Britain 10 Flashcards
(10 cards)
What happened to British industries between 1913 and 1929?
Staple industries declined:
* Coal production fell from 292 million tonnes (1913) to 261 million (1929)
* Pig iron fell from 10 million tonnes to 8 million
* Cotton cloth exports dropped from 6469 million metres to 3443 million
New industries grew: chemicals,motor car production by the mid 1920s was 3x what it had been in 1913.-, electrical goods, canned foods
The service sector added nearly 1 million jobs
The Central Electricity Generating Board (created in 1926) began developing the national electricity grid
How did different governments respond to economic challenges in the 1920s?
Conservative Government (Stanley Baldwin):
* Promoted tariff reform (import taxes) in 1923 election → lost
Labour Government (1924):
* Signed trade treaty with Soviet Russia
* Supported the Dawes Plan (1924) and Young Plan (1929) to revive Germany as a trading partner
* Created a small public works programme (roads, council housing)
* Provided subsidies to Imperial Airways to support civil aviation
What was the Gold Standard and what effects did its return have in 1925?
Currency was tied to the value of gold (international payments made in gold)
Britain returned to pre-war value of the pound:raised the pounds exchhange rate from $3.40 to $4.86 .
Negative effects:
* Made exports expensive → hurt staple industries
* Unemployment rose
* £2.1 million loss in exports in 6 months
Positive effects:
* Supported by bankers and lenders (fixed repayments now worth more)
: What were the key problems facing the coal industry in the 1920s?
Over 1 million people employed, with poor wages and dangerous conditions
Between 1922–24: 3603 workers killed, 597,158 injured
Owners demanded wage cuts and longer working hours after the return to the Gold Standard
The Miners’ Federation of Great Britain was strong and resistant to cuts
What happened on ‘Red Friday’ and what were the Samuel Commission’s findings?
In July 1925, the Conservative government gave a 9-month subsidy to coal mines → unions saw this as a win and called it ‘Red Friday’
The government then created the Samuel Commission to investigate
The report:
* Rejected nationalisation
* Opposed longer hours
* Recommended wage cuts and modernisation with some government support
Both sides picked the parts they liked and rejected the rest
What caused the General Strike of May 1926?
In April 1926, the 9-month subsidy ended
Mine owners threatened a lock-out unless miners accepted cuts
Miners said: “Not a penny off the pay, not a second on the day”
Workers across other industries agreed to strike in support
The government prepared by declaring a state of emergency on 1 May under the Emergency Powers Act (1920)
What actions were taken by the government and workers during the General Strike?
Strike began on 3 May 1926, lasted 9 days
Conservative Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin:
* Shut down talks after printers at the Daily Mail refused to publish anti-strike pieces
* Accused the strike of challenging democracy: “Who rules Britain?”
* Set up the Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies with 100,000 volunteers to move goods
* Gave Winston Churchill control of government newspaper, The British Gazette
What led to the failure of the General Strike?
Government was well-prepared with emergency powers and volunteer services
Trade unions were poorly organised, had no national coordination
Closed down all newspapers, including those that supported them
Expected threat of strike to succeed — unprepared when it didn’t
On 12 May 1926, the Trades Union Congress called off the strike without conditions
What were the results of the General Strike for miners and trade unions?
Miners gained nothing, returned to work with lower pay and worse conditions
Many were blacklisted or replaced by volunteers
The government passed the Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act (1927):
* Banned sympathetic strikes
* Made workers opt-in to political donations
* Limited picketing
Major unions lost around £1 million each, union membership dropped below 5 million
: How did the 1926 General Strike affect politics in Britain?
Conservative government was praised by upper/middle classes for its tough stance
Many workers became hostile to the Conservatives
Labour Party, under Ramsay MacDonald, stayed neutral and appeared moderate and responsible
Labour avoided major damage and even gained political credibility
