Post Colonial Ties Flashcards
Who were the European Voluntary Workers?
Workers invited from Europe, especially Ukraine, Latvia and Poland, by the British government after WW2.
How did Britain maintain strong political ties with its former colonies (5)?
1) British-style parliaments, ministries, wigged judges and legal systems were legacies of Empire in the colonies.
2) In some colonies, former colonial officials stayed on as advisors in some key positions.
3) Commonwealth Conferences, attended by Prime Ministers and Presidents, occurred regularly, at least every 2 years.
4) The Queen remained a symbol of the Commonwealth, reinforcing ties with regular visits to the Commonwealth, and meetings with Commonwealth leaders.
5) The establishment of a Commonwealth Secretary General in 1965 helped coordinate Commonwealth activities. Commonwealth citizens were eligible for British honours, and many listened to the monarch’s Christmas Day message.
What was the economic legacy of Empire for Britain (3)?
1) London remained a major financial centre, acting as the headquarters for banking, insurance and investment companies, and service industries.
2) Britain’s imperial connections had resulted in MNCs, with branches across the world, providing Britain with a large overseas investment portfolio and important trading links.
3) Britain returned from its ‘formal’ Empire to an ‘informal’ one of trading links and economic ties.
How did Britain maintain strong military ties with its former colonies?
Britain retained a military with a global reach, recruiting citizens from Commonwealth nations who, with residency requirements, were eligible to serve in the British army. Britain retained a remnant of the old Indian Army in the brigade of Gurkhas.
What were Britain’s 3 main aims when creating the Commonwealth?
1) Bolster Britain’s international position in a post-colonial world.
2) Provide a strong and wide ranging diplomatic network.
3) To ensure British membership of key international bodies, e.g. Britain’s position on the United Nations Security Council reflected British status acquired through Empire, and maintained by the Commonwealth.
What were the 3 main reasons for the emigration from Britain to the Dominions 1946-57?
1) Wartime experiences.
2) Britain’s continuation of rationing until 1954.
3) The increasing demand for labour in countries like Australia, New Zealand and Canada, which offered better prospects.
How many people left Britain for the Dominions 1946-57, and what was the likely effect of this?
Between 1946-57, approx. 1 million left Britain for the Dominions. This likely raised awareness of the Empire and the Commonwealth, by increasing understanding and knowledge of it.
What was the extent of British contact with relatives in the Dominions 1948-59 (2)?
1) A Mass Observation survey in 1948 showed 25% of the British population were in contact with relatives in the Dominions.
2) It is estimated that in 1959, the transfer of money from Britons to friends/family overseas and vice versa was worth £12 million (approx. £1 billion today).
What was National Service?
Between 1939-60, British men aged 17-21 were required to undertake military service for up to 18 months.
How did migration patterns in Britain change in the late 1950s (3)?
1) By the late 1950s,improved living standards and full employment reduced the number of people migrating to the Dominions.
2) Dominion governments started looking for skilled labour from across the world, despite the persistence of racial hierarchies.
3) When the National Service ended in 1960, and decolonisation gathered pace, more and more began moving to Britain.
What were the patterns of emigration (to Britain) and immigration (from Britain) from and to Australia in 1967?
1) Approx. 87,100 emigrated from Britain to Australia.
2) Approx. 27,800 immigrated from Australia to Britain.
What were the patterns of emigration (to Britain) and immigration (from Britain) from and to Canada in 1967?
1) Approx. 65,800 emigrated from Britain to Canada.
2) Approx. 9,900 immigrated from Canada to Britain.
What were the patterns of emigration (to Britain) and immigration (from Britain) from and to New Zealand in 1967?
1) Approx. 17,500 emigrated from Britain to New Zealand.
2) Approx. 7,700 immigrated from New Zealand to Britain.
What were the patterns of emigration (to Britain) and immigration (from Britain) from and to Africa except South Africa in 1967?
1) Approx. 16,600 emigrated from Britain to Africa (except South Africa)
2) Approx. 18,200 immigrated from Africa (except South Africa) to Britain.
What were the patterns of emigration (to Britain) and immigration (from Britain) from and to India, Pakistan and Ceylon in 1967?
1) Approx. 7,600 emigrated from Britain to India, Pakistan and Ceylon.
2) Approx. 45,900 immigrated from India, Pakistan and Ceylon to Britain.
What were the patterns of emigration (to Britain) and immigration (from Britain) from and to the British West Indies in 1967?
1) Approx. 8,400 emigrated from Britain to the British West Indies
2) Approx. 15,200 immigrated from the British West Indies to Britain.
What were the patterns of emigration (to Britain) and immigration (from Britain) from and to the USA in 1967?
1) Approx. 23,500 emigrated from Britain to the USA.
2) Approx. 11,400 immigrated from the USA to Britain.
What was immigration like in the British Empire before 1947?
Colonial migrants had settled in Britain since the 1800s, especially sailors from Asia and the Caribbean.
Why did many immigrants to Britain come from Kenya in 1967?
In 1967, the Kenyatta, wanting Kenya to be a purely African state, pressured the Asian Kenyans to leave. Many of them had British passports.
What was the British Nationality Act 1948
It gave full British citizenship, with the right of free entry into Britain, to every member of the Empire and the Commonwealth.
What was the significance of the arrival of the Empire Windrush for immigration to Britain (3)?
1) In 1948, 1,027 immigrants arrived in East London on the steamship Empire Windrush, with 802 being from the Caribbean. This attracted media attention.
2) The Labour Government tried to stop the ship from arriving, with Attlee describing it as an ‘incursion’. 11 MPs delivered a letter to Attlee warning of damages to public and social life, and wellbeing of the British public, caused by an ‘influx of coloured people’.
3) The attempts to block the ship failed, and the immigrants were temporarily housed in Clapham. They eventually formed an immigrant community in Brixton.