Expansion and Contraction of Empire

Question 1

How many men did Britain contribute towards WW1?

Answer 1

Around 5 million men.

Question 2

How many men did the colonies contribute towards WW1?

Answer 2

Around 2.5 million men.

Question 3

When did WW1 breakout?

Answer 3

1914.

Question 4

What is a coalition government?

Answer 4

A government combining a number of different political parties.

Question 5

What was the Imperial war cabinet and what was its significance (3)?

Answer 5

1) Under pressure from colonial leaders wanting a say on the British direction of WW1, Presidents of the Dominions and Indian representatives joined the war cabinet in 1917.
2) It seemed to symbolise the union of the British Empire.
3) It only held two sessions, mostly representing white and elite opinions, with Britain dominating proceedings.

Question 6

What was the initial attitude from the Dominions towards the war effort (WW1)?

Answer 6

Dominions were initially enthusiastic to fight alongside Britain, with large numbers of volunteers signing up to the armed forces.

Question 7

Why did initial enthusiasm towards WW1 dry up amongst the Dominions?

Answer 7

Due to heavy losses in 1915.

Question 8

When was conscription introduced in (1) New Zealand and (2) Canada for WW1?

Answer 8

1) New Zealand: 1916.
2) Canada: 1917

Question 9

For what two military campaigns were the Dominion soldiers applauded for?

Answer 9

1) Australians and New Zealanders (Anzacs) were applauded for bravery in the Gallipoli campaign (April - December 1915).
2) Canadians were applauded for bravery at the Battle for Vimy Ridge (April 1917)

Question 10

How did the Dominions oppose imperial rule during WW1 (3)?

Answer 10

1) In March 1918, there were protest riots against conscription in Quebec City, Canada.
2) Australians rejected conscription in both 1916 and 1917 referendums.
3) In South Africa, nationalist movements grew, with the Afrikaner movement questioning the imperial connection.

Question 11

What were the casualties of WW1 for the Dominions (4)?

Answer 11

1) Over 60,000 Australians.
2) Around 16,000 New Zealanders.
3) Around 61,000 Canadians.
4) Around 7,000 South Africans.

Question 12

How did WW1 affect Britain’s relationship with the Dominions?

Answer 12

Desire for independence from imperial control increased, with WW1 boosting senses of distinctive national identity and pride.

Question 13

How many soldiers did India contribute to WW1?

Answer 13

Around 1.3 million soldiers, with no conscription.

Question 14

How many Indian soldiers were killed during WW1?

Answer 14

Over 74,000.

Question 15

How much money did India contribute to WW1 in 1917?

Answer 15

£100 million.

Question 16

How did Britain reward India for their contribution in WW1?

Answer 16

Britain promised more ‘responsible’ self-government for India, including a measure of democratic representation for ordinary Indians.

Question 17

When was Egypt made a protectorate?

Answer 17

1914.

Question 18

How did the hierarchy of the British army reflect racial prejudices in WW1?

Answer 18

Black servicemen were not allowed to fight alongside the British army in Europe, only being allowed to work as labourers and carriers.

Question 19

Who were the West India Regiment?

Answer 19

A branch of the army, consisting mainly of black Africans. In WW1, the regiment was made up of volunteers from the Caribbean, Nigeria, Gold Coast, and India.

Question 20

When did the War Office allow Caribbean men to enlist in the army (WW1)?

Answer 20

1915.

Question 21

What is a mandate?

Answer 21

A territory allocated by the League of Nations to a particular nation to be governed on behalf of the League.

Question 22

What is self-determination?

Answer 22

The right of a distinct national or ethnic group of people to determine their own nation-state and form of government. This was advocated by Woodrow Wilson during the Treaty of Versailles.

Question 23

What was the League of Nations?

Answer 23

An international organisation set up in 1920 to prevent war through negotiations. It eventually broke down due to the USA’s refusal to join, and the rise of Nazism and Fascism.

Question 24

When was the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 24

1919.

Question 25

What was the mandate system (3)?

Answer 25

1) The British and French argued that the former German and Ottoman colonies were underdeveloped, and needed guiding in terms of government and economic development.
2) The mandate agreement aimed to help develop these countries, with mandates being divided into ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ categories for the extent of development required.
3) In reality, the mandate system secured imperial control over new colonies.

Question 26

What did Britain gain from the post-war (WW1) treaties (3)?

Answer 26

1) The addition of 1.8 million square miles of territory and 13 million new subjects.
2) Britain gained control of (through mandates) Palestine, Transjordan, Iraq, parts of Cameroon and Togo, and Tanganyika.
3) British Dominions gained mandates for themselves, e.g. Australia gained German New Guinea.

Question 27

What were ‘A’ category mandates?

Answer 27

Territories seen as quite developed, with independence a viable possibility in the near future (e.g. Palestine and Mesopotamia).

Question 28

What were ‘B’ category mandates?

Answer 28

Territories seen to require a long period of guidance before independence could be contemplated. E.g. Tanganyika, Togoland, and Cameroon.

Question 29

What were ‘C’ category mandates?

Answer 29

Territories where independence was not considered feasible. E.g. New Guinea.

Question 30

Why did Britain want to acquire Middle-Eastern mandates (Palestine, Mesopotamia) (2)?

Answer 30

1) Britain wanted to secure control in the Middle-East, due to it being the main overland route to India and Asia, whilst also being close to the Suez Canal.
2) Mesopotamia was oil-rich.

Question 31

What was the condition of Palestine at the end of WW1?

Answer 31

Highly unstable, with heavy fighting between British and Turkish forces.

Question 32

Who was Arthur Balfour?

Answer 32

Conservative Prime Minister (1902-05), and foreign secretary 1916-19. He was a strong supporter of British backing for Zionism.

Question 33

What is Zionism?

Answer 33

A political belief and movement advocating the creation of a Jewish home in the middle of ancient Israel in the Middle East.

Question 34

What was the Balfour Declaration (2)?

Answer 34

1) A letter, written by Arthur Balfour in 1917, to Walter Rothschild, expressing sympathy with Zionist aspirations.
2) It promised British support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine, on the conditions that it would not constitute a separate Jewish state or undermine Arab Palestinian rights.

Question 35

How did the contradictory policies of the Balfour Declaration and the Palestine mandate prove problematic for Britain ?

Answer 35

Between 1918 and 1920, there were violent clashes between Arabs and Jews, with deaths on both sides.

Question 36

What were the two main reasons for the Balfour Declaration?

Answer 36

1) Sympathy for the plight of the Jews.
2) An attempt to win support from the anti-imperialist American public to an acceptance of British influence in the area.

Question 37

When did Ireland, Britain’s oldest colony, gain independence?

Answer 37

1922.

Question 38

What was the Easter Rising?

Answer 38

An armed uprising by the Irish against the British, taking place in Dublin in April 1916. It was put down by the British.

Question 39

What was the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921?

Answer 39

A period of guerrilla warfare followed the Easter Rising until 1921 when the treaty was signed. It set up a new Irish Free State with Dominion status. Its existence was opposed by the 6 northern counties, who remained under British sovereignty.

Question 40

When did Eire (Irish Free State) gain formal independence?

Answer 40

1931, under the Statute of Westminster.

Question 41

When was Egypt granted formal independence?

Answer 41

1922.

Question 42

How did Egypt continue operating as a client state after 1922 (2)?

Answer 42

1) British troops remained stationed in Egypt until the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936.
2) British troops could still occupy and defend the Suez Canal zone, in exchange for assisting Egypt to joining the League of Nations.

Question 43

When did Iraq (Mesopotamia) gain independence?

Answer 43

October 1932.

Question 44

How did Iraq maintain ties with Britain after gaining independence in 1932?

Answer 44

They maintained close economic and military ties, with Britain retaining airbases in the area.

Question 45

When did Britain lose Singapore (1), and what was the significance of this loss (3)?

Answer 45

February 1942.
1) Singapore was Britain’s main military base in the region, and had cost vast quantities of resources to establish.
2) The loss brought about the largest surrender of British troops in history.
3) It ended the myth of white invincibility.

Question 46

What was the significance of Japanese success against Britain in Southeast Asia (2)?

Answer 46

1) After taking Hong Kong, Malaya, and Burma, Japan looked poised to attack India, but this never happened.
2) Japanese success ended the idea of white invincibility, inspiring independence movements.

Question 47

What was the Indian National Army (INA)?

Answer 47

An army which fought against the British, attempting to rid India and the rest of Asia of Britain.

Question 48

What was the Burma Independence Army?

Answer 48

An army led by Aung San under Japanese guidance, which fought against the British.

Question 49

What was the significance of North Africa in WW2?

Answer 49

Britain was determined to preserve influence in Egypt, the Suez Canal, and oil in the Middle East. North Africa became an important battleground between the allies and the axis, until late 1942.

Question 50

What and when was the Battle of El Alamein?

Answer 50

The battle at which the Germans were defeated in Egypt, consolidating British interest in the area (Oct-Nov 1942).

Question 51

Who was Winston Churchill?

Answer 51

A conservative, and supporter of Empire, Churchill was Prime Minister 1940-45, leading Britain through the war. He served again in 1951, until his resignation in 1955.

Question 52

Who was Clement Attlee?

Answer 52

A Labour politician, serving as Prime Minister 1945-51. His government were renowned for major reforms in Britain, and the first moves to accept independence for parts of the Empire.

Question 53

What was the reason for the landslide Labour victory in the July 1945 elections?

Answer 53

Most believed that Labour would be more successful rebuilding Britain and carrying though social reform.

Question 54

When did WW2 end?

Answer 54

September 1945.

Question 55

What were the 3 main consequences of WW2 on Britain?

Answer 55

1) A great weakening of the British economy.
2) The election of the first majority Labour government, who were more sceptical of Empire compared to the Conservatives.
3) The strengthening of independence movements, especially in India and the Middle East.

Question 56

What was the Government of India Act 1919?

Answer 56

It granted a limited amount of self-government, by sharing power between Indian ministers and the Viceroy.

Question 57

What was the main cause for the introduction of the Government of India Act 1919?

Answer 57

Nationalist demands after the Indian sacrifices in WW1.

Question 58

What was the Rowland Act of 1919?

Answer 58

It granted authorities harsh power to arrest and imprison anyone who protested British rule.

Question 59

What was the effect of the Rowland Act of 1919?

Answer 59

It produced even more nationalism and violence, such as the Amritsar massacre in April 1919.

Question 60

What were the 2 branches of the Indian nationalist movement?

Answer 60

1) The All India Muslim League, led by Ali Jinnah, argued for Muslim rights, and a separate, independent Muslim state of Pakistan.
2) The Hindu Congress movement, led by Gandhi, desired a united Indian state.

Question 61

How did Britain regard the Muslim League compared to the Hindu Congress movement?

Answer 61

Britain argued that there was a case for a Muslim ‘homeland’, within a federal India. They used the violence between the divisions as an excuse for continued British rule.

Question 62

What was the significance of British failures in Southeast Asia (1942) in regards to India?

Answer 62

After protests were suspended in 1939, the Hindu Congress demanded immediate reforms, following British failures in Southeast Asia in 1942. Britain adopted a policy of repression, imprisoning Congress leaders, and favouring the Muslim League.

Question 63

How did Britain attempt to compromise with India in 1942, and how successful was it?

Answer 63

Britain attempted to grant India with full Dominion status, but this was not enough. Congress leaders launched a ‘Quit India’ Campaign in August 1942, calling for Indian independence. Gandhi and others were arrested, spending the rest of WW2 in prison.

Question 64

What were the 3 main reasons for British withdrawal from India in 1947?

Answer 64

1) Britain feared widespread violent resistance, which would stretch military resources.
2) The INA, and other independence movements, meant that the Indian army may not be reliable.
3) India was no longer as economically beneficial, with any costs of maintaining order against resistance, outweighing any economic benefits.

Question 65

When was Indian independence agreed, and what were the consequences (2)?

Answer 65

Independence was agreed in 1947.
1) India was divided into Pakistan and India.
2) At least a million died in extreme violence between Hindus and Muslims, as each fled to their respective religious ‘homeland’.

Question 66

Who was Lord Louis Mountbatten?

Answer 66

The last Viceroy of India (1947), overseeing the Partition of India. He was assassinated by the IRA in 1979.

Question 67

Who were the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League (AFPFL) (3)?

Answer 67

1) Burma was liberated from Japanese control in 1944-45, by the British and the Anti-Fascist Organisation (AFO).
2) The AFO was a coalition of the Burmese National Army, the Burmese Communist Party and the People’s Revolutionary Party.
3) In 1945, the AFO was renamed the AFPFL, and resisted the re-establishment of British rule.

Question 68

Who was Aung San (3)?

Answer 68

1) A Burmese nationalist who resisted British rule.
2) He founded the Burmese Independence Army in 1941 in Japan, but became disillusioned with the Japanese.
3) In 1947, he reached an agreement with Britain for independence, before his assassination in July 1947.

Question 69

When and why did Burma gain independence from Britain?

Answer 69

After mounting civil disobedience in 1946, Attlee decided Britain was not willing to commit troops to support British authority. Burma became independent in 1948.

Question 70

What was the holocaust?

Answer 70

The mass murder of Jews under the Nazis 1941-45.

Question 71

What is a unitary state?

Answer 71

A nation state governed by a single government, with the government only devolving as much power as they choose. E.g. the United Kingdom.

Question 72

What is provincial autonomy?

Answer 72

A nation state with a central government, but where different provinces have a measure of control constitutionally over their own affairs.

Question 73

What is the United Nations (UN)?

Answer 73

The successor to the League of Nations, it aims was to maintain world peace, settling international disputes through negotiation. It was established in October 1945.

Question 74

What were the two main problems for Britain after WW2 in Palestine?

Answer 74

1) Britain wanted to retain allies amongst Arab leaders, due to their oil resources. However Truman and the USA favoured Jewish settlement in Palestine due to Nazi persecution, and Britain was in need of US economic aid and international support.
2) There were Jewish terrorist attacks against British troops in Palestine. Britain would have to police a country in turmoil, when their resources were already stretched to the limit.

Question 75

What were the 3 possible solutions to the conflict in Palestine?

Answer 75

1) A unitary state, favoured by Arab leaders, who (as the majority) wanted to dominate - Jewish leaders saw this as unacceptable.
2) Provincial autonomy, where Palestine would be divided into provincial areas with some self-control, but still under Arab rule. Jewish leaders refuted this.
3) The partition of Palestine into separate Arab and Jewish states - accepted by the Jewish leaders, but not by the Arab leaders.

Question 76

How and when did Palestine gain independence from Britain?

Answer 76

In February 1947, Britain referred the Palestine question to the UN. Under pressure from the USA, the UN favoured partition. Not wanting to alienate the Arabs, Britain withdrew from Palestine in May 1948, handing over control to a UN commission.