ENQ1:political issues 1900-1914

Question 1

What powers did the house of lords have in 1900?

Answer 1

they could block any measures

Question 2

why were conservatives called the unionist party?

Answer 2

they opposed any change in the act of union with Ireland

Question 3

what was the impact of britain’s industrial revolution?

Answer 3

more unskilled workers and poor people, more urbanised

Question 4

what were some benefits of rapid urban growth?

Answer 4

more opportunities and literacy

Question 5

when was the last time britain had fought a european war?

Answer 5

russia 1854-56

Question 6

what were britain’s staple industries?

Answer 6

coal, iron, steel, textiles

Question 7

why were britain’s exports facing a challenge?

Answer 7

newer economies with more modern technology

Question 8

what advantages did the boers have over britain?

Answer 8

-latest german rifles
-knowledge of the terrain
-knowledge of how to dig trenches

Question 9

what politician was invited to address an anti war meeting in the middle of chamberlains constituency?

Answer 9

David Lloyd George

Question 10

what happened on december 18th 1901 in birmingham?

Answer 10

• DLG boldly stepped on stage at birmingham town hall
  -pro-war mob stormed in smashing windows
  -LG escaped disguised as a policeman

Question 11

when did the boers finally surrender?

Answer 11

may 1902

Question 12

how much money did the boer war cost?

Answer 12

£20 billion

Question 13

what was revealed about half the men who had volunteered to fight?

Answer 13

they were unfit to fight eg too sick / weak

Question 14

why was there a need to modernise both the army and the navy?

Answer 14

• potentially hostile russia, france and germany had large fleets
• the boer war

Question 15

what plans did war minister sir john broderick plan for during the boer war?

Answer 15

• create six new army corps
• expand army by 11500 new recruits each year

Question 16

what was the main recommendation of the elgin commission of 1903?

Answer 16

• abolition of post of commander in chief
• establishment of an army council
• German army was seen as best in the world

Question 17

What improvements to the navy were made by admiral Sir John Fisher?

Answer 17

• created a new channel and atlantic fleet
• abandoned bases in canada and north america
• promoted building of submarines but was pressured into building dreadnoughts
• couldn’t overcome culture of blind obedience

Question 18

what international developments led to britain ending its splendid isolation?

Answer 18

• rivalry with france in africa
• concerns about russian ambitions in middle east and asia
• disputes with usa
• new german fleet

Question 19

why did foreign secretary lord landsdowne sign the anglo-japanese treaty of 1902?

Answer 19

• stop russian expansion in the far east and deter france, russia and germany from taking more chinese territory
  -peacetime alliance

Question 20

What did britain gain from the 1904 entente cordial?

Answer 20

• free hand in egypt
• ended asian territorial disputes

Question 21

impact of entente on british relations with germany?

Answer 21

• caused hostility
• kaiser recognized morocan independence
• britain and france got closer

Question 22

why was there an increasing desire to use tariffs?

Answer 22

• britain’s old industries were falling behind germany and the usa

Question 23

what were the aims of the tariff reform league?

Answer 23

• appeal to xenophobia
• pit working men against foreign competition

Question 24

how did opponents of tariff reform(liberals) see tariffs?

Answer 24

• went agaisnt freedom
• putting interests of business over workers

Question 25

What was the significance of the taff vale judgement?

Answer 25

- gave a ruling that a trade union could be sued by employers for loss of earnings in unlawful strikes - failure to pass legislation clarifying legal union rights led to rise of the labour party

Question 26

what were the liberals able to unite behind in the 1906 election?

Answer 26

- the issue of free trade and cheap food - this attracted voters whereas tories were split on tariff reform

Question 27

Lib lab pact?

Answer 27

- liberals pledged to introduce trade union legislation - made a pact not to oppose labour candidates leading to 29 lib lab mps

Question 28

what did non conformists think of the tories?

Answer 28

- furious about the 1902 eduation act and the 1904 licensing act

Question 29

What was the number of days lost in strikes in 1909 and in1912?

Answer 29

1909= 2.7 million 1912= 40 million

Question 30

what did unions begin to discuss?

Answer 30

- collective striking particularly in regard to the triple alliance of miners railway workers and trnasport workers

Question 31

what was the mines act?

Answer 31

- 1912 act setting a minimum wage for miners - made by the government after taking part in negotiations between mine owners and miners unions

Question 32

what was the house of lords like in the early 20th century?

Answer 32

- defined by convention not constitution - did not oppose financial legislation of the government especially the budget - seen as a fair compromise as lords could oppose all other bills passed by the commons -known as the disraeli doctrine

Question 33

what happened in 1909?

Answer 33

lords did the unthinkable and voted against the budget

Question 34

why did they vote against the budget?

Answer 34

- the liberals had a huge majority of seats but not in the popular vote only having 6percent more than the tories - the tories saw the budget as irresponsible and bad so used their majority in the lords to thwart radical and irresponsible bills

Question 35

what had LG suggested?

Answer 35

- he wanted old age pensions , social reform and naval expansion - he proposed funding this through taxing the rich

Question 36

what caused the constitutional crisis?

Answer 36

- the lords rejecting LG's budget on nov 30th 1909 - this was in spite of the fact that it had passed the commons 350 to 75

Question 37

what happened in the jan 1910 election?

Answer 37

- libs had 275 seats - tories had 273 seats

Question 38

what did asquith then have to rely on?

Answer 38

- labour and irish nationalist votes as they held the balance of power the irish nationalists demanded a vote on home rule in return for their cooperation

Question 39

Parliament act

Answer 39

- february 1911 - lords agreed not to vote on money bills - not to veto bills passed three times in thr commons - had max 2 years to delay legislation - elections every 5 years

Question 40

results of the constitutional crisis

Answer 40

- more rapid moves towards irish home rule - more democratic britain, no longer controlled by hereditary lords

Question 41

which groups opposed irish home rule?

Answer 41

- conservatives - unionists - ulster uniionist mps - home rule means rome rule

Question 42

liberal attitude to home rule

Answer 42

- in 1906 they won by a landslide and didn't need irish nationalists to support them - in 1910 it bacame a key issue for them as they came to rely on irish nationalist support - HR bill passed in 1912

Question 43

reaction in ulster

Answer 43

- ulster unionists furious - organised into orange lodges - solemn league and covenant - formed ulster volunteers -unusually ABL openly supported UVF

Question 44

creation of paramilitary groups in ireland

Answer 44

- churchill prepared for armed confrontation with the volunteers - officers in the curragh military camp refused to fight UVF - irish nationalists formed the dublin volunteers - both sides began to import wepaons - HR suspended in 1914 due to ww1

Question 45

Governments poor handling of irish question

Answer 45

- HR was least imaginative but least bad solution - failure to act between 1910-1914 created problems for the future - british hadnt done enough to prevent the UVF from getting guns - however they were very strict on dublin volunteers - radicalised the nationalist movement - liberals had been very inconsistent regarding ireland leading to a rise in tensions