Colonial Policy and Administration

Question 1

reasons for administration in Palestine

Answer 1

maintain Palestines strategic importance as a buffer against threats to the Suez Canal
maintain internal stability

Question 2

1920 Samuel Commission

Answer 2

cooperation was difficult as the government in London sympathised with the Jews while British authorities in Palestine sympathised with the Arabs
attempt to reconcile the groups by H. Samuel, but efforts failed due to eruptions of ethnic tension

Question 3

1929 Enquiry

Answer 3

Arabs were poor farmers who rented land, wealthier Jews began to buy up this land and growing numbers of Arabs were evicted
called for Jewish policy of land acquisition to be curbed
another enquiry in 1931 called for restrictions on Jewish land acquisition
pro-Jewish sentiment at home caused government to back down

Question 4

British Policy in Palestine, 1936-39

Answer 4

1936 - British sent 20,00 troops to deal with Arab insurgency
1937 - Peel Report, Palestine should be partitioned into Arab and Jewish areas, Arabs opposed
1937-39 - Repression, 25,000 British troops sent to the region, 900 Arabs arrested
1939 - war imminent, British called for a Palestinian state that Jews could call a homeland
1939 - Jewish immigration restricted to 15,000 per year for 5 years

Question 5

policy in Mesopotamia (Iraq)

Answer 5

managing internal conflicts between ethnic groups
vast oil reserves

Question 6

early nationalism in Iraq

Answer 6

widespread muslim demonstrations against British rule turned into a full scale revolt
The Kurds, who wanted independence from Iraq, also rebelled
Britain intervened militarily

Question 7

Anglo-Iraqi Treaty 1922

Answer 7

confirmed Faisal I as King
muslim who enjoyed good relations with Britain
British advisors appointed to most government departments
Britain controlled military
BUT led to increased nationalism due to extent of British control

Question 8

Anglo-Iraqi treaty 1930

Answer 8

promised full consultation on foreign policy

Question 9

Independence of Iraq

Answer 9

granted in 1932
Britain retained close economic ties

Question 10

who is Britain’s oldest colony

Answer 10

Ireland

Question 11

relationship with Ireland in the 1870s

Answer 11

Gladstone suggested home rule but conservatives in House of Lords rejected this
most of Ireland wanted it, except some counties in Ullster didnt as they feared religious persecution

Question 12

1910 constitutional crisis

Answer 12

Liberal PM David Lloyd George wanted Liberals in House of Lords as he needed to find money to pay for the People’s budget
but the Conservatives in the House of Lords did not want this
DLG needed more support for this so offered Irish home rule if they joined him

Question 13

1912 Home Rule Bill

Answer 13

made to house of commons
uproar between Catholics and Protestants of Ireland
led to Larne Gun Running where Germans supplied Irish Protestants (Ullster volunteer force) but Britain did not react to this

Question 14

Howth gun running

Answer 14

irish nationalists feared Britain would not grant home rule due to UVF
created Irish volunteer force whose weaponry was supplied from Germany
Britain opened fire in response

Question 15

Curagh mutiny 1914

Answer 15

British soldiers refused to enforce Home Rule in the North
three deaths and many casualties
Home Rule had to suspended due to WW1

Question 16

Easter Rising 1916

Answer 16

group of Irish nationalists ‘Sinn Feine’ declare themselves as a republic
British brutally repressed, led to execution of key leaders
not supported in Ireland until British murdered leaders, then became martyrs

Question 17

1918 coupon election

Answer 17

Sinn Fein win 73 seats who then set up their own parliament in Dublin and military wing - Irish national army (IRA)
led by Valera

Question 18

war of independence 1918-1921

Answer 18

IRA used guerilla warfare against the British
British = black and tans
LoN condemned British due to terror

Question 19

Anglo-Irish treaty 1921

Answer 19

created an Irish free state
act as a self serving Dominion
6 counties of Ulster opted to still be part of Britain

Question 20

reasons for Irish civil war

Answer 20

Valera refused to accept 1921 treaty because Ireland was not a republic and the country was split

Question 21

Irish civil war 1923

Answer 21

divisions between nationalists

Question 22

Impact of statute of westminster in Ireland

Answer 22

Southern Ireland became a dominion

Question 23

in what year did Southern Ireland gain full independence from Britain

Answer 23

1948

Question 24

nationalism in Egypt

Answer 24

1919
Egyptians and Sudanese rejected British rule = strikes, rioting, civil disobedience, attacks on British military bases
800 Egyptians killed and 1600 wounded

Question 25

independence in Egypt

Answer 25

'Milner Report' granted independence in 1922 but, refused to recognise Egyptian sovereignty over Sudan and troops remained, even after further treaty in 1936 in Suez zone

Question 26

colonies under indirect rule

Answer 26

ruled by British through local leaders e.g. Tanganyika, Sudan and most in West Africa aim to promote social and economic development but all expected to be self financing = high taxes

Question 27

settler colonies

Answer 27

substantial numbers of Europeans had settled and British ruled directly Southern Rhodesia and Kenya

Question 28

development in Sudan

Answer 28

British gave £3 million for the Gezira cotton scheme to increase cotton production dam building and irrigation project

Question 29

development in East Africa and West

Answer 29

East = 1925 allocated £10 million to improving rail and dock facilities West = investment in schools and education

Question 30

1929 Colonial Development Act

Answer 30

£1 million of British treasury funds for development projects across Empire

Question 31

impact in North Rhodesia

Answer 31

impacted by great depression and limited imperial development led to strikes in copper mines

Question 32

reasons for nationalism in Kenya

Answer 32

pressure to give Kenya a degree of self governance in 1920 - power given to 30,000 white settler community became wealthy through growing tea and squeezed Kikuyu tribes out by taxing them heavily and banning them from growing commercial products, forcing them to migrate to cities

Question 33

Devonshire Declaration 1923

Answer 33

interest of black africans had to be respected

Question 34

Southern Rhodesia

Answer 34

white population was dominant took political power and won effectively self government in 1923

Question 35

Union of South Africa

Answer 35

promises to protect rights of ethnic minorities eroded white minority established control over internal affairs by 1930s and Statute of Westminster enabled this white dominance to continue

Question 36

why was there concern in the Dominions

Answer 36

their role in WW1 led to aspirations for control over their own affairs and British authorities knew this could not be ignored British particularly concerned about Canada and South Africa

Question 37

Commonwealth

Answer 37

Dominions could gradually become independent but still retain special relationship with Britain based on free association of equal nations Balfour Declaration 1926 gave substance to this idea

Question 38

Statute of Westminster 1931

Answer 38

certain dominions should become independent nations laws passed in Britain could not be enforced in those countries without permission of their own parliament free to pass their own laws without interference or approval from Britain immediate effect in Canada, Ireland and South Africa Australia 1942 and New Zealand in 1947

Question 39

nationalism in Canada

Answer 39

rioting in Quebec fate conscription introduced via 1918 military service act 15,000 ransacked conscription office in response 780 federal soldiers were deployed led to 150 casualties and $300,000 of damage

Question 40

nationalism in Cyprus

Answer 40

4/5 population Greek and many felt British rule was a stepping stone to reunion with Greece refused to partake in 15th anniversary celebrations Greek MPs resigned 50,000 rallied in the streets in 1931 = 7 killed and 30 injured

Question 41

nationalism in West Africa

Answer 41

powers of legislative councils were limited and african representation was minimal National Congress of West Africa 1919 dominated by educated elite from Gold Coast and some concessions were granted in 1920s spread of education = west African Students Union 1925 bring students together studying in London, nationalism in India inspired radicalism within group members included Azikiwe and Nkrumah

Question 42

nationalism in East Africa

Answer 42

Harry Thuku developed political protest initially involved in formatiion of the Young Kikuyu to recover lost Kikuyu land in Kenya East African association in 1921, Kenyatta joined joined in 1922 became a campaign for African rights and representation WW2 radicalised it - Thuku established Kenya African Study Union and Kenyatta became its president

Question 43

three key problems to imperial defence

Answer 43

1. Britain in severe economic difficulties, key industries lost out in international markets, Great Depression defending empire became a burden 2. new aggressive regimes emerging, Imperial Japan in Asia, Fascist Italy in Africa attempt to conquer Abyssinia in 1935 3. rise of nationalist independence move,emits made need for military resources more urgent

Question 44

why did Britain take a geopolitical view

Answer 44

had to prioritise balancing the costs and military demands of defending Empire against needs in Europe and at home mistaken belief that the League of Nations could provide security in international affairs but by mid 1930s it was clear this was not true

Question 45

policy of appeasement

Answer 45

seeking to diffuse tensions with Germany and Italy by giving r hem what they wanted in terms of territorial gains in Europe allowed British to strengthen forces against possible attack in Asia due to Japan modernised Indian army and built up Singapore naval base (£25 million)

Question 46

mistakes of Neville Chamberlain

Answer 46

underestimated the scale of ambition in Nazi Germany = went to war after Germany invaded Poland Japanese attacked Singapore and Britain was too overstretched to reinforce adequately

Question 47

Lord Linlithgow in India

Answer 47

viecroy from 1935-43 government of india act 1935 increased enfranchisement believed would weaken nationalism blamed for lack of economic development and failure to press for aid after Bengal famine

Question 48

Phillip Mitchell

Answer 48

secretary of state in 1924 government of Kenya from 1944