Cons 1951-64: 2 Churchill and Eden govs 1951-7

Question 1

when was Churchill PM?

Answer 1

1951-5 (con)

Question 2

what were some important developments from 1951-5?

Answer 2

• rationing ended
• steel industry denationalised
• Conservatives committed to build 300,000 houses per year
• government continued with Keynesian policies
• new ‘Elizabethan Age’ from 1952
• Britain detonated its first atomic bomb in 1952
• Korean War ended in 1953

Question 3

who was Butler during 1951-5?

Answer 3

chancellor of the exchequer (later home secretary and foreign secretary)

Question 4

what was arguably Butler’s biggest achievement?

Answer 4

Education Act 1944 - indicated his concern for social issues

Question 5

when was it decided that Britain should have a mixed economy?

Answer 5

1947 - Industrial Charter

Question 6

which Labour aims did Butler continue between 1951-5?

Answer 6

• maintaining full employment while achieving economic growth
• expanding the welfare state
• keeping Britain’s heavily committed military defence (such as Korean War 1951-3)
• developing a nuclear weapons’ programme

Question 7

what plan led to uplift in the international economy and what were the effects?

Answer 7

The Marshall Plan
led to increased demand for British products

Question 8

what was a prevalent problem during and before Churchill’s time in office?

Answer 8

severe and chronic balance of payments deficit - in hindsight it appears that the governments over-reached themselves by trying to rebuild a competitive economy and the welfare state

Question 9

what was Butskellism?

Answer 9

a coined phrase joining together R.A. Butler and Hugh Gaitskell. It suggested that the left and right wings of the two parties met in the middle to form a concensus on matters such as finance, the economy and the welfare state

Question 10

what were the differences between Butler and Gaitskell?

Answer 10

Butler believed in economic control through interest rates
Gaitskell favoured high taxation and greater government direction

Question 11

where did both Labour and Conservatives try to govern from?

Answer 11

the centre as they believed that was where the position of the bulk of the electorate would support.

Question 12

when was Eden PM?

Answer 12

1955-7 (con)

Question 13

what were the results like for the 1955 election?

Answer 13

increased conservative majority

Question 14

what was Eden’s role before PM?

Answer 14

foreign secretary for 10 years under Churchill - it was believed he was the heir-apparent of the party

Question 15

what phrase was coined following Eden’s domestic policies?

Answer 15

that they lacked ‘the smack of firm government’ - Eden was criticised during his time as PM due to his indecisive nature - he wanted to silence the criticism - Eden was a man in a hurry due to waiting so long to become PM

Question 16

what was the Suez Crisis?

Answer 16

Colonel Nasser, the president of Egypt announced the nationalisation of the Suez Canal in 1956 as a means of raising funds for the Aswan Dam

Question 17

what did Nasser do that meant the USA withdrew their offer?

Answer 17

the US and Britain promised loans for construction of the Aswan Dam before the announcement of nationalisation - Nasser approached the Soviet bloc for aid resulting in the US revoking their offer.

Question 18

what did the nationalisation of the canal mean for Britain?

Answer 18

foreign ships would have to pay to pass through what was now an Egyptian waterway despite Britain owning 40% of the canal

Question 19

what did Eden declare about Nasser?

Answer 19

that a man such as Nasser could not be allowed ‘to leave his thumb on Britain’s windpipe’, a reference to the threat to essential oil supplies that came from the Middle East through the canal
Eden began plotting against Nasser

Question 20

why did the French join Britain in anti-Nasser moves?

Answer 20

they were long resentful of Egypt’s support of Arab nationalists in French Algeria

Question 21

who else joined Britain and France?

Answer 21

America joined in applying pressure to Egypt by the creation of the Canal Users’ Association
Israel were eager to launch a major strike against Egypt

Question 22

why wasn’t the issue resolved by the UN Security Council?

Answer 22

the Soviet Union used its veto to block proposals in the Council to have Egypt condemned internationally

Question 23

what happened in October 1956?

Answer 23

British-French-Israeli plans were prepared for a combined military invasion.
Israel would attack across Sinai, Britain and France would then mount a joint assault from the north forcing Egypt and Israel to ceasefire.
Eden’s cabinet accepted the plan.

Question 24

what happened after 29 October 1956 when Israel began attacked across the Gaza strip and on 30 October when the Anglo-French began invasion?

Answer 24

The UN immediately entered into emergency debate in which America were infuriated by Eden who ignored them. The three countries were condemned.
Britain used its veto to defeat a UN resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire.

Question 25

what was the soviet involvement in the suez crisis like?

Answer 25

• Americans angry that Eden’s actions allowed the Soviet Union to seize the initiative
• however the USSR were distracted by their own problems from the Hungarian crisis
• 1953 Stalins death - USSR allowed greater freedom of satellites
• oct 1956 Hungary pushed for indepence, USSR sent in tanks, West expressed outrage at USSR actions, didn’t intervene
• british-french-israeli attack on egypt made it difficult to take moral high ground over matters of invasion
• nov 1956 Hungarian rising had been crushed - USSR issued a formal note to Britain

Question 26

what was the Soviet’s formal note to Britain?

Answer 26

condemned their actions in Egypt and warned that the USSR were prepared to use rockets against the Western invaders
‘we are fully determined to crush the aggressors and restore peace in the Middle East through the use of force. We hope at this critical moment you will display due prudence and draw the corresponding conclusions from this’

Question 27

what was Eisenhower’s reaction?

Answer 27

he swore at Eden over the phone

Question 28

why were America cross with Britain?

Answer 28

Eden ignored them
during the Cold War atmosphere of the day, Eden’s actions threatened to allow the Soviet Union to seize the initiative - the USSR were

Question 29

why did Britain withdraw from Suez?

Answer 29

• strength of opposition among British people: Gaitskell and Bevan made attacks on Eden’s ‘mad venture’
• fury of Eisenhower and Americans
• Britain’s failure to gain international backing
• condemnation of Britain at the UN
• reluctance of almost all Commonwealth countries to support
• a catastrophic fall in Britain’s currency reserves caused by large withdrawals by international investors.

Question 30

how did Eden’s role affect the Suez Crisis?

Answer 30

• he felt significant dislike for Nasser who he believed would become a dictator
• Eden was tetchy and short-tempered
• Eden’s poor health meant he lacked good judgement??
• Eden was ignorant to the fact that a US election was upcoming and therefore they wouldn’t want to get involved in a costly military venture

Question 31

what was the significance of the suez crisis for Britain?

Answer 31

• british forces were close to completing their mission when they were withdrawn - weren’t defeated militarily
• failure of political will
• britain acted independently of NATO and the USA, without consulting the commonwealth and in disregard of the UN - last attempt Britain would act alone due to the failure and the protests caused