Political issues 1900-1914 Flashcards

Booklet 1

1
Q

When did Arthur Balfour become Prime Minister?

A

1902 following the stepping down of Lord Salisbury after end of Boer War and coronation of King Edward VII.

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2
Q

Why did Balfour become Prime Minister?

A

He was the only adequate option compared to Joseph Chamberlain.

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3
Q

Who is Joseph Chamberlain?

A

A Conservative MP who was unsatisfied with the state of affairs in Unionist Government and believed it was necessary to protect the industry from cheap imports so introduced Tariff Reform.

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4
Q

What is Tariff Reform?

A

To introduced taxes on imported goods = more + expensive + domestic products = more attractive.
Whereas Free Trade meant countries imported / exported with no taxes.

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5
Q

What would Tariff Reform benefit?

A

It would help to fund social reforms and help the modernisation of industry.

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6
Q

What would Tariff Reform affect?

A

It would create problems:
Difficult to sell the idea to the working class as food prices would rise.
Would unite Liberals in opposition.
Risked dividing cinservatives - which Chamberlains speech in Birmingham did yet Balfour tried to preserve unity.

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7
Q

When did Joseph Chamberlain resign?

A

1903 - continued to campaign for tariff reform.

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8
Q

What is the Education Act of 1902?

A

Allowing for the reorganisation of education and allowing state provision for secondary schools. Controversial.

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9
Q

What is the Licensing Act of 1904?

A

Allowing brewers and pub owners compensation if licence’s were taken away and not renewed. Non conformists didn’t pay compensation to an immoral trade.

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10
Q

What is the Taff Vale Judgement 1901?

A

House of Lords gave a rule that trade unions could be sued by employers for loss of where there’d been unlawful picketing. Made it hard for unions to strike - would have to pay a lot. Went against 1871 act - making unions legal and 1876 act - making peaceful picketing legal.

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11
Q

How many seats did the Liberals win in the 1906 election?

A

400 seats.

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12
Q

How many seats did the Conservatives have in the 1906 election?

A

156 seats - Balfour lost his own seat.

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13
Q

How many seats did Labour have in the 1906 election?

A

30 seats.

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14
Q

What were the 5 long term factors of why the Liberals won the 1906 election?

A

Boer war and concentration camps were associated with the conservatives.
Chinese slavery scandal.
Had younger politicians representing ‘new liberal’ ideas.
Trade union legislations.
1904 Licensing act meant more middle class voters.

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15
Q

What are the 5 short term/election campaign factors of why the Liberals won the 1906 election?

A

Had dynamic figures (Campbell-Bannerman, Lloyd George, Asquith).
Trade unions wanted a say in parliament.
Lib/Lab pact with Labour.
Chinese slavery affected Conservative votes.
Liberals became more radical and appealing.

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16
Q

What are the 3 weaknesses of divisions that helped the Liberals win the 1906 election?

A

Balfour’s resignation the year before election.
Conservatives divided over Tariff Reform.
Conservatives were associated with the mistreatment of Chinese slaves, women, and children during Boer War.

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17
Q

What is the 1903 Lib/Lab pact?

A

A pact between the political parties agreeing to avoid running candidates against each other in areas where a tied vote may lead to the election of a Conservative candidate.

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18
Q

Why was the Labour Party needed and created?

A

Socialist Revival renewed interest in socialist principals.
1867 Reform Act allowed more working class men to vote.
The gap between conditions for the working class and upper class were increasing.
1867 Marx’s Das Capital advanced idea that society is run by social laws.

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19
Q

What are the 4 groups within the Labour Party?

A

SDF - Social Democratic Federation - Marxist group = promote class hostility and revolution for political power.
Fabians - Middle class group = favoured working to socialism through Parliament.
Socialist League - Marxist tone = wanted socialist society and revolution.
ILP - Independent Labour Party - Kier Hardie’s group = Radical liberalism, Trade unionism, Non conformity

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20
Q

What is the Trade Disputes Act of 1906?

A

Reversed the Taff Vale 1901 Judgement and ensured trade unions involved in strike action would be protected from legal damage. Labour wanted full protection, Liberals only offered partial.

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21
Q

What is the Education (Provision of Meals) Act of 1906?

A

Labour MP brought Private Members Bill proposing Local Education Authorities used taxes to provide free meals for parents on a low income and needy children. Liberals seized policy and added it to own government policy.

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22
Q

How did Labour succeed in Parliament 1900-1914?

A

Influenced Liberal government reforms.
Increased representation of working class.
Lib/Lab pact gained Labour more seats and representatives.
Kerr Hardie = forward thinker and women’s advocate - more popularity.

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23
Q

What is the Osbourne Judgement of 1909?

A

Made it illegal for financial contributions from Trade Union subscriptions to be paid to a political party. Impacted Labour and their parliamentary influence.

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24
Q

What is the Payment of MP’s Act 1909?

A

Gave Members of Parliament a salary.

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25
Q

What highlighted Labour’s lack of commitment to socialism?

A

Trade Unions felt Labour was too tied to the Liberals and not achieving enough reform in Parliament, so turned to strike action throughout 1910 - 1914.

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26
Q

What is a large failure of Labour from 1900-1914?

A

The main amount of working class couldn’t vote, and the relationship with the liberals was not representative enough, meaning that Labour was not socialist or left-wing enough.

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27
Q

How much did Trade Union membership grow between 1910 and 1914?

A

Grew from 2.5 million to 4 million, with 10% being made up of women.

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28
Q

What is the 1913 Trade Union Act?

A

Reversed the Osbourne 1909 Judgement and gave power back to the trade unions who could now fund Labour and have a successful socialist party.

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29
Q

What is the impact of the 1901 Taff Vale Judgement?

A

Workers couldn’t strike without being sued = lack of rights. Forced them to support Labour who were against this judgement.

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30
Q

What is the impact of the 1906 Trade Disputes Act?

A

Positive impact, giving trade unions power through ability to strike with protection.

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31
Q

What is the impact of 1909 Osbourne Judgement?

A

Cut funding for MP’s so trade unions couldn’t pay subscriptions to political parties, so Labour lost influence.

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32
Q

What happened in the 1910 Strike in South Wales?

A

Disputes over payments for miners working in difficult seems of coal - confrontations led to violence.

33
Q

What happened in the 1911 Strike in Tonypandy?

A

A coal strike = rioting, violence, and the use of troops when Home Secretary Winston Churchill ordered 2000 troops to support the police. Miners lost.

34
Q

What happened in the 1911 Strike of the Seamen’s Union?

A

Seamen’s union went on strike and the railwaymen and dockers followed, halting transport and trade. 2 shot dead by troops and another 2 shot in Llanelli.

35
Q

What happened in the 1912 Strike of London?

A

Continued strikes in London docks and transport systems.

36
Q

What is the Minimum Wage Act for Mining of 1912?

A

Set up local boards to fix minimum wages for miners in difficult seems of coal.

37
Q

What happened in the 1913 Strikes in the Midlands and Dublin?

A

Strikes in metal working industries in Midlands.
Transport workers strike in Dublin.

38
Q

Why was there increased militancy and strikes between 1910 and 1914?

A

Value of real wages fell.
Levels of unemployment fell making workers more willing to confront employers.
Prices rose steeply in 1911-1912.
Working class living standards had worsened.

39
Q

What is the Disraeli Doctrine?

A

Conservative PM Disraeli set out his view on when the Lords should use its powers. It should only veto when: Opinion is divided/small majority, public opposed bill, the change was big enough to impact whole country.

40
Q

What were the concerns of the Conservatives after 1906?

A

They were worried about how the could influence of block the Liberal measures, so used their dominance in the Lords. Specifically over Irish Home Rule.

41
Q

What three bills did the Conservative use their powers in the Lords to reject Liberal measures?

A

1906 Education act - allowed LA’s to take over employment of teachers (didn’t need religious test) and religious education would be more general.
Bill to end plural voting.
Bill aimed at restricting sale and consumption of alcohol.

All activities and values of upper class / Lords.

42
Q

What was the People’s Budget of 1909 and what 6 taxes would it introduced?

A

Raise income tax.
Increase duties on sale and consumption of alcohol.
Increase death duties on larger estates.
Introduce land taxes.
Introduced road maintenance fund by taxing petrol and introducing license for motor vehicles.
Introduced child allowances of £10 per year for families earning under £500 per year.

43
Q

Timeline of First Constitutional Crisis.

A

April 1909 - People’s Budget to pay for social reform and defence.
November 1909 - HOL rejected, but not meant to interfere with money bills - so called General election.
January 1910 - Liberals won with 275 seats and HOL agreed to pass the budget.

44
Q

Timeline of Second Constitutional Crisis.

A

1910 - Liberals created Parliament Bill to reduced Lords power in vetoing.
May 1910 - Asquith persuaded George V to make more Liberal peers in Lords to pass bill.
December 1910 - General Election. Liberals 272 (same as conservative) + Labour 42 + Irish Nationalists 84 = Majority.
May 1911 - Commons passed bill
August 1911 - Lords finally passed bill due to fear of being overwhelmed by Liberals in Lords.

45
Q

What is the Parliament Act of 1911?

A

Lords could not interfere with money bills.
Could only veto for up to 2 years, after that it would become law.
5 years between General elections.

46
Q

What were the results of the constitutional crisis for the relationship between Liberals and the Irish Nationalists?

A

It exposed the Liberals to the demands of the Irish Nationalists after the Liberals lost their landslide. As the Liberals were more dependent of the IN to make the majority government.

47
Q

Who were the key figures of the NSWS?

A

An amalgamation of groups from the previous party that split due to some wanting to support the Liberals and others Independent.

48
Q

What does the NSWS stand for?

A

National Society for Women’s Suffrage.

49
Q

What were the priorities for the NSWS’ campaign?

A

Campaigned nationally for equal terms.

50
Q

What were the methods for the NSWS?

A

Peaceful methods.

51
Q

What does the NUWSS stand for?

A

National Union of Women’s Suffrage Society.

52
Q

Who were the key figures of the NUWSS?

A

Millicent Fawcett (Wife of Liberal MP).
A range of groups from around the country.

53
Q

What were the priorities in the NUWSS’ campaign?

A

Either:
Political emancipation of all women
Or
Equal terms for men and women.

54
Q

What were the methods for the NUWSS?

A

Peaceful methods, openly supported Labour - committed to electoral reform - political activity such as lobbying, writing letters, etc.

55
Q

What does the WSPU stand for?

A

Women’s Social and Political Union.

56
Q

Who were the key figures in the WSPU?

A

Emmeline Pankhurst.
Christabel Pankhurst and Annie Kennie - arrested for disturbing political meeting.
Textile and other workers committees.
First suffrage group to involve working class women.

57
Q

What were the priorities in the WSPU’s campaign?

A

Women should have immediate equality with men = full democracy.

58
Q

What were the methods for the WSPU?

A

In favour of ILP = a vehicle for aims of social and economic equality.
Violent methods.
Emily Wilding Davis - Martyr.
Civil disobedience - boycotting 1911 census.
Heckling public figures.
Marches and processions.
Chained to railings.

59
Q

What is the Conciliation Bill of 1910?

A

Proposed enfranchisement of women, only if they were a householder or an occupational franchise.

60
Q

What leaders opposed the 1910 Conciliation bill and why?

A
  • Asquith - didn’t support female suffrage as angered by militancy.
  • Lloyd George - this only enfranchised conservative women.
61
Q

what were the Liberal views on suffrage?

A

Divided opinion
1906 election, expressed support for suffrage but did nothing.
The most they did was Qualification of Women 1907 Act removing obvious exclusion of women from sitting in local councils - accepted by WSPU but not enough so became more militant.

62
Q

What is the Qualification of Women Act of 1907?

A

Removed the exclusion of women from sitting in local councils.

63
Q

Why had the Liberals not extended the franchise?

A

Prejudice - Politics was not a women’s game
Concerns for Liberal security - if upper/middle class women were enfranchised then they would vote conservative.
Leaders did not like the militancy.
Damaging for the Liberals to conceded to militancy - Irish Home Rule would turn to militancy.

64
Q

What is the Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for ill Health) 1913 Act which led to the Cat and Mouse Act?

A

Militant action from suffrage groups left no choice but to impose heavy sentencing, but women rebelled and went on hunger strikes.
- Bill imposed due to unlawful acts as prisons had to force feed women.
- Bill released women on license of ill health temporarily, but when health restored, they would return.

65
Q

What is the name of the Irish Nationalist party established in 1905 by Arthur Griffin?

A

Sinn Fein

66
Q

What were the religious tension in Ireland?

A

Protestant North Catholic South, North wanted to stay a part of England, south wanted to be a separate country.

67
Q

What were the terms of the Third Home Rule Bill in 1912?

A
  • An Irish Parliament with an elected HoC and nominated upper chamber called the Senate (like HoL), with limited powers especially in financial affairs.
  • 42 Irish MPs to sit at Westminster.
  • Ulster included in Home Rule Parliament.
68
Q

Who opposed the Third Home Rule Bill?

A

Bonar Law & Conservatives - July 1912 Unionist Rally at Blenheim Palace ‘saw no length of resistance the Ulster would go’.
Carson & Unionists - part of Northern Ireland and Ulster.

69
Q

Who supported the Third Home Rule Bill?

A

Asquith & Liberals - Their own Bill.
Redmond & Nationalists - supported the ideal but wanted more independence.

70
Q

Who were the Irish Republican Brotherhood?

A

A violent Irish party who wanted full independence.

71
Q

Who were the Sinn Fein?

A

A group led by Arthur Griffin, demanding independence for Ireland through peaceful methods.

72
Q

What was the Labour movement of Irish Home Rule?

A

Led by James Connolly, wanted full independence for Ireland and greater working rights, peaceful strikes.

73
Q

What was Carsons attempt to resist a Home Rule Parliament in September 1912?

A

Carson drew up a ‘Solemn League and Covenant’ and under 500,000 people signed - some used their own blood to sign.

74
Q

What is the Ulster Volunteer Force?

A

An army set up to resist Home Rule with around 100,000 members.

75
Q

What is the Irish National Volunteers?

A

A body pledged to support Redmond, but inflitrated by the Irish Republican Brotherhood - went against UVF and risked a Civil War.

76
Q

What did Asquith do in December 1913 to reduce risk of Civil War in Ireland?

A

Banned the importation of arms and ammunition.

77
Q

What did Asquith accept within the Home Rule Bill?

A

He was persuaded to accept the exclusion of Ulster for three years, but later doubled to six. - first move towards partition, Carson declined this.

78
Q

What is the Curragh Mutiny of March 1914?

A

British army officers refused to force ‘Home Rule’ through in NI as they had family in area, and were opposed to it themselves. Highlighting a loss of control of the army by the Liberals and inability to enforce Home Rule in Ulster.