The affluent society: Britain, 1951-1964 Flashcards
1
Q
Who became the leader of the TGWU (transport and general workers union) in 1956?
A
Frank cousins.
Went on to be fierce union opposition to Gaitskell over Nuclear weapons.
2
Q
Who was Bevan and what did he do?
A
Under Atlee Bevan was the minister of health and maker of NHS. Bevan resigned in 1951 to protest against prescription charges. In doing so go the support of other Labour MPs and trade unions.
3
Q
Who was Gaitskell and what did he do?
A
Gaitskell was chancellor of the exchequer from 1950-1951 and introduced prescription charges causing Bevan to resign. Was on the right of the Labour part in 1955 defeating Bevan in election. However he was unsuccessful in attempt to reform Labour.
4
Q
What was the Labour lefts view on CND?
A
They agreed with it. May have turned voters away.
5
Q
What did Bevan think of CND?
A
Was initially for disarmament however announced he was opposition to it in 1957, he claimed it would ‘send a British foreign secretory naked into the conference chamber’.
6
Q
What was Clause IV in the Labour party?
A
Committed the party to nationalisation.
7
Q
In the 1959 election, who put forward the idea to abolish Clause IV?
A
Gaitskell. However he was opposed by the Labour left and the Trade unions so backed down.
8
Q
What was the Scarborough conference and when did it happen?
A
At the 1960 Scarborough conference Gaitskell makes and emotional speech trying to persuade the party to reject nuclear disarmament. He lost the vote that year however succeeded in overturning it the next year.
9
Q
True or false - Gaitskell was an effective campaigner and defeat in the 1959 general election was a surprise.
A
True.
10
Q
In what year did Gaitskell die and for who did it open the door for leadership of the party?
A
Gaitskell died in 1963 and it opened the door for Harold Wilson.
11
Q
True or false - the political position of the Labour party worsened in 1960.
A
False - the political position of the Labour party improved with cultural shifts making the public more critical of the conservative government.
12
Q
In what year did rationing end?
A
1954.
13
Q
In what year was there full employment with 200,000 unemployed (less than 1% of the work force)?
A
1955.
14
Q
what industry was there a decrease of employment?
A
Traditional occupations such as fishing, coal mining and ship building.
15
Q
Was there an increase or decrease in overseas trade?
A
Increase.
16
Q
In the later 1950s what percentage more were imports than 1951?
A
29%.
17
Q
What work was there an increase in?
A
Electrical, engineer and more jobs in work related to cars such as steel and other materials.
18
Q
There was an increase of employment in the service industry. How many were employed in the industry in 1960?
A
5 million.
19
Q
Britain had a higher income per head than any country other than who?
A
USA.
20
Q
How much in tax cuts was Rab Butler’s give away budget in 1955?
A
£134 million.
21
Q
True or false - There was a decrease in consumerism.
A
False there was an increase due to more free time and money.
22
Q
True or false - Growth rates were slow.
A
True.
23
Q
What was the generation of children born after the war called and what percentage of the population were they between 1951-1961?
A
‘Baby boomers’ and 5% which was 2 million more people than 2 years prior.
24
Q
What were the 3 main scandals that happened under the conservative government from 1951-1964?
A
Examples of Sleaze
- George Blake convicted of being a soviet double agent 1961.
- John Vassel, a civil servant, discovered to be giving information to the soviet union as he was blackmailed over his homosexuality.
- Profumo affair involving sex, spying and high politics - John Profumo, Macmillan’s secretory of state for war lied about his actions to the PM and parliament. A public enquiry in court was headlines in the papers for weeks. The political impact was short lived but did tarnish the government.
25
What weaknesses did Harold Macmillan have contributing to the conservative fall from government in 1964?
Macmillan's explanation of politics was 'events dear boy, events' this proved ironic as a series of events 1961-1963 led to his resignation 1963. This showed Macmillan's touch on politics began to slip in 1962.
Macmillan's night of the long knifes 1962 where he radically reshuffled his government. Intended to rejuvenate government but came across clumsy and actually weakened the government.
In hospital for weeks with no names successor.
1961 EEC application declined 1963.
Edwardian image making him look further out of touch.
26
What was stop go economics?
A situation where an economy regularly has periods of fast growth, followed by periods of slow or no growth: stop-go cycle/economy/policies Inflationary pay claims had been a key characteristic of Britain's stop-go economy over many years.
This was as a result of Macmillan wanting to maintain growth and unemployment whilst keeping prices steady.
27
What was Macmillan's appeal to the public in relation to stop-go?
'What we need is restraint and common sense. Restraint in the demands we make and common sense in how we spend out income.'
Was difficult to persuade trade unions as coal workers felt they weren't gaining as much as other workers.
28
What economic policy did Thorneycroft believe in and in what year did he resign?
Monetarism which limited wage increase and cut money supply.
Thorneycroft resigned in 1958 with Enoch Powell over Macmillan's continuation of stop-go.
29
Who strongly opposed Monetarism as a policy and why?
Cabinet minister Iain McLeod and one nation Tories as it would lead to unemployment and cutbacks on housing.
30
What effect did the Suez crisis have on Britain economically?
The pressure from the US exposed Britain's financial weaknesses and started a run on the pound.
31
True or false - Stop-go economics had no lasting impact on the conservatives as they gained popularity in the 1959 election.
True.
32
How did Macmillan react to the resignations from Thorneycroft and Powell?
Shrugged them off as 'a little local difficulty.
33
The pound had regained its value by 1959, this allowed the conservatives to make tax cuts of how much prior to the election?
£370 million.
34
True or false - The conservatives were still trapped in stop-go economics from 1960-1964.
True.
35
True or false - People in council houses and rented accommodation still outnumbered private house ownership substantially in the 1950s.
True.
36
Did home ownership increase or decrease in the period?
Increase.
37
Why did home ownership increase in the period?
Cheap mortgages.
38
True or false - There was a decrease in private savings in the period.
False. There was an increase.
39
Why were farmers doing well in the period?
Generous state subsidies.
40
Men's average weakly wages was £8.30 in 1951 what were they in 1961?
£15.35.
41
Was there an increase or decrease of car ownership in the period?
Increase.
42
What was created as a result of the 1962 Robbins report?
New universities in Lancaster, Warwick, York and elsewhere.
Expansion of higher education.
43
Slums were cleared and new towns were built, give an example of a new town?
Harlow in Essex.
44
True or false - Houses were run down with a need for replacement after war damage. Furthermore, the housing stock had been neglected for the last decade.
True.
45
There were new towns built under Labour in the 1940s, give an example.
Stevenage, Crawley, Corby and Cwmbran.
46
There was a boom in the advertising industry through TV, in what year was ITV founded?
1955.
47
How many TV sets were in use in 1960?
10 million.
48
What percentage did TV ownership increase by from 1957 to 1959?
32% increase.
49
It was estimated what percentage of people enjoyed TV in the evening?
50%.
50
What other electronic device was TV becoming more important than?
The radio.
51
Programmes reflected peoples new hobbies as they had more time and money. What were the most popular past times?
Gardening and DIY.
52
What percentage of people watched the Queen's coronation in 1953 on TV?
56%.
53
Car ownership increased by what percentage from 1957 to 1959?
25%.
54
New roads were needed leading to the creation of motorways. Give an example of this.
1958 Preston Bypass.
M1 - London to Birmingham started soon after.
55
Between 1957 and 1963 how many miles of new or upgraded road were completed?
1200 miles.
56
What did increased car ownership lead to?
Increased housing developments outside cities as people were able to commute.
Changed ideas of holidays and leisure.
57
True or false - The popularity of of holiday camps decreased in the 1950s?
False - they increased in popularity.
58
In the 1950s how many holidayed with Butlins each week?
60,000.
59
What percentage of the population enjoyed foreign holidays.
2%.
60
What did an increase of holiday camp popularity show?
People had more paid time off work and disposable income to be able to go on holiday.
61
How did hire purchase work?
You made a deposit, then would pay monthly instalments including interest and at the end of the contract you could either pay the rest of the balance or return the item.
62
There was an increase in consumer goods in the period. Name 3.
Washing machines.
New furniture.
Televisions.
Refrigerators.
63
In 1951 what percentage of Workers voted Labour and what percentage of middle class voted Conservative?
65% of working class voted Labour.
80% of middle class voted conservative.
64
Why did the Suez crisis of 1956 shift public attituded?
Blatant lying and manipulation from the government.
65
When did CND start to rise?
1958.
66
What did the rise in CND show?
Challenge to authority.
67
Who were the establishment?
Privileged - 'knew the people who mattered'.
Politicians, civil servants, judges, bishops, diplomats and leaders of business and media. The conservative government was dominated by the establishment. For example, Douglas Home was the fourteenth early of Home.
Usually oxford Cambridge students and were often known as the 'old boys network'
Criticised as it emphasised arts education over science. Blocked talent outside the establishment.
68
How were attitudes shifting in Britain?
More individualist.
Less likely to follow the lead set by Britain's establishment.
69
What was the Profumo Affair 1963?
The Profumo Affair (1963) was a political scandal where John Profumo, the Conservative Secretary of State for War, had an affair with Christine Keeler, who was also involved with a Soviet diplomat. When Profumo lied to Parliament about the affair, it led to his resignation.
The scandal damaged the credibility of the Conservative government and exposed the hypocrisy and immorality of the political elite. It contributed to a growing loss of deference in British society, as people began to question authority and traditional institutions, accelerating social and cultural change in the 1960s.
70
What were examples of the 'satire boom'?
'Beyond the fringe' - Peter Cook, Dudley more, Jonathan Miller and Allan Ben.
'Private Eye' - 1961 was disrespectful to the great and famous.
'That was the week that was' - BBC satire and mocking of public figures.
71
Who were the 'Angry young men'?
A group of writers.
72
What did the Angry young men do?
Attack on the establishment's behaviour and upper middle classes.
Led to some changes in social attitudes but class system certainly not broken.
73
What was an example of the 'Angry young men'?
George Osborne's 'Look back in anger' staged 1956.
Some critics called it the 'best young play of its decade' while others called it 'more than slightly distasteful'.
74
What did social scientists such as Richard Hoggart argue?
Britain needed more people who earned their positions through personal merit and had a better understanding of the modern technical age.
75
What was the general position of women in the 1950s?
Still seen as housewives.
76
How many women worked in 1951?
One in five.
77
What was the image of the ideal women?
Wife and a mother.
78
What was the average age of marriage and how many women were married?
21 was the average age of marriage.
75% of women were married.
79
What occupations gained equal pay and when?
1952 - Teachers.
1954 - Civil servants.
80
What began in the US in the 1950s and would come to Britain in the later 1960s?
Second wave feminism.
81
What Labour saving devices were becoming more common between 1957 and 1959 that made women's role in the home easier?
Washing Machine ownership increased 54%.
Refrigerator ownership increased 58%. No need to buy fresh food every day.
82
True or false - It was still uncommon for married women to work. Especially those with children.
True.
83
Who did not want women to work as they believed it would decrease wages?
Trade Unions.
Many also believed it would have a negative impact on children.
84
What were still in the names of husbands?
Mortgages and bank accounts.
Made women highly dependant.
85
By when had the number of women in work increased?
1964.
86
What was the family allowance?
Paid to women to ensure they did not need to work and the welfare state was based on the nuclear family and full employment for men.
87
What was family allowance and who received it?
A weekly benefit paid to women for each child in the family; intended to discourage women from working.
88
How did the welfare state reinforce traditional gender roles?
It was based on the nuclear family and full male employment; women were expected to be homemakers and were financially dependent as mortgages and bank accounts were in men’s names.
89
When was equal pay introduced for teachers and civil servants?
* Teachers – 1952
* Civil servants – 1954
90
What were women’s employment attitudes in the 1950s-60s?
Although more women were working by 1964, it remained uncommon for married women, especially mothers. Trade unions feared working women would reduce wages.
91
How did domestic life improve for women between 1957 and 1959?
* Household ownership of washing machines rose by 54%
* Refrigerators by 58%
92
What was the significance of new appliances like washing machines?
They saved time – e.g., a washing machine called The Liberator reduced the time it took to do laundry, and fridges reduced daily food shopping.
93
What social movement was beginning by the end of this period?
Second-wave feminism, arguing women were unfulfilled by homemaking roles; it began in the US and would spread to Britain by the late 1960s.
94
What was the Empire Windrush and when did it arrive?
A ship from Jamaica that arrived in May 1948, carrying 492 Afro-Caribbean migrants. It became symbolic of post-war immigration.
95
How many New Commonwealth immigrants arrived starting in 1948?
About 250,000 from the West Indies and other parts of the New Commonwealth.
96
What was the New Commonwealth?
Recently independent countries like India, Pakistan, and the West Indies (typically non-white populations).
97
What legislation was passed to restrict immigration and when?
The Commonwealth Immigrants Act in 1962.
98
Which political party opposed the 1962 Commonwealth Immigrants Act?
The Labour Party, although they did not repeal it after winning in 1964.
99
What was the general direction of Britain regarding immigration by the early 1960s?
Britain was becoming a multicultural society, but both the government and communities lacked clear direction.
100
What factors contributed to the rise of youth culture in the 1950s?
* End of National Service in 1960
* More leisure time due to labour-saving devices
* The post-war baby boom
101
How many teenagers were estimated to be in Britain in 1959?
5 million, about 10% of the population.
102
What was the significance of teenagers as a group in the 1950s?
They had disposable income, created a distinct culture with their own fashion, music, and media (magazines, TV shows).
103
Who were the Teddy boys and why were they seen as controversial?
A youth subculture in the early 1950s named for Edwardian fashion; linked with juvenile delinquency and crime.
104
What were the key differences between Rockers and Mods?
* Rockers – rode motorcycles, wore leather, listened to rock and roll
* Mods – rode scooters, wore smart suits, preferred sophisticated pop
105
What event in 1964 highlighted youth tensions and caused a moral panic?
Clashes between Mods and Rockers in Clacton, Margate, and Brighton (May 1964); in Brighton, fighting lasted two days.
106
What was the public reaction to the 1964 youth riots?
A moral panic; media exaggerated violence, portraying youths as a threat to social order.
107
Which 1959 film portrayed racial tension and violence?
Sapphire – a crime thriller about race, sex, and violence.
108
What was the shift in TV from traditional to modern portrayals of society?
From the cosy Dixon of Dock Green to the gritty realism of Z Cars (set in Merseyside).
109
Which 1962 novel portrayed gang violence and reflected growing concerns about youth culture?
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess.
110
What was the focus of Ken Loach’s 1962 TV drama Cathy Come Home?
Homelessness – it aimed to spark debate and controversy about social issues.
111
Name three cultural works that broke social taboos between 1958 and 1962.
* A Taste of Honey (1958) – unmarried woman pregnant by a black sailor
* Victim (1961) – first English-language film to use the word “homosexual”
* Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1962) – sexually explicit novel, caused an obscenity trial (Penguin Books won; 2 million copies sold)
112
Who led the backlash against perceived ‘immorality’ in culture?
Mary Whitehouse, with support from parts of the national press.
113
What criticisms were made by the left wing regarding 1950s affluence?
That materialism was undermining decency and leading to cultural decline.
114
Despite cultural changes, what was the dominant attitude in Britain by 1964?
Social conservatism remained the majority view.
115
What was the main message of the 1960 Future Policy Study?
Britain must focus on maintaining the Atlantic Alliance, strengthening ties with the US and Western Europe, and supporting the Commonwealth as a bridge to Asia and Africa.
116
What was Dean Acheson's 1962 quote about Britain’s role in the world?
"Britain has lost an empire and has not yet found a role."
117
What limited Britain’s global influence after WWII?
Britain was economically damaged, burdened with debt, and overshadowed by the US and USSR. In 1947, Britain had to withdraw from Greece, Turkey, and Palestine due to bankruptcy.
118
What was the EEC and when was it established?
The European Economic Community (EEC), or Common Market, was established by the Treaty of Rome in 1957 with six founding members: France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg.
119
Why didn’t Britain initially join the EEC?
Few politicians supported leadership in Europe, Labour opposed free-market ideas, Conservatives preferred ties with Commonwealth nations, Britain saw itself as a victorious global power, and wanted to maintain the ‘special relationship’ with the US.
120
What was the Schuman Plan (1950)?
A plan to integrate French and German heavy industry to prevent war and promote economic growth—supported by Britain and the US, but Britain didn’t join. Led to creation of ECSC 1952.
121
When was EFTA formed and what was it?
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was formed in 1959 by Britain and six other countries (Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland) as an alternative to the EEC.
122
Why did Britain apply to join the EEC in 1961?
To boost industrial production and exports, improve efficiency via competition, stimulate growth by joining Europe’s expanding economy, strategic encouragement from the US, and loss of imperial confidence after Suez and decolonisation.
123
Who led Britain’s EEC negotiations and what happened in 1963?
Edward Heath led the negotiations, which were vetoed by French President Charles de Gaulle in January 1963, citing Britain’s ties to the US and incompatibility with the EEC.
124
What was the 'special relationship'?
A close alliance between the US and UK, strengthened by Cold War cooperation and shared objectives to resist Soviet power.
125
When was NATO founded and what was its principle?
NATO was founded in 1949 as a collective defence pact: an attack on one member meant an attack on all.
126
How did the Korean War (1950–53) show Britain’s role in global affairs?
Britain sent 90,000 troops (2nd largest after the US); over 1,000 British soldiers died. It showed Britain’s willingness to act globally despite economic strain.
127
What was the Burgess and Maclean affair (1951)?
Two British spies defected to the USSR, damaging US-UK trust and intelligence sharing.
128
What was Britain's role in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis?
Macmillan was kept informed by JFK, but Britain was essentially a 'bystander'.
129
When did Britain test its first nuclear weapons?
Atomic bomb: 1952, Hydrogen bomb: 1957.
130
What was Blue Streak and what replaced it?
Blue Streak was Britain’s missile program, abandoned in 1960. It was replaced by the American Polaris submarine system.
131
What was Ernest Bevin's view on nuclear weapons in 1946?
Britain must have its own bomb so no foreign secretary would be dictated to by the US.
132
What was CND and when was it founded?
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) was founded in 1958. It became the most powerful pressure group, demanding unilateral disarmament.
133
What were the key CND protests?
1958: 8,000 marched to Aldermaston. 1959: Even larger march.
134
What was the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement?
It allowed the US to resume sharing nuclear technology with Britain.
135
Why was the Suez Canal important to Britain?
It carried 80% of Western Europe’s oil imports and was vital for global trade routes.
136
What triggered the Suez Crisis?
Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal Company after Britain and the US withdrew Aswan Dam funding.
137
What was the 1956 Sèvres Agreement?
A secret plan between Britain, France, and Israel to provoke war with Egypt and retake the canal.
138
Why did the Suez operation fail?
The US opposed it and Britain faced economic crisis, forcing withdrawal.
139
What were the consequences of Suez?
Damaged Eden’s reputation, exposed Britain’s reliance on the US, undermined belief in Britain as a world power, prompted reassessment of foreign policy.
140
When did Macmillan give his ‘wind of change’ speech and where?
In 1960, in Cape Town, South Africa.
141
What was the message of the 'wind of change' speech?
Recognised rising African nationalism and called for managed decolonisation in favour of freedom and democracy to prevent the spread of communism.
142
What triggered the change in Britain’s decolonisation approach?
Violent revolts (e.g. Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya, 1952), Suez Crisis undermined imperial confidence, economic pressures and Cold War strategic concerns.
143
When did key African colonies gain independence?
Ghana: 1957, Nigeria & Cyprus: 1960, Tanganyika & Sierra Leone: 1961, Uganda: 1962, Kenya: 1963.
144
What was the significance of decolonisation by 1964?
It marked a relatively smooth transition to the Commonwealth, contrasting with violent decolonisation elsewhere (e.g. France and Belgium).
