The Affluent Society (1951 to 1964)

Question 1

Who won the 1951 election? How much of a majority did the winning party achieve?

Answer 1

The Conservatives won with a majority of 17. Winston Churchill was the leader.

Question 2

Who won the 1955 election? How much of a majority did the winning party achieve?

Answer 2

The Conservatives won with a majority of 60. Anthony Eden was the leader.

Question 3

Who won the 1959 election? How much of a majority did the winning party achieve?

Answer 3

The Conservatives won with a majority of 100. Harold Macmillan was the leader.

Question 4

Who won the 1964 election? How much of a majority did the winning party achieve?

Answer 4

Labour won with a majority of 4. Harold Wilson was the leader.

Question 5

Who was the PM from 1951 to 1955?

Answer 5

Winston Churchill.

Question 6

Who was the PM from 1955 to 1957?

Answer 6

Anthony Eden.

Question 7

Who was the PM from 1957 to 1963?

Answer 7

Harold Macmillan.

Question 8

Who was the PM from 1963 to 1964?

Answer 8

Douglas Home.

Question 9

What was Britain’s role in the Korean War (1950 to 1953)?

Answer 9

Britain sent troops, money, and weapons to support the US but it ended in stalemate. It was very costly for Britain.

Question 10

When was rationing ended?

Answer 10

1954.

Question 11

What were the main aims of the Conservatives from 1951 to 1955?

Answer 11

Maintain full employment whilst growing the economy, expanding the welfare state, maintain a military defence program including nuclear weapons.

The government committed itself to building 300,000 houses a year.

Question 12

Why did the Conservatives get a new leader in 1955?

Answer 12

Churchill retired in 1955 aged 81. He was too old and unhealthy to run the country so a new leader was needed.

Question 13

What happened during the Suez Crisis and when was it?

Answer 13

Egypt’s leader Nasser needed more money for a dam and Britain agreed to pay towards it, but they found out USSR & allies are also contributing, so Britain stopped paying.

Egypt put a toll which made Britain angry. So, Britain, France and Israel planned for Israel to invade Egypt and then Britain and France ‘save’ Egypt in 1956. They also wanted to overthrow Nasser who they saw as a danger.

The UN and the US demanded a ceasefire, but Britain used its veto to block this.

USSR saw through this, threatened Britain who then pulled out.

Question 14

What were the political consequences of the Suez Crisis?

Answer 14

Eden resigned only a few weeks after the crisis. It was officially due to ill-health but the crisis definitely contributed towards it.

Although the venture impacted US-UK relations and was condemned across Europe, it wasn’t as unpopular in Britain as first thought, although it was still damaging.

Question 14

Compare average weekly wages in 1951 to 1964 for an adult male worker.

Answer 14

Around £8 in 1951

Around £18 in 1964

Question 15

What did unemployment reach by 1963?

Answer 15

800,000

Question 16

Describe the ‘Winds of Change’ speech, including when it was, what was said, and who said it.

Answer 16

In 1960 Macmillan made a speech to South African parliament, describing the UK government’s policy of decolonisation, as well as talking about whether newly independent countries would decide to join the Capitalists or Communists (he encourages them to join the Capitalists).

Question 17

Describe the problems that were met when Rhodesia became independent.

Answer 17

Rhodesia had a white minority rule, so despite claiming independence in 1965, there were a number of sanctions taken against them until they accepted the majority rule in 1980 and became known as Zimbabwe.

Question 18

Describe the EFTA including when it was formed and the founding members.

Answer 18

European Free Trade Association, formed in 1960.

Founding members were Britain, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria, Portugal.

Most had joined the EEC by 1972, as it had failed to have the same impact.

Question 19

Describe the EEC including when it was formed, and the veto of Britain’s first attempt to join.

Answer 19

Formed under the Treaty of Rome in 1957 and included Belgium, France, Italy, West Germany, Netherlands, Luxembourg

Britain tried to join in 1963 under Macmillan but it was vetoed by France (de Gaulle), who claimed that Britain had to give up their special trading privileges with the Commonwealth.

Question 20

Describe the Profumo affair, including when it was and its consequences.

Answer 20

The Minister of War in 1963 John Profumo was accused of having a liaison with Christine Keeler who numbered members of the Soviet embassy among her contacts.

Profumo initially denied this but revealed 3 months later he had lied to parliament and then resigned.

This had a negative effect across the Conservatives as the media presented it as part of the character of the government. Macmillan also believed Profumo before he announced he had lied which didn’t help.

Macmillan resigned the same year as he was damaged by the affair and also weary & unwell.

Question 21

Describe the Labour Party divisions from 1951 to 1964.

Answer 21

Bevan/Gaitskell split => Gaitskell was centre-right (party leader from 1955 to 1963), Bevan was more left.

Nuclear Weapons => The left wanted unilateralism (dropping nuclear weapons without a multilateral agreement between nuclear powers to do so). This caused a big split in the party between unilateralists and those who thought the policy was political suicide.

Question 22

Describe the reasons for the Conservative’s defeat in the 1964 election.

Answer 22

Labour appeared more youthful and with the times.

The Conservatives had been in power for 13 years, meaning a lot of people wanted change.

The Profumo Affair.

Lack of an inspiring replacement for Macmillan.