Theme 1 - a changing political landscape

Question 1

Liberal party in 1918

Answer 1

had dominated British politics before the war but faced growing unrest which caused it to decline.

Question 2

how did WW2 divide the Liberal party?

Answer 2

the wartime coalition - many MPs believed that David Lloyd George had abandoned the principles of the Liberals and become too close to Conservative.

Question 3

The Labour Party in 1918

Answer 3

closely tied with unions

after 1911, it became easier for working-class politicians to be elected to parliament

Question 4

The Conservative party in 1918

Answer 4

had been associated with the landed gentry, but electoral reform forced them to change and attract new supporters.

presented themselves as a party of the middle classes and those of the working class who aspired to ‘better’ themselves through property ownership.

Question 5

why did the 1918 election result in a decline for the Liberal party?

Answer 5

DLG had split the party - the election was fought between the Liberal-Conservative coalition and the Labour and Liberal opposition parties.

The coalition won, but the Conservatives were far more popular.

The opposition Liberals experienced a collapse in their vote.

Question 6

How did David Lloyd George contribute to the decline of the Liberal Party?

Answer 6

1922: exposed for selling knighthood and peerages, with many people on the honours list having criminal convictions. This did immense damage to his credibility.

Decision to go to war with Turkey further damaged his credibility. Conservatives in the coalition held a secret meeting at the Carlton Club and decided the abandon the coalition.

Question 7

The first Labour government

Answer 7

1924 - led by Ramsay MacDonald

Opposed by Conservatives and their supporters in the media who likened it to the repressive regime in Soviet Russia, suggesting there may be Soviet sympathisers in the cabinet.

Dependency on Liberal support limited capacity for radical action.

Question 8

what was the impact of the first Labour government?

Answer 8

Only lasted 9 months, so didn’t last long enough to make notable changes.

Passed the 1924 Housing Act - increased money for local authorities to build homes for low-income workers.

Question 9

why did the first Labour government collapse?

Answer 9

MacDonald was accused by both Liberals and Conservatives of having communist sympathies. The Daily Mail published a story connecting Labour to Russian Communists, dissuading people from voting for them.

October 1924 General Election saw Conservative majority.

Question 10

How did Baldwin contribute to Conservative dominance?

Answer 10

presented himself as a moderate politician who could appeal to all social classes.

He also appealed to the party for a peaceful coexistence with Labour. However, this didn’t last long-term.
1927: amendment to 1906 Trade Disputes Act decreased Labour’s finances by 35%.

Question 11

Result of 1929 election

Answer 11

Conservatives lost and MacDonald took power.

The new Labour government was dependent on the Liberals once again, but had a largely co-operative relationship which allowed them to pass social reforms

Question 12

1930 Housing Act

Answer 12

cleared 3/4 of a million slum houses and replaced them with modern housing by 1939

Question 13

1930 Coal Mines Act

Answer 13

attempted to gain better pay for workers and more efficient pits.

was largely ineffective due to weakness - mine owners could easily ignore it

Question 14

How did MacDonald amend the Unemployment Insurance Act?

Answer 14

enabled government to create public work schemes to reduce unemployment.
this was funded with £25 mill of government money.

Question 15

what economic problems did MacDonald’s second government face?

Answer 15

1931: America exchanged the pound for other currencies due to rumour of unbalanced budget. This caused the pound to become devalued.

To keep the value of the pound stable, the government proposed spending cuts, tax hikes, and a 10% cut in unemployment assistance. This caused hardship for Britain’s poorest and resulted in a split in the party.

Question 16

economic policy of the National Government

Answer 16

implemented the spending cuts which had caused the downfall of the Labour government.

introduced a limited number of tariffs.

1933: end of Gold Standard and low interest rates began to stimulate economic recovery.

National Government gained popularity.

Question 17

Labour’s opposition to the National Government

Answer 17

new leader Clement Attlee

gained 154 seats in the 1935 General Election - vote recovering after slump in 1931.

Question 18

what growth in extreme political ideas occurred during the 1930s?

Answer 18

communist and fascist parties saw an increase in membership as people believed liberal democracy could no longer fix the economic crisis.

1934: British Union of Fascists had 50,000 members. They briefly posed a threat to the National Government, but this declined after 1936.

This demonstrated there was significant numbers of people in support of such ideas, opposing the National Government.

Question 19

disarmament and rearmament in the 1930s

Answer 19

1934: the Peace Ballot released around 11 million people were in favour of peaceful resolution of conflict.

At the World Disarmament Conference, Germany expressed its right to rearm

1934: Britain started to rearm - RAF increased in size, the British Army was reorganised, the Royal Navy was expanded.

Question 20

what was Labour’s view on collective security and rearmament?

Answer 20

the left of the party believed rearmament made war more likely

the centre, led by Attlee, argued collective security made war impossible so rearmament was unnecessary

1936: Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles and Baldwin continued with rearmament

Question 21

Chamberlain’s premiership (1937-40)

Answer 21

economic recovery, falling unemployment, stable prices

main problem was the threat of war, and rearmament was made difficult by an antiwar movement in Britain

1938: Chamberlain went to Germany 3 times to try negotiating with Hitler.
1939: Hitler attacked Poland and Chamberlain declared war on Germany

Question 22

why was Chamberlain replaced in 1940?

Answer 22

April 1940: Chamberlain faced backlash for his botched attempt to save Norway from German invasion which resulted in Germany’s occupation of Norway

May 1940: Chamberlain attempted to form a coalition but Labour refused, so Churchill came to power

Question 23

what was the public opinion of Churchill?

Answer 23

during a crisis in government over whether or not to make peace, Churchill argued that agreeing to German terms would make Britain a ‘slave state’

People respected him for his stoicism in the face of adversity

Question 24

what was the post-war consensus?

Answer 24

a broad agreement across both parties on the running of the economy and the development of the welfare state

full employment, a mixed economy, a welfare state and national health service, and co-operations between government, industry, and Trade Unions.

Question 25

why was there a political consensus after WW2?

Answer 25

the war had brought Labour and Conservatives together in a national government the war represented the success of collectivism Attlee government was not overly radical, and made compromises the Conservatives could accept, such as a mixed economy

Question 26

why did the Conservatives lose the 1945 election?

Answer 26

Churchill believed he would be rewarded for his war time service however, the public had bitter memories of pre-war Conservative governments and economic hardship - failure to solve Depression the public decided Churchill wasn't the best leader during peacetime - better suited as a wartime leader.

Question 27

why did Labour win the 1945 election?

Answer 27

their manifesto 'Let Us Face The Future' was based on the 1942 Beveridge Report, and promised action on hosing, employment, social security, a national health service excellent service given by Labour ministers during the war more in tune with the demands and expectations of the public

Question 28

what roles did Labour ministers fulfil during the war?

Answer 28

- Attlee served as deputy PM - Ernest Bevin minimised strikes - Herbert Morrison served as Home Secretary - Hugh Dalton was respected for his economic competence

Question 29

what were the main reforms of the post-war Labour government?

Answer 29

- establishment of the NHS - National Insurance Act - National Assistance Act - 1949 Housing Act - 1944 Education Act

Question 30

what nationalisation took place under the post-war Labour government?

Answer 30

- Bank of England (1946) - coal-mining (1947) - public transport (1948) - gas (1949)

Question 31

what was the post-war Labour government's aim with nationalisation?

Answer 31

- improve the efficiency of failing industries - save jobs - improve worker-employer relations - put the needs of the community above profit

Question 32

planning under the post-war Labour government

Answer 32

1947: the Economic Planning Council was established. this was created to check on issues of production and imports. Many Labour MPs felt planning should have been more ambitious

Question 33

control measures under the post-war Labour government

Answer 33

Stafford Cripps enforced a period of austerity in order to aid economic recovery - wartime rationing o several foods was extended to 1951 - coal was rationed in the winter of 1947/8 - building materials were only allocated to essential projects and industrial recovery - controlled placed on maximum levels of rent, profits, and interest rates.

Question 34

why did Labour see a decline in vote in the 1950 election?

Answer 34

majority reduced to just 5 seats after landslide victory in 1945 decline of popularity with middle-class voters due to rationing, taxation, and austerity overall size of the lower class was shrinking from 78% (1931) to 72% (1951)

Question 35

what caused the breakdown of the post-war Labour government?

Answer 35

- Attlee found it difficult to control the government - they were divided over budget cuts - Attlee lost two of his most experienced ministers - Chancellor Stafford Cripps (1950) and Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin (1951)

Question 36

what was the consequence of involvement in the Korean War (1950)

Answer 36

huge increase of military spending led Chancellor to announce an 'austerity budget'. This introduced prescription charged for glasses and dentistry, which led Bevan to resign. Attlee lacked authority and couldn't defuse the disagreements within government, so called an election and lost

Question 37

Eden's government (1955-57)

Answer 37

Eden took over after Churchill retired and held a general election in May 1955 to ensure he had support and authority. - results indicated public approval of how the Conservatives ran the economy July 1955: lowest unemployment figures in recent history with 215,000 out of work Suez crisis

Question 38

what was the Suez crisis?

Answer 38

Eden agreed to participate in the invasion of the Suez Canal Zone due to fear of it falling into Soviet hands. Eisenhower threatened to sell America's reserves of British currency and collapse the value of he pound. - Britain was forced to withdraw to avoid economic crisis.

Question 39

what were the consequences of the Suez crisis?

Answer 39

Eden resigned in January 1957 Significant reduction in British world power due to recognition of the fact it cold no longer act independently without seeking US approval

Question 40

public opinion of MacMillan's government (1957-63)?

Answer 40

popular due to being in a period of a mixed economy, rising living standard, low unemployment, and declining social inequality 1959 General Election: increased their majority

Question 41

why did MacMillan face disagreement on the right of the Party?

Answer 41

1959: Thorneycroft, Birch, and Powell all resigned because they believed he was spending too much and would cause economic problems. They proposed spending cuts, tax rises, and an end to subsidies to nationalised industries their resignation made little impression to the public

Question 42

what was the 'Night of the Long Knives' (1962)?

Answer 42

Macmillan sacked 7 ministers from his cabinet and replaced them with younger men

Question 43

what led to the 'Night of the Long Knives'?

Answer 43

1962: Conservative popularity was declining as they were seen as out of touch - Macmillan was from a privileged background, as well as many upper-class cabinet members they also experienced economic problems due to increase in consumer spending, and Macmillan needed to display authority over his government

Question 44

what was the result of the ' Night of the Long Knives'?

Answer 44

proved popular with the public as Macmillan was perceived as ruthless, proving he could take action

Question 45

Spy Scandal - John Vassal

Answer 45

1952-62: blackmailed by the KGB, a security agency for the Soviet Union, and gave away top secret information on the British Royal Navy

Question 46

Spy Scandal - Harold Philby

Answer 46

Head of British Counter Intelligence Jan 1963: defected to the USSR 1955: Macmillan had publicly announced he'd investigated and exonerated Philby, so the reveal was hugely embarrassing for Macmillan.

Question 47

Profumo Scandal (1963)

Answer 47

June 1963: John Profumo admitted to having an affair with Christine Keeler, who also had an affair with a Russian attache, Yevgeny Ivanov the press focused on the spy angle to the story

Question 48

what was the result of the spy scandals?

Answer 48

Conservatives began to be mistrusted due to issue of national security

Question 49

Sir Alec Douglas-Home

Answer 49

1963: took over after Macmillan resigned due to ill health and stress of mounting problems viewed by his party as a skilled politician image problem - TV and magazines ridiculed him for his aristocratic manners as he was a member of the House of Lords

Question 50

what problems did Wilson face (1964-70)?

Answer 50

inherited economic problems as the previous chancellor of the exchequer left an £800 million budget deficit made his promise to improve pensions and build half a million new homes a year difficult 1967: forced to devalue the pound, which was an embarrassment for the government

Question 51

what were Wilson's achievements (1964-70)?

Answer 51

1966: won a majority social and educational reforms: - new universities and polytechnics built - Open University established - laws on abortion, homosexuality, and the death penalty were liberalised however, these achievements were largely undermined by economic problems

Question 52

what issues did Wilson face with his cabinet (1964-70)?

Answer 52

declined in popularity due to growing unemployment and increase in days lost to strikes Wilson was suspicious that members of his cabinet would replace him. - resulted in loss of morale - 1969: Wilson refused legislation to curb the number of unofficial strikers because he feared Callaghan, a union loyalist, would use it to replace him.

Question 53

Heath's government (1970-74)

Answer 53

1973: secured entry into the European Economic Community (EEC) sought to break post-war consensus, and his first budget included cuts to taxes and government spending. - this budget failed to cure economic problems and fuelled inflation, so he was forced to increase intervention in the economy biggest problem was relationship with trade unions - 1974: had endured 2 miners' strikes and faced criticism defeated in 1974 election due to inability to manage TUs, inflation, and economic decline

Question 54

what did Wilson's third government achieve (1974-76)?

Answer 54

repealed the Industrial Relations Act to end union unrest developed the 'social contract' - the government would offer subsidies so long as unions didn't pursue excessive wages ended the miners' strike but didn't resolve inflation

Question 55

why was Wilson's third government (1974-76) divided?

Answer 55

centre right - similar to moderate left of Conservatives 'soft' left - led by Michael Foot, pro-union, but didn't back radical ideas of 'hard' left 'hard' left - led by Tony Benn, shifted towards extreme left-wing thinking, believed Britain should become a 'siege economy'

Question 56

Callaghan's government (1976-79)

Answer 56

from the centre right, began to abandon aspect of the post-war consensus believed borrowing had resulted in a loss of confidence in Britain and the pound on the international currency markets had remained popular with the electorate, but popularity declined after a winter of strikes (78/79)