How did consecutive british governments administer the Empire, 1947-1967

Question 1

Attlee’s labour government - The Old Dominions

Answer 1

had their own interests and prepared to assert these
ANZUS military pact between Australia, USA and NZ, implied USA had taken over Britains responsibilities in the pacific

Question 2

Attlee’s labour government - The New Commonwealth

Answer 2

association of free independent states, effective vhecile of british influence
no natural unity and members had little in common
had to recognise British monarch as ‘head of commonwealth’

Question 3

Attlee’s labour government - the Sterling area

Answer 3

almost all Dominions used british pound sterling as the basis of their currency
danger of collapse of pound in 1947 threatened them all with bankruptcy
became a closer economic bloc
exceeded rival dollar area

Question 4

Attlee’s labour government - development of colonies

Answer 4

optimistic about stability of African possessions
1948 Colonial Development Corporation to improve living standards
East African ground nut scheme - cost £3.6 million

Question 5

labours imperial policy, 1945-51

Answer 5

economic colonialism - secure trade and modernise the economies

Question 6

role of colonial administrators in the 1950s

Answer 6

required to raise colonial production and modernise economies at speed
protect trade in Britain’s interests
destroy insurgencies

Question 7

impact on local indigenous leaders under labour policy

Answer 7

areas like Kenya where Britain had formerly relied on devolving powers to local elites were no longer practical
local elites were therefore cast aside

Question 8

changes in settler colonies

Answer 8

Dominions had been governed by independent legislatures since 1931 but democratic rights were not extended to indigenous until decades later e.g. Aboriginals in Australia in 1965

Question 9

impact in direct rule colonies

Answer 9

some (educated elite) acquired an increasing say in the management
creation of legislative assemblies in Kenya, Nigeria and Gold Coast were seen as gradual steps towards independence

Question 10

who were the next 3 prime ministers after Attlee

Answer 10

Churchill, 1951-55
Eden, 1955-57
Macmillan, 1957-63
all conservative

Question 11

international positions emerging from the war

Answer 11

USA and USSR emerged as superpowers
emergence of cold war situation

Question 12

americas opinion on the empire in the early stages

Answer 12

anti imperialist, but suited the USA to have a strong britain against the USSR so turned a blind eye to it

Question 13

USA role in the Balkans

Answer 13

stepped in when British support for those fighting the communists could no longer be sustained
Truman Doctrine of 1947 pledged to help countries ‘resisting attempted subjugation’
provided military and financial aid to Greece and Turkey

Question 14

changed US opinion to empire

Answer 14

as the cold war hardened, more fearful of communist expansion especially in middle east and africa
believed the best way of preventing this becoming attractive to nationalists was to build these countries as economically stable and prosperous, dependent on american loans

Question 15

Marshall plan

Answer 15

gave Britain $3.3 billion
became increasingly obvious that Britain could not combat nationalist movements without the US

Question 16

NATO

Answer 16

1949
allowed Britain to harness US nuclear capacity
cooperated in Korean war in 1950-53 which came under US command despite being a UN mandate

Question 17

SEATO

Answer 17

the dominions, who had previously turned to Britain as guarantors of their safety, now turned to the US
1954

Question 18

Treaty of Rome and the European Economic Community (EEC) 1957

Answer 18

established free trade and common market
tariffs against non members
sought to improve living and working conditions
6 countries - Italy, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg and West Germany

Question 19

outcomes of the EEC

Answer 19

within 5 years, biggest exporter and buyer of raw materials

Question 20

why did Britain not join the EEC

Answer 20

keen to keep special relationship with the US
fear of a loss of sovereignty
not in complete control of own economy
fear it would weaken common wealth ties as C had population of 800million, compared to EEC 165 million

Question 21

why did the French oppose Britain joining

Answer 21

Britains economy too weak
concerned about American influence
objected to concessions for Commonwealth - but French colonies were associates
de Gaulle rejected

Question 22

when did Britain join the EEC

Answer 22

1973

Question 23

who gave the winds of change speech and when

Answer 23

Harold Macmillan
1960

Question 24

what did the winds of change speech imply

Answer 24

independence would be granted to African territories

Question 25

impact of winds of change speech

Answer 25

colonial administrators tried to convey idea of working with nationalists to prepare colonies for independence in reality it was bot like this as the pace of change set by the British rarely satisfied the nationalists and so British were compelled to move much faster

Question 26

British control over Egypt and middle east in early stages

Answer 26

fearful about russias ambitions 10,000 troops in the Suez canal zone control over air force bases in Iraq financed and provided officers to Jordan army

Question 27

response to Britain telling the middle east to reject communism

Answer 27

Arab League in 1945 not prepared to support the British while they maintained their Suez garrisons and controlled the Sudan

Question 28

King Farouk of Egypt

Answer 28

in 1951, renounced the 1936 Anglo-Egyptian treaty overthrown by Colonel Nasser in 1952

Question 29

Edens response to Nasser rule

Answer 29

1953 - agreement on stages towards Sudanese independence 1954 - agreed to phase out troops from Suez, to be completed by May 1956 showed Britains financial difficulties and desire to improve Anglo-Arab relations

Question 30

what did Britain get in return for Eden's concessions

Answer 30

free access through the Suez canal respect independence of the Suez Canal Company maintenance of former British bases in an operational condition

Question 31

Baghdad Pact 1955

Answer 31

between countries in middle east and Britain repel any soviet threat Nasser did not sign and tried to pressure Jordan to remain out

Question 32

who did Egypt form an alliance with

Answer 32

communist Czechoslovakia Syria alarmed Eden

Question 33

Nasser plans for the Aswan Dam

Answer 33

core of a programme of irrigation, flood control and electrification could only build with promised USA and UK support

Question 34

UK and USA response to Egypts alliances

Answer 34

withdrew promised funding in 1956 due to relations with communists

Question 35

what did Nasser do in response to withdrawal of funding

Answer 35

nationalised the Suez canal - direct blow to British who had 44% of shares French outraged Israel joined as Israeli ships had been banned from the Suez and feared Nasser would repress them

Question 36

initial international response to nationalisation of the canal

Answer 36

UN tried to resolve issue but rejected by the USSR and Czechoslovakia secret Anglo-French military plans took place behind the scenes

Question 37

Protocol of Sevres

Answer 37

secret agreement that Israel would attack Egypt on 29 October France and Britain would then demand that both sides cease fighting and they would invade the canal to 'defend' it

Question 38

issues with Protocol of Sevres

Answer 38

Arab allies would not like USA opposed military intervention

Question 39

invasion of the Suez 1956

Answer 39

Israeli forces routed through Anglo-French force consisting of 45,000 British troops which had been built up in Malta landed at North of canal Egyptians put up resistance by blocking the canal with sunken ships

Question 40

immediate impacts of the Suez crisis

Answer 40

miscalculate US reaction - condemned them, only thing USA and USSR agreed on US refused to support Sterling in the currency crisis - risked sterling's international position Britain announced a ceasefire in 5 days and France had to follow those in Britain did not support Eden forced to resign and UN moved in to clear the canal

Question 41

long term consequences of the Suez crisis

Answer 41

clear that Britian would not act in international affairs wothout the approval of the USA, limiting its position as a world power if nationalst movements pushed hard enough they could force the British to surrender dispelled the notion that Britain could manage its retreat from the Empire

Question 42

Commonwealth in the 1930s

Answer 42

Dominions with a high degree of domestic self rule much of the real power resided in London

Question 43

British aims for the Commonwealth

Answer 43

a vehicle for rebuilding british influence and economy a mutually beneficial association a defence system in a bloc equivalent to that of the USA or USSR

Question 44

why did the meaning of commonwealth change post WW2

Answer 44

came to see it as a way of surrendering the costs of formal imperial control whilst maintaining informal ties which would help protect Britain's global economic interests and influence

Question 45

countries in south asia and the commonwealth

Answer 45

India and Pakistan joined 1947 Burma refused in 1949

Question 46

why did the symbol of the monarch in the Commonwealth change

Answer 46

became 'Head of Commonwealth'

Question 47

role of the commonwealth in Britain

Answer 47

continuation of global power family of friendly nations which would lend critical and qualified support as PM of Australia tried to of in the Suez 'free and equal' states with no legal obligation to each other but united by their history

Question 48

trade in the 1940s and 1950s

Answer 48

empire and commonwealth were extremely important as provided essential imports of food and raw materials 1956 - 58% overseas investment in empire

Question 49

trade in the 1960s

Answer 49

western europe became more important

Question 50

trade statistics

Answer 50

IMPORTS Commonwealth: 1954 48%, 1965 29% Western Europe: 1954 24% 1965 30% EXPORTS Commonwealth: 1954 48% 1965 27% Western Europe 1954 28% 1965 32%

Question 51

post war recovery

Answer 51

recovered more quickly due to US help through Marshall Aid

Question 52

changes in western Europe

Answer 52

creation of the EEC rise in living standards

Question 53

why did Britain apply for membership in the EEC

Answer 53

exports to europe outstripped those to empire in early 1960s sterling devaluation of 1967 destroyed the old sterling area and hit at britains global imperial pretensions

Question 54

Sterling devaluation 1967

Answer 54

lowered exchange rate, with a pound becoming worth $2.40, 14% cut designed to cut Britain's deficit by making British exports cheaper

Question 55

how did Britain earn dollars

Answer 55

continued rationing at home to cut the costs of food imports prioritised british industrial production tried to develop productive colonies particularly in Africa saved reserves of dollars

Question 56

how did Britain develop the colonies

Answer 56

Colonial Development and Welfare Acts of 1940 and 1945 1948 Colonial Development Corporation to coordinate major projects

Question 57

example of a successful and failed development plan

Answer 57

failed - Tanganyika Groundnut Scheme Successful - Malayan Rubber, became a major contributor to the hard currency pool