Section 3- Imperilaism Challeneged

Question 1

What role did Empire play in WW1

Answer 1

1914 declared war on behalf of the whole empire
Empire supplied Britain with vital raw materials and food
Presidents of the dominions and nominates Indian representatives joined the war cabinet in 1917 London
Imperial war cabinet symbolised Union of the British empire - only had 2 sessions, B dominated
1916- David Lloyd George PM,greater effort use of manpower and materials from empire
Imperial preference introduced
Revealed undercurrent of racial tension - not let black man fight
Curzon ‘British flag never flew over a more power or United empire than now’

Question 2

How did WW1 affect the white dominions

Answer 2

Mostly keen to help Britain, start with relied on volunteers
Final say whether to adopt conscription introduced NZ1916, Canada 1917
Australians and New Zealandrs applauded for their bravery in the Gallipoli campaign, Canadians vimmy ridge April 1917
Evacuation of Gallipoli humiliation - Turkish army beat white, not invincible
Canna supplied Britain with 1/3 of the munitions used by the British in France and wheat
SA defence force, General Smuts fought successfully against the Germans, member of imperial war cabinet
Republican movement in SA led by J B M Hertzog grew and Afrikaner mvmt questioned imperial consolidation
Boosted confidence and self worth of dominons
Promoted a desire for independence and control

Question 3

How did WW1 affect India

Answer 3

Indian army and senior officers were physically and mentally unprepared to fight a modern European war
Only fought because aspired to become equal part of it
1917, Indian government contributed £100m to Britain’s war effort
Bad defeats led to decay of moral amongst sepoys
Acknowledgment of Indians contribution - Secretary of State for India, Edwin montage promised more ‘responsible’ self gov for India

Question 4

How did WW1 affect the British colonies in Africa

Answer 4

Egypt turned into protectorate in 1914 which caused resentment
1.2 M Egyptians recruited to defend Egypt and Middle East
70,000 West and East African troops fought
Black people - recruited to work in France as labourers
First pan African congress was held 1919
Black and brown men discovered new worlds , questioned

Question 5

Outline the League of Nations mandates

Answer 5

TOV stripped Germany of its former colonies
Mandates administered by LON,Britain dominated as America in isolation
SKYES PICOT agreement 1916, defined boundaries of the official and non official British and French in ME
CAT c- independence not considered feasible, Cat B- needed much longer period of guidance, cat A- quite developed, independence might be possible
Britain argued ‘guiding hand’, wanted to retain dominant status as a global power, protection of India and oil

Question 6

Outline Britain’s involvement in the Middle East

Answer 6

B wanted Palestine for strategic - main overland route to Britain’s Indian + Asian empire, close proximity to Suez Canal, Mesopotamia oil rich
1915 Skykes Picot agreement, B Jordan, south Iraq and Palestine
In war Britain encouraged Arab rebellions against ottoman, helped by TE Lawrence
1917 Balfour declaration, Arthur Balfour sent letter to Lord Rothschild, sympathy for Jewish Zionism, Britain support for ‘national homeland’ ,didn’t promise separate Jewish state and undermining Arab rights, desire to keep British Jewish bankers supportive,win support of anti imperialist
Violent clashes between Arab + Jews, response Arab Muslim Christian association 1918

Question 7

Outline Egyptian independence

Answer 7

Egyptians protectorate 1914
Serious demonstration in 1919- convinced B officials that Bs annexations shouldn’t be permanent
1992 recognised Independence,client state
B kept army to defend Suez Canal
Anglo Egyptian Treaty 1936- withdrew to defend only Suez Canal Zone, 10,000 troops, Egypt assisted to join LON

Question 8

Outline the creation of Irish free state

Answer 8

Gladstone and Asquith both failed to deliver independence as PM
Dublin Easter Rising 1916
WW1 after, period of guerrilla Warfare led by IRA and MPs of the Irish nationalist party
B attempts to maintain control become more aggressive and increased resentment
Fighting ended by Anglo Irish treaty 1921, New Catholic Irish free state set up , 6 Protestant
northern counties not included
Didn’t gain complete parliamentary independence until statue of W 1931, declared Republic in 1949 and left commonwealth

Question 9

Outline Iraqi independence

Answer 9

Category A , B still maintained control
Nationalist caused problems and revolt in 1920 suppressed with difficult
Iraq granted independence from Britain under Feisal 1 1932
British Gov close military ties,retained air bases

Question 10

In what ways were the mandates in the Middle East of benefit to Britain?

Answer 10

They were beneficial to Britain’s strategic position in regards to India because it prevented the are being governed by Muslims and it protected the land route to India and its other Asian territories
• It was important to prevent an absence of empire in the middle east to help to restrain the growing Indian nationalism
• They were rich in oil which was needed to fuel British industries and the navy

Question 11

In what ways were the mandates in the Middle East a burden to Britain?

Answer 11

The conflict between the Arabs and the Jews that they had created had to be policed to try to prevent violence
• The area disliked the rule of the Ottomans but Britain simply swapped one imperialism for another so the problem
still existed

Question 12

To what extent was Britain in control of the contraction of the British Empire in Egypt, Ireland and Iraq?

Answer 12

Although Britain lost formal control of these areas, they still had strong influences and got what they wanted from them, especially in Egypt and Iraq
• They effectively remained client states

Question 13

Why was the creation of the Irish Free State significant?

Answer 13

was significant because it showed that violent uprising and government action could lead to independence from Britain
• The fact that this was achieved in Britain’s oldest and closest ‘colony’ mad others think that it could be achieved elsewhere

Question 14

Outline the aftermath of WW1

Answer 14

Britain had 42 Capital ships afloat < 45 ROTW, British naval supremacy could no longer guarantee Britain’s security
Royal Air Force helped provide cheap,effective of policing large areas
Britain faced no serious international competition
1920s breaking point, struggled to keep control
Industrial power eclipsed by USA
Never been bigger
The costs outweighed the benefits

Question 15

How did WW2 affect the empire in SE Asia and India

Answer 15

Viceroy Lord Linlithgow declared war on India’s behalf without consulting Indian leaders
Mohammed Al Jinnah, pledged to support Britain, hoping to win British support Muslim state
USA urged Churchill to give Indian such messes of freedom and democracy to rally people, to fight ideals
Churchill sent Sir Stafford Cripps to India to negotiate, reluctantly offered India independence
Ghandi opposed any support, nationalist prepared to work with Germany and Japan, congress party refused support unless India was first granted independence after war, IC turned down offer, Quit India campaign
1942 Japan seized European imperial possession in SE Asia, lost Singapore, largest surrender

Question 16

How did WW2 affect the empire In North Africa and the middle east

Answer 16

Desperate to preserve influence in Egypt and access to Suez and the oil in ME
Both Egyptians and Palestinians saw opportunity for exploiting B weakness
Iraq, army rebellion against British garrisons in May 1941
Africans developed political and national consciousness
Concessions made e.g regional councils in N Rhodesia
Serous and violent strike on the N Rhodesian Copperbelt in 1935 and 40taxes levied by the British colonial administration

Question 17

What was the position of the Empire after WW2

Answer 17

1940 bill introduced to give grants to colonies for their development and welfare - Colonial Development and Welfare Act 1945
Economic position weakened - 3 500m in Debt, became dependent on the USA,total exports £350million, 40% pre war figure
Labour government 1945- Clement Attlee , independence movement had grown stronger, 2 major powers: USA and Soviet Union anti imperialist, USA emerged as richest country, dominions turned to the USA e.g. Canada Joint Defence Board,
Andres post war imperial policy, ideas of partnership and colonial development, route to self government

Question 18

To what extent did WW2 signal the end of the British empire

Answer 18

Continuity - relied assistance from its dominions, Muslim league pledged to support Britain during war, Arles government had no intention of abandoning empire, dominions and colonies contributed 5m fighting men
Decline - Quit India campaign, Britain owned £1375m to India, economic problems left Britain dependent on anti imperialist US, dominions turned to USA for support, United nationa members apposed imperial rule, imperial issues attracted v little in election campaign 1945, Attlee committed granting Indian independence

Question 19

How did Britain deal with India in the inter war period

Answer 19

Nationalist demands for self government after WW1 resulted in gov of India act 1919, allowed limited system of self gov, satisfy the demands
‘Twin track strategy’- combination of reforms and clear signal that ant resort by the nationalist
Rowlatt Act harsh powers to arrest and imprison anyone against B rule, counterproductive Armristar massacre 1919
Ghandi non violent, non cooperation 1919-1922
Round table conference early 1930s failed to move to dominion status
Gov of India act 1935- increased no of Indians eligible to vote and strengthened elected provincial assemblies,autonomous government for the Indian provinces
1930 former policy of ‘divide and rule’ playing against growing division
All India Muslim league wanted separate Muslim state, Hindu congress movement United Indian state
British favoured the Muslim league, proved necessity since civil war would be likely

Question 20

In what ways did Britain struggle to keep control of India during WW2

Answer 20

Nationalist suspended their protest in 1939, support B war effort BUT provincial governments resigned after India’s entry to war without concession
Quit India big threat to the Raj
B defeat in SE Asia 1942- Hindi congress demanded immediate reforms
Adopted policy of repression - imprisoning congress leaders, favouring Muslim league
Elections of 1945-46 triumph for Muslim league, highlighted extent of polarisation

Question 21

Why did labour gov decide to withdraw from India in 147

Answer 21

No longer desirable or feasible to keep India
Public opinion in favour of granting independence
Activities of the INA and strength of nationalist, Indian army might not be reliable, no longer great market for British cotton exports, decided to leave as priority changed, avoid civil war
Violence between Muslims and Hindus escalated

Question 22

To what extent did Britain withdraw from Indian with honour and dignity

Answer 22

Honour - submitted the wished of Muslim league to have a partition, paki and India become dominions within commonwealth, appeased the wished of the international community, USA and UN
Little honour - Economic burden, refused to commit troops to the transition of power, ‘you have left India in the same condition of chaos as you found it’, Attlee achieved none of his initial aims, India and Pakistan refused to sign defence agreement

Question 23

Why did Britain withdraw from the Middle East and Palestine

Answer 23

Migration - huge influxes of Jewish migrants after WW2 led to deterioration in the Arab-Jewish relationships
Violence - outbreak of Jewish terrorism and Britain struggled to police violence, 100,000 B troops and annual cost of 40m , struggled to maintain order
Economic resources - £100m on governance since 1945 , economy could not maintain level of commitment in Palestine
Unable to compromise - Bevin (foreign Secretary) find compromise that would satisfy Jews and Arabs p, impossible goal, didn’t want to alienate Arab as access to oil, but reliant on the USA - who sympathised Zionist cause
Actions of the United Nations - September 1947, UN stated independence should be granted to Palestine, should be partitioned with 55% Jewish state, B disagreed decided would rather leave

Question 24

To what extent was Britain’s withdrawal in Palestine successful

Answer 24

Successful- didn’t alienate either side, left it for international community
Unsuccessful - didn’t maintain its position as a global power, long lasting violence, Britain ‘washed its hands’ , UN went against Britains wishes for Palestine

Question 25

To what extent can Britain be blamed for the problems in Palestine

Answer 25

Yes - Balfour deceleration, allowed mass Jewish immigration, conflicting promises
No - P Truman demanded large scale immigration, Jewish terrorism increased tensions, Holocaust sympathy

Question 26

Why did Britain withdraw from Burma

Answer 26

Nationalism - several nationalist movements causing British problems
War - collaborated w Japanese to help take over Burma in 1942
Economic problems - couldn’t afford
Political developments - Atlee not willing to send sufficient amount of troops

Question 27

To what extent can Britain be blamed for the problems in Burma

Answer 27

Yes - continued to delay change necessary, spent little money on support, £10 a year in books intrusive income tax
No - AFO helped Japan invade, civil war started by the political groups

Question 28

How did Gov of India act 1919 change India

Answer 28

Viceroy retained control of major areas e.g defence and foreign affairs
Legislative council - lower and upper house
Provincial councils run by Indian minister took responsibility for local government
Concession to critics of British rule in the Indian congress

Question 29

What did Simon Commission recommend

Answer 29

Reviews of the 1919 act in 1927,had no Indian members

Recommended: federal system of gov, provinces and princely states given more power

Question 30

What happened to the Ground Table conference in 1930-31

Answer 30

No agreement reached, Britain and congress party
Britain rejected self governing status for India because of doubts about the competence of non white leaders and people as well as concerns for Indias strategic and economic importance

Question 31

How did the gov of India act 1935 change India

Answer 31

Provinces completely self governing - could be still suspended in an emergency
Envisaged all Indian federation incl princely state
Viceroy remained the heat of state and had right to veto laws

Question 32

Why did India opposes the India act

Answer 32

Congress party opposed because if felt short of the independence of the white dominions
Princely states rejected federal India because wanted to retain their independence

Question 33

Why did the outbreak of WW2 lead to further opposition to British rule

Answer 33

1939- congress controlled ministers resigned

British imposed direct rule and dealt with independence against the war with repression

Question 34

How successfully was Britain’s administration of its African empires in terms of white settler colonies

Answer 34

Kenya - pressure for degree of self government in 1920 by white settlers , power given to 20-30,000 white settlers who dominated legislative council - white farmers excluded the Kikuyu tribe from fertile N highlands,taxed the Kikuyu heavily.

Question 35

What was the Devonshire Declaration in 1923

Answer 35

Interest of Africans had to be respected, needed as African nationalism among the Kikuyu had alarmed the colonial office
Momentum built up behind political movements

Question 36

Why were whites able to dominate ethnic ministries in South Africa

Answer 36

Promises made to protect the rights of ethnic minorities that had been built into the grant of Dominion status in 1910 were eroded
White minority established control over internal affairs by the 1930s
Statue of Westminster 1931 gave dominions legislative autonomy, enabled white dominions to continue

Question 37

How did Britain attempt to promote economic and social development in these colonies and why were these initiatives limited

Answer 37

Sudan 1920,British Gov Allotted £3m for the Gezira Cotton Scheme to increase cotton production , £10m for improving rail and dock facilities in E Africa in 1925, investment in education in W Africa
Limited - African colonies were expected to be self financing so major projects had to be mainly funded by taxes collected locally, not in a position to invest heavily after impact of WW1

Question 38

What was the Colonial Development Act 1929 and why did dissatisfactions grow in these colonies

Answer 38

CDV 1929- allocated £1m of British Treasury funds for dev projects across the empire, served as a token and ineffectual - not enough money
A
A colonies suffered from Great Depression of 1930s, limited nature of imperial development policy e.g copper mines of N Rhodesia strikes, growing urbanisation ~ growth in nationalism,

Question 39

How successful was British policies in Africa

Answer 39

Successful- some investments,CDA 1929, managed to not spend much money
Unsuccessful - giving full parliamentary independence to S Africa, allowed white settlers to continue and dominate, W settlers antagonised by Devonshire Declaration

Question 40

Outline British ambitions in the Middle East

Answer 40

Strategic - protect the Suez Canal and the surrounding territory,p land route to India
Economic - preserve access to the oil in region
International rivalry - maintain great power status, fulfill their League of Nations obligations,

Question 41

What was the aim of the British colonial administration in Palestine, why was It difficult, what key development occurred in B governance

Answer 41

Ensure strategic importance as a buffer state against threat to the Suez Canal
Difficult - financial strain on British and colonial gov post WW1, reconciling the growing Jewish pop and Arabs was difficult, ethnic tensions, Jewish National fund richer Jews bought land and growing number of Palestine Arabs were evicted from their farms
1937-39: Policy of Repression to deal with escalating violence
1939- Jewish immigration restricted to 15,000 per year for 5 years

Question 42

What was British position in Palestine at the outbreak of WW2 and how did Britain withdraw from Palestine

Answer 42

Policy reversal had outraged Jews With out satisfying the Arabs (1939 national homeland) , short term strategy of expediency
Refereed the problem to the UN in Feb 1947, announced they would quit

Question 43

Outline the colonial policy and administration in Egypt

Answer 43

Made protectorate in 1914
Serious demonstrations in 1919- convinced British officials that annexation shouldn’t be permanent
However still wanted to protect strategic and economic interest
1922 independence, client state, no longer pay 4 dev , maintained control of Egypt’s foreign policy and defence
Anglo Egyptian Treaty (1936)- 10,000 troops allowed in the Suez Canal Zone, assisted to join LON

Question 44

To shay extent were the bonds between Britain and the Dominions weekend in the period 1914-47;

Answer 44

Chanak Crisis 1922- diplomatic unity of the dominions was a fiction, dominions didn’t back Britain against potential crisis W turkey
Policy of continuous consultation was dropped, d pursued own policies
1926 commonwealth conference - autonomous communities with the empire,equal in statue,no way subordinate to one another

Dominions increasingly had separate interests Dominions gained complete parliamentary independence Ireland was never content with Dominion statue and wanted to leave the commonwealth
The Dominions looked to the USA for protection during

Dominions still relied on Britain for defence until WW2 They still had their shared heritage and they generally remained loyal to Britain

Question 45

What were the terms of the Statute of Westminster 1931?

Answer 45

Certain Dominions should become independent nations
• Laws passed in Britain were not automatically passed in Dominions
• Dominions were free to pass their own laws without interference or approval

Question 46

How did Britain try to defend the Empire in the years the 1920s and 30s?

Answer 46

They put faith in the League of Nations to maintain peace

• The policy of appeasement was adopted to allow Britain to strengthen its defence of Asia against Japan

Question 47

To what extent did economic effects of the WW1 damage the British empire

Answer 47

Impact on Britain -no longer position to invest sig, cost Britain £35bn , borrowed $4bn from the USA, pound removed from the Gold standard, debt rose from £700m in 1914, £7.5bn in 1919
Markets and industrial competition - Japanese textiles production win markets, lose revenue,1920 overseas investment £600m,£369m 1913
Growing nationalism made empire to control
BOV- formal control in the ME,access oil

Question 48

What was the impact on the colonies in WW1(India,Canada, Australia)

Answer 48

India - contributed £146m , imports from Britain fell, manufactures captured more of domestic market,high taxes on Indian imports
Canada - emerged as industrial power, looked for USA for investment, 1/3 artillery ammunition produced in Canada
Australia and NZ- relied heavy on B markets,

Question 49

How did Britain’s attitude towards imperial trade change with the onset of the G depression

Answer 49

1920 attempt to recreate pre war system, no special preference
Gold standard in 1925 to stabilise international trade , aftermath Of the depression, greater emphasis on importance of the Empire , imports increased , forced to abandon gold standard in 1931, trade with empire in the sterling proved a great assets
IMPERIAL EXPORTS/ TOTAL BRITISH EXPORTS - 1913:37.2% to 1934: 44%

Question 50

What was the Sterling area

Answer 50

Countries of the empire fixed value of their currencies to sterling,formalised exchange Control Act of 1947
Used to soften the impact of Great Depression
Gave access to British markets for countries in the sterling area

Question 51

How important was imperial trade for the British economy between the wars

Answer 51

44% exports went to the empire in 1934 compared to 37.2% in 1914
Cotton textiles export began to fall due to tough competition from Japan and other emerging industrial economies

Question 52

Why did support for imperial preference increase by 1931 and what was the outcome of the Ottawa conference 1932

Answer 52

Increasing competition from the USA,Japan and other emerging economies
Lord Beaverbrook argued in return
OC-10% tax on all imports- exempting crown colonies, Britain and dominions gave each other exports preferential treatment in their own markets, reinforced importance of supplying foodstuffs

Question 53

What economic problems did the Empire face in the inter war period

Answer 53

• Some Dominions, particularly Australia and New Zealand, experience serious economic problems in the inter- war period
• The cost of their imports from Britain outstripped the income from their exports. Especially after the Great Depression because the prices of their main exports (wheat, dairy, and other food) fell faster than the manufactured commodities that they imported
• Both countries ran up debts to Britain but New Zealand suffered less that Australia as it was developing more slowly
• Imperial preference became especially important for these countries when international trade declined sharply in the 1930s
• Some Australians thought there were being exploited by financiers in London which led to resentment and a rising desire for independence from the Australian Labour Party
• Colonies in Asia and Africa suffered as a result of the collapse of world trade. Burma and Malaya were hit especially hard as Malaya relied on exports of tin and rubber; Burma on exports of rice
• African colonies also suffered from tumbling prices in the 1930s of their food and raw materials. Incomes fell bringing poverty and starvation and a feeling of dissatisfaction with colonial rule

Question 54

Why did support for the INC grow after WW1

Answer 54

Felt Britain owned something for India’s contribution after volunteered in the War, Russian Revolution 1917- possible to overthrow powerful hierarchy, collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Anglo Irish treaty 1921- B conceding something to nationalism, Ghandi, B ignored the idea of self rule in gov of India act 1919

Question 55

Who were nehru and Bose

Answer 55

Nehru- He was also a layer who became a close ally and friend to Gandhi despite their different visions
• He joined the Congress in 1919
• He was elected as president of the Indian National Congress in 1928 and imprisoned during the anti-salt tax
campaign
• He was re-elected as president in 1936
• He supported Britain in 1939
• He gave reluctant support go Gandhi’s 1942 ‘Quit India’ movement and was consequently imprisoned until
1945
Bose - 1939, he allied himself with Britain’s enemies, Germany and Japan
• He formed the Indian National Army in 1942, intending to lead the force to free India

Question 56

What was all Indian Muslim league and who was Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Answer 56

Originally founded in 1906, worked under co operation with Congress , under Jinnah leadership more vociferous, disagrees with ghandis tactics
Jinnah - 1940 believed there should be a separate Muslim state, initially favoured Hindu Muslim political co operation, resigned CP 1920

Question 57

To what extent was Indian nationalism a united and effective force in the years 1914-47

Answer 57

Effective - They achieved independence in 1947 and gained other concessions from the British in the interwar years Gandhi inspired the ryots of India to take part in the campaign for independence, turning it into a mass civil disobedience campaign. However, the last civil disobedience campaign (Quit India) was short-lived and not very effective
Divided/ Ineffective
There was disagreement about the methods and goals for independence. Some Muslims mistrusted Gandhi. Passive resistance was fairly easily suppressed and because of the disagreements among the nationalist’s violence broke out– making it easier for the British to justify the use of force. Some were not very effective e.g. Quit India.
Other factors

Question 58

Why was it difficult for African nationalism to develop prior to WW2?

Answer 58

There were less educated elites (to lead nationalist groups) – indigenous people were not represented in the civil
service
• There was a less educated population (to engage)
• There was a less urban population (poorer communication) – fewer common grievances
• There was less political representation (esp. in colonies with white settlers) – which meant there was no clear
forum for grievances
• There was widespread collaboration of chiefs and local rulers (who liked the status quo)
• British policies undermined nationalism (esp. Trusteeship) – which made the local population believe the Brit.
might improve things
• Limited economic development (made the creation of modern nation-state less viable

Question 59

To what extent were the British subjects loyal and committed to the British empire in the years 1914-47

Answer 59

Loyal - Loyal and Committed
Lots of the empire’s economies were tied closely to Britain meaning that they needed to be committed to it
Opposed/Apathetic
Ireland refusing to defend the British empire during WW2
Widespread support during the 2 world wars – manpower, industry, money and raw materials. Commitment because it defends the empire and loyal (They often had ulterior motives to try to gain independence. The wars led to increased politicisation and cause people to want their independence)
Political pressure for reform and political separation from nationalist movements/white dominions e.g. Indian National Congress, Round Table Conferences
Important culturally to place in the empire. Celebrations of empire e.g. Empire Day, listening to the kings Christmas message. Some places stayed in the Commonwealth after independence
Violent/active resistance from nationalist groups (often nationalists weren’t united) e.g. boycotts, strikes, protests, civil disobedience. Actively tried to bring the empire down by attacking it.
Some people collaborated with the British e.g. Indian princes/African chiefs because it was beneficial to them (committed not loyal)
Some people may not have been aware of the extent of British rule in their lives e.g. tribes in Africa. They didn’t know anything was different. Don’t really understand or were aware/intere1