Actual Vibes Flashcards
(11 cards)
T1 Public attitudes towards imperialism in Britain
Support for explorers & missionaries: 2,000 letters from Livingstone, Went missing, Westminster burial & Cambridge lectures. Sunday school & “civilising mission” spread by newspapers like Pall Mall Gazette (interview sparked public outcry for Gordon to be sent to Sudan in 1883.
Against: 1865 Cardwell Committee, Disraeli & Gladstone centred political campaigns anti empire eg “abstain from territorial acquisition” and “wretched colonies will all be independent soon and enough…mill stone around our necks”. However Disraeli buys 40% shares in 1875 and Gladstone intervenes in Battle of Tel- El- Kebir to make Egypt a veiled protectorate from 1882 onwards. This suggests there was an economic strategy, but its hidden or different framing suggests it wasn’t “imperialism for imperialism sake”
Public against: backlash after Gordon’s death, Victoria “Gordon murderer”, Gladstone resigns in 1885 but wins againin 1886??? presents conflicted views about empire. No one went to Kenya after Johnstone suggests bc of good climate in 1877. Could’ve been because Darwin’s origin of the species book 1859 allowed a quasi scientific justification for racism
Trade T1
- Beneficial to ambitious white men: Goldie 1886 RNC Mackinnon BEAC 1888. Granted monopoly rights and GB retain economic superiority over competition from American industrialisation
- Beneficial & not obviously detrimental to indigenous: Invisible income. Railway imperialism (Delagoa Railway 1887-1894 produced direct route from port of Portuguese Mozambique to Transvaal- Witwatersrand gold found in 1886) Made colonies dependent on British, insurance and steamship vibes. Also industrialisation grew middle class
- Beneficial to indigenous?: West Griqualand diamonds Kimberly. 5x revenue increase - British win & annex, may provide jobs to indigenous. 90,000 to Boers in compensation so theyre sweet too
Treatment of natives: T1
- Missionary work benefit: Mary slessor end local practice of killing twins & mother in Nigeria & Mary Carpenter who campaigned in India 1866 to improve female education. Encouraged improvements of hospitals and schools, won funding to set up a training college for female Indian teachers in 1868. Missionaries est compounds & churches providing housing and farm work in return for native conversions. Native gain for personal advancement & education
- Racism in British public reflects policy in colonies: Darwins origin of the species 1859 and Rudyard Kipling White mans burden- eg disregard for caste & religion for Indian sepoys causes 1857 Indian Mutiny, worsens race relations. new wave of British settlers distance themselves Indians and dont integrate or compromise, British press greatly exaggerated the Indian role & underplayed the British, reinforcing this.
- Use Zulu as a pawn to increase control in SA and achieve federation. Shepstone exaggerated Zulu threat to Boers & annex in 1877. 1880 Zulu protectorate after defeat war broke out in 1879. Spark Boerwar because brits dont leave, 1881 -1886 where when gold is found British claim suzerainty when they left it out at London convention in 1884 so like hello
T2: Attitudes to empire
Critical: Hobson argues capitalist plot 2nd Boer war only fought for resources. Emily Hobhouse report leads to gov enquiry into Boer concentration camp treatment which tarnishes rep
Not bothered: more focus on national efficiency bc for WW1 40% British volunteers couldnt fight bc they were unfit eg poor diet. Liberal school reforms: 1906 free school meals (newham 2006) and 1908 old age pensions (think eight/age) & public more concerned with this (domestic) than empire.
Support: 1897 queen vic diamond jubilee big attendance shows of empiral wealth. People justified whit man burden- 1901 the Victoria league non political organisation with just women aiming to promote closer empire relations. Khaki election 1900 conservative win showed people aligned with imperialism like Lord Salisbury views (1896-1905)
T2: India
Viceroy Curzon- India civil service backs him
Worries he had:
1. Russian threat- north west frontier in 1901 which was a province of idea with tribal administered frontier agencies but Russian entente agreement in 1907 agreed spheres of influence in Persia and agreed on an independent Tibet.
2. Lowk nationalism before minto and then worse after partition. 1885 est National Indian Congress which wanted home rule & were full of smart people middle class vibes. Partition in 1905 of bengal (east Muslim west Hindu) made Hindu people fuming because they owned land in east where they were leasing it to Muslim farmers. They felt like it was payback for criticism so they boycott British goods to bring back normal bengal (mostly done by 1911) but this acc splits them anyways bc Muslims are shocked at how upset the Hindus were so they made their own All India Muslim League to protect their rights and in 1913 they adopted self government as their goal.
3. Divide and rule vibe: this was policy for British admin. Very sneaky trying to seem like the saviour so exacerbate differences between caste region religion and such.
T2 Trade
- Growth of economic ties with USA: 1894 GB had imported the most wheat (30.7 million worth) from America compared to Canada
- Britain de prioritise colonial trade: Imperial Federation League est an aim of promotion of closer colonies ties was disbanded in 1893, Empire provided less than 10% of the food sold in Britain. - USA
- Further growth of informal empire: By 1914 Britain had invested 2x more than France, particularly Latin America. Also got money from shipping & insurance.
- Free trade with India and South Africa: India took 20% of britains total exports worth almost £150 million by 1914 in return for raw cotton and tea from them. South Africa gave wool and sugar
T2: Treatment of natives
Bad: Political challenge in India: 1890s political opposition grew amongst growing middle class. Outlet for protest in growth of newspaper eg Shivram Paranjepe and Kaal in 1898 got sent to prison in 1908 and got banned. Partition in 1911 caused self sufficiency boycott and overall bad vibes
Bad: Social Tyranny in Sudan: Took British more than 30 years to subdue the tribes refused taxation & total of 33 punitive expeditions. 4 mahdist uprisings in 8 year span and they were met with public hanging without trial.
Kinda good: 1902 Treaty of Vereeniging which granted Boers £3 mill compensation. Transvaal joined orange river colony etc to form union of SA- Dominion stat within empire
T3 Impact of the war on contraction
WW1 bad impact: Ireland: 1916 Easter rising followed by Guerilla warfare only ended in 1921 when Anglo Irish treaty let catholic irish free state be a dominion. 6 states left and Eire was formed and took full indepedence in 1937 from Statute of Westminster.
WW1 bov: Dominions keen to help Britain eg NZ conscription in 1916 and Canada in 1917. South Africa formed South African defence force where leaders advised military strategy in Europe and their army were successful in fighting the Germans in their colonies. Britain expnded into Palestine Sykes picot agreement 1916 so they were happy more territory vibes.
WW2 impact bigger: South East Asia. Singapore vital naval base lost in Japan taking it in 1942 also took Hong Kong Malaya and Burma. Indian national army led by subhas Chandra Bose joined and fought against Britain with Japanese and so did Burmese army. Loss ruined myth of white invincibility, made Britain look weak aswell as almost losing Battle El Alamein in 1942 too so Palestine and Egypt thought yas this is our chance.
T3 Public attitudes: key individuals
Ghandi: 1919 Amritsar massacre began his national campaigns for full Indian independence. Eg non co operation movement helped organise 1920, civil disobedience 1930-31 and 1932-34, quit India movement of 1942. Clear about non violence but vague around his goals for India but defo no British so India could decide themselves. Independence 1947 and assassinated in 1948 by Hindu nationalist who accused him of bias towards Muslims (partition between the two which he strongly opposed. He fasted for 3 weeks in 1924 in support for Hindu Muslim unity, reputation for saintliness reinforced by assassination in 1948 and national mourning that followed. Ghandi had basic principles of home rule “hind swaraj” peaceful resistance agriculture & no caste system. His methods made it difficult and bad for rep for the British to punish, they had to to stop boycotting but this made them look like ruthless leaders.
Public: mass communication & social organisation the British population bombarded with imperial imagery supported by gov who were keen to promote trade. 1926 empire marketing board set up to promote consumption of empire produce in Britain & became active in the 1930s after the onset of the Great Depression where international trade declined. Exhibition in Glasgow 1939 attracted 12 million & gave public a miniature experience of empire. Empire day 1930s encouraged national dress or costume representing different colonies in empire, celebration, officially changed to commonwealth day 1958 which is still celebrated today
T4 Decolonisation how vibes
Economic impact WW2: kept decolonisation amicable to retain economic ties didnt join EEC in 1957 and chose to continue commonwealth but in 1963 wanted to join but only got to in 1973. Shows they were reluctant to let go of empire
Let it happen at that time: US and USSR were now dominant & very anti imperialist. Imperialism was out of fashion & Britain wanted to keep up with the times. Also Marshall aid from 1948 gave England $2.7 billion.
Nationalism kicked them out: Singapore & Malaya important for naval base and rubber. Britain. Couldn’t regain control in Malay peninsula in 1942 bc of conflict in Malaya: MCP and UMNO. British issue state of emergency and try to hold on. No use. In 1955 Malay and Chinese win 81% votes by joining together against British. Reid commission draws up independence in 1957.
T4 Post colonial ties
Commonwealth: retain political ties, conferences took place every two years and a major economic conference 1952, all but one in London, britiain still had power. Also helped to keep their rep eg GB on United Nations security council reflects their status. Queen remained a symbol of commonwealth regular visits, citizens of the commonwealth could still get British honours.
Migration to Canada Australia New Zealand. 1946-1957 approx 1 million left GB survey found 25% people in Britain in contact with someone from dominions.
Immigration: 1948 British nationality act, Windrush 1948, unskilled professions loads of jobs factories etc brtish gov actively encouraged NHS workers and public transport
Notting Hill carnival: after racial tensions of the late 1958 insinuated by “teddy boy” attacks, riots and hateful anti immigration rhetoric from Mosley, a local festival set up by West Indian immigrants which improved community relations and encouraged group mixing. Served Jamaican food and had bright displays and steel drum bands.
