Post-War Political, Social and Economic Developments Flashcards
How much did Britain spend on the war?
Close to £7 billion, or a quarter of the national wealth
How much debt was Britain in at the end of the war?
By the end of the war Britain was £3,355 million in debt.
What was the Beveridge Report?
A report published by Sir William Beveridge in 1942 which identified the five giant evils that stood in the way of Britain and a better society.
What were the five giant evils?
Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness
What did the Beveridge Report form the basis of?
The Labour party manifesto for the 1945 election
Why was there resistance from the Tories towards the Beveridge report?
Many Conservatives thought the reforms would be
too expensive or that they would destroy self-help and self-reliance.
What had been destroyed by the Luftwaffe bombings that needed rebuilding?
Thousands of shops
Factories
Homes
20% of schools
Why did housing become even more strained after the war?
Servicemen and women were returning home and needed a place to live as well.
How much did unemployment increase by between 1947 and 1951?
Between 1947 and 1951 unemployment rose from 400,000 to 1.75 million.
What did the Conservatives rely on to win the 1945 election?
Churchill’s fame and popularity as the man who had won the war
Who won the 1945 election?
The Labour Party
Why did Churchill lose the 1945 election?
The Conservative policy of austerity was unpopular
Appeasement was a Conservative policy and proved very unpopular after the war
People felt that Churchill had betrayed Poland by agreeing to help them and not acting until it was too late
People thought Churchill wanted war with Russia
Churchill compared Labour to the gesptapo
What was Aneurin Bevan’s vision for Britain?
His vision was a nation that took care of its people
‘from the cradle to the grave’.
What did the National Insurance Act introduce?
The act provided benefits for pregnant women and the unemployed, pensions for the retired and allowances for the sick, widowed and mothers with children.
What did the Industrial Injuries Act introduce?
The Industrial Injuries Act provided compensation for injured workers.
What did the Employment and Training Act introduce?
It gave funds for training school leavers and for retraining others for different forms of employment. People who lived in the once distressed areas such as Wales were given the opportunity to become competitive in the world of work.
