
In 1900 there were 53 carmakers, 22 survived until 1913
73
When was the motorcar industry stagnant?
The motorcar industry was stagnant 1908-9
74
What was the increase in the value of output for the motorcar industry 1907-1912?
The value of outputs in the motorcar industry in 1907 was £139,000 - in 1912 the value of outputs was £1,631,000
75
What was an issue with the narrow nature of the prewar motorcar industry?
The prewar motorcar industry was arguably clouded by class hostility- cars were seen as the rich mans car
76
What can be said about historical arguments of overcommitment?
There was no grounds to divert inputs away from old industries because they were buoyant, however a commitment to old production techniques certainly proved problematic
77
What was an issue with the prevailing use of consulting engineers?
Using consulting engineers as a creative force (between customer-builder) meant that theoretical knowledge of CEs could not be combined with deep practical knowledge
78
Why did Consulting Engineers not focus on economic productivity?
As they were CONSULTING engineers they were acting on their own, rather than the firm's, reputation, they therefore preferred to credit their skill rather than economise
79
What complicated replacement investment in the British economy and thus contributed to issues of CEs?
Replacement investment was complicated by complicated accountancy systems and high labour costs- a reorganisation of firm practice needed to occur before replacement stuff could be bought
80
Who claims that electricity did not develop slowly in Britain?
I. Byatt claims that electricity did not develop slowly in Britain- although he concedes that it did in trams
81
When did electric lighting have a false start?
Electric lighting in Britain had a false start in the 1880s
82
When did Britons begin to invest in and see the benefits of power stations?
Power stations began being invested in and considered seriously in the 1890s
83
When did investment in power stations exceed £2 million?
Investment in power stations only exceed £2 million in 1896
84
What was the difference between investment in electricity in the 1890s versus 1900s?
In 1890-5 £2 million was invested in power supply, in 1900-5 £33 million was invested in the power supply
85
What was the dispersion of electricity by 1903?
By 1903, all but 2 towns over 100,000 in population had electricity
86
When was the London underground network completed?
The London Underground Network was completed in 1907
87
How much did electricity make up of mining and manufacturing power in 1907 versus in 1912?
In 1907, electricity provided 1/9 of power in mining and manufacturing, while in 1912 electricity provided 1/4 of power in mining and manufacturing
88
What was the only type of electricity that flourished prior to the close of the prewar era?
Telegraph companies and cable makers had remarkable continual success in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, although again they were led by foreign firms
89
What is an example of rare proactivity of British electrical firms against foreign firms?
Mather & Platt in 1888 got Directors of the City and South London Railway to use electric not cable traction, while the Electric Construction Corporation created the first electric overhead railway in Liverpool
90
What shows the disinterest of British engineers in electrical engineering that I. Byatt suggests exists?
A disinterest of British engineers can be seen in their rejection of international moves towards the low maintenance Alternating Current Factory Motor
91
What happened in the Edwardian era with regards to electrical firms?
Electrical firms that existed pre-1900 expanded, particularly foreign ones with £3.4 million being spent on 4 GE factories in 1904
92
How many generators in electricity stations were imported in 1907, and how many generators were imported in 1910?
In 1907 6% of generators in electricity stations were imported, in 1910 20% of generators in electricity stations were imported
93
What was the nature of smaller British-run electrical firms?
British run electrical firms turned to overseas markets and sold less sophisticated goods than foreign firms in Britain
94
Was the specialism of smaller British run electrical firms a bad thing?
The specialism of British run electrical firms was not a bad thing: the Lancashire Dynamo & Motor Co in 1907 claimed profits were high enough to pay 8.5% dividends for 6 years
95
What was the difference between specialisms in large foreign firms versus small British firms?
While the Siemens Bros Dynamo works lost £700,000 on assets of £1 million 1906-16, whereas the Lancashire Dynamo Works could consistently pay dividends of 8.5%
96
How successful were British cable makers in the Edwardian era?
telegraphic cables had consistent export rates of £1-2 million in value from 1880-1914, imports never matched this
97
How can we characterise the lamp industry?
The British lamp industry was an offshoot of foreign industries, and had a consistent import surplus especially from Germany
98
What was the average turnover of British run large electrical companies?
The average turnover of larger British electrical companies was £200,000
99
What was the average turnover of foreign run large electrical companies
The average turnover of foreign run large electrical companies like GE and siemens was £2.5 million
100
How can tension between businessmen and engineers be shown?
Tension between businessmen and engineers can be shown in the ECC management change of 1893 where the Board felt 'extravagant experimentation' had caused financial trouble
101
How can difficulties with British traditional industrial organisation be shown?
Difficulties with British traditions in industry can be shown by the British Westinghouse being so poorly managed that in 1905 George Westinghouse sent his immediate assistant to review the Manchester firm
102
How does I. Byatt characterise British electrical manufacturing?
I. Byatt claims that British electrical manufacturing was not a viable domestic industry in its own right

Economics (9 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions