Revision Topic Sheet 1: 1945-1951

Question 1

What was established after World War 2?

Answer 1

Welfare State

Question 2

What were the five ‘giants’ identified in the Beveridge Report?

Answer 2

1. Want
2. Ignorance
3. Disease
4. Squalor
5. Idleness

Question 3

What was it that slayed these ‘giants’?

Answer 3

• Want was ended by National Insurance
• Ignorance was ended by effective education systems
• Disease was ended by comprehensive health services
• Squalor was ended by slum clearance and rehousing
• Idleness was ended by full employment

Question 4

What four acts came into effect in 1948 and what did they deal with?

Answer 4

National Insurance Act - dealt with unemployment and sickness
National Assistance Act - dealt with extreme hardship and poverty
Industrial Injuries Act - dealt with cover for accidents within the workplace
National Health Service Act - dealt with medical treatment

Question 5

What two acts finished the implementation of the Welfare State and what did they entail?

Answer 5

1. Education Act of 1944 - 11+ exam implemented and education became free and compulsory
2. Family Allowances Act of 1945 - weekly payment of five shillings for every additional child after the first

Question 6

What did Clause IV mean for Britain?

Answer 6

Industries such as electricity services, gas, coal and steel were nationalised, meaning that they were taken over by the government

Question 7

What did nationalisation cause in Britain?

Answer 7

Debt of £418 million, balance of payments deficit of £750 million and rising defence costs

Question 8

What was austerity?

Answer 8

Government budget cuts

Question 9

What did austerity cause in Britain?

Answer 9

Continued rationing, government controls on wages and increased taxation

Question 10

How did the loans owed to the USA begin?

Answer 10

Chancellor Hugh Dalton borrowed $6000 million

Question 11

What was Keynesianism?

Answer 11

Government stimulation of the economy to create more jobs and have workers gain more wages

Question 12

Devaluation occurred - true or false?

Answer 12

True - pound devalued from $4.03 to $2.80

Question 13

How did decolonisation occur?

Answer 13

Britain granted India’s independence

Question 14

What was the Schuman Plan of 1951 and why didn’t Britain adopt it?

Answer 14

A plan for numerous European countries to pool money into working on primary industry in a European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) - Britain turned it down as it wanted to rely on the links it had with the USA

Question 15

The Prime Minister was Conservative PM Winston Churchill - true or false?

Answer 15

False, the PM was Labour Prime Minister Clement Attlee