Political Developments in the Interwar years 1914-39; (complete)

Question 1

What were the provisions of the Representation of the People Act of February 1918?

Answer 1

-Brought GB close to full democracy
-Established principle of ‘one man, one vote’
-Enfranchised all adult men 21+, women could for the first time (30+, married to rate payer)
-Voting on general election was to be over 1 day not several, reducing opportunity for corruption
-Returning officers’ expenses were to come out of publics purse not candidates; helped Labour as it made elections cheaper
-Introduction of £150 deposit charged to candidates; designed to reduce ‘time wasters’ but discouraged genuine independent candidates lacking independent means, thus limiting electorate
-Plural voting limited to max voting in only 2 constituencies

Question 2

Why was the Representation of the People Act of 1918 passed?

Answer 2

War made extension of franchise inevitable; when men were called up by their gov to fight & face possibility of sacrificing their lives, they couldn’t be denied the right to have a voice in the future direction of their county

Question 3

Why were women included in the Representation of the People Act of 1918 and why were they still limited?

Answer 3

-Seemed obvious & necessary step in 1918 to include women in the reform & many MPs favoured some degree of female suffrage, their main concern being which party women would support
-Lingering fear suffragettes might revert to their violent pre-war campaign
-Even though inclusion of women in franchise was presented by gov as reward for their war work, vote was limited to women over 30 married to a ratepayer; excluding most women who engaged in war work

Question 4

What discussions on more wide-ranging electoral reform were being undertaken and was this ever followed through?

Answer 4

-By introducing either the alternative vote or proportional representation & provision was made for experimental trials
-Neither system was implemented although subject reappeared on agenda in 1929 in Electoral Reform Bill & ‘first past the post system’ still prevails at Westminster today

Question 5

What was the impact of electoral reform?

Answer 5

-Estimated addition of 2m men & 6m women to electoral register
-Redistribution of seats to reflect population changes & to achieve more uniform constituencies
-Women now made up 42% of voters
-Just over 1/2 of electorate voted in 1918 election, only 1 in 4 of those in armed forces participated
-Conservative fears of being overwhelmed in polls by extension of franchise were misplaced & election was huge success to them
-Liberal Party, still badly split, lost support
-Increase in Labour vote was of great significance for their future prospects; 400,000 to nearly 2.4m

Question 6

What was the Equal Franchise Act of 1928 and its impact?

Answer 6

-Women finally got voting rights on same terms as men by Baldwin’s Conservative gov
-Increased electorate by 5m; women voters outnumbered men by 2m, became known as ‘flapper vote’. They still made up only 2.3% of Commons
-Established universal adult suffrage for all 21+ except peers, lunatics & criminals. Remained in place until 1968 when age was lowered to 18

Question 7

What were the results of the 1922 election and what did it indicate?

Answer 7

-Clear Conservative victory; 347 to 142 Labour & 116 Liberal
-Underlined continuing decline of the Liberal Party but more significantly indicated strengthening of popular vote for Labour

Question 8

What are the reasons for the Conservatives maintaining political dominance during the 1920s?

Answer 8

-Previous liberal voters tended to move to the Conservatives rather than to Labour
-The effective Conservative Party organisation pulled in many of newly enfranchised voters
-The Conservatives had the press behind them

Question 9

Why was Baldwin’s decision to call a general election in December 1923 an ill-judged one?

Answer 9

-Number of Conservative MPs returned to the House fell from 345 to 258 & they no longer had an overall majority
-Temporary healing of the rift betw DLG & Asquith ↑ Liberals’ parliamentary representation to 157; less than Labour’s 191, but gave them power to influence which party would take office
-DLG successfully pressed his choice of Labour an Asquith, intent on avoiding a protectionist Conservative gov; the Conservatives were out of gov for a matter of months during the first short Labour gov

Question 10

What were the results of the 1924 election?

Answer 10

Conservatives got 412 seats & huge majority over other parties

Question 11

What team did Baldwin select for his government and why was it controversial?

Answer 11

-Half-brothers Neville, effective at the Ministry of Health, & Austen Chamberlain as Foreign Secretary
-Bold choice of Winston Churchill (who’d recently forsaken the Liberals) as Chancellor of the Exchequer paid dividends. He was energetic & imaginative in his budgets, with something for everyone. But, his policy of returning GB to the Gold Standard by 1925 was seen as controversial & was seen by some as contributing to GB’s economic issues in 1931

Question 12

How was Baldwin as a leader and where can this be seen?

Answer 12

-Amiable & well-respected in political circles + in the country
-Was opposed to concept of class war & approach to deal w/ Labour relations & TU was to act w/ moderation & understanding
-Handling of General Strike in 1926 provides excellent example of his calm, reassuring style of politics
-Style was also dull & unimaginative, has been interpreted as laziness

Question 13

How did Baldwin fight the 1929 election and what did this result in?

Answer 13

-On his ‘safety first’ slogan, hoping bitterness caused by General Strike had dimmed & underlining the gov’s record on housing & welfare
-Lost election to Labour

Question 14

Why did the first Labour government 1923-4 struggle?

Answer 14

-Ramsay Mac Donald was acutely aware that the GB public wouldn’t support radical socialist policies & he had some success in convincing them the Labour gov was moderate
-It was a constant stress to sustain a minority gov by depending on Liberal support & there was lack of mutual support
-Collapsed after 10 months when Liberals withdraw support

Question 15

Why was the first Labour government not an outright disaster?

Answer 15

-Strengthened it self for the future
-Passed some social reform, notably Wheatley’s Housing Act
-Had strong education policy & outlined ideas for raising school leaving age to 15 + introducing division at 11 betw primary & secondary education
-Old age pensions & unemployment benefit were increased

Question 16

What was the fall of MacDonald’s government closely linked to and why?

Answer 16

-Accusations that Labour was ‘soft on communism’
-Part to do w/ row over Anglo-Russian trade agreement, which Liberals refused to support & which was made in conjunction w/ gov’s official recognition of USSR as a state
-Before vote on trade deal, the die was cast as a result of MacDonald’s inept handling prosecution against a journalist, who’d urged members of the armed forces to disobey orders if they were required to take action against strikers; Gov was defeated in vote of no confidence

Question 17

What opportunity did the second Labour government of 1929-31 present and what was done as a result?

Answer 17

-To put its long-cherished beliefs & ideas into action
-Reforms pushed through, eg Arthur Greenwood’s Housing Act which ↑ subsidies for house-building & introduced slum clearance schemes

Question 18

What halted Labour’s plans for social reform and what did this result in?

Answer 18

-Effects of financial crisis manifesting itself in USA w/ Wall Street Crash, 1929
-Reverberated around the world; in GB, unemployment rose to alarming levels & cost of unemployment benefit put massive strain on gov

Question 19

What led to MacDonald becoming prime minister of the National Government and was he supported?

Answer 19

-The gov found themselves facing a situation entirely outside their control
-Bank of England, anxious about foreign gold withdrawals, insisted the gov make immediate reductions in wages & unemployment benefit
-When it became clear the Cabinet couldn’t reach an agreement over this, MacDonald tendered his gov’s resignation to George V, but to his party’s surprise, emerged from his visit to Buckingham palace as PM of National Government; many Labour supporters felt betrayed by MacDonald
-Appointment as PM was supported by all major political parties; saw advantages as drastic economic cuts and unpopular measures needed

Question 20

What was MacDonald’s relationship like with the Labour Party after being appointed PM of the national government?

Answer 20

-Only 3 members of his Labour cabinet chose to follow him into the new government
-Within weeks, he was formally expelled from membership of the party
-Many Labour MPs, party members and trade unionists accused him of treachery in abandoning the cause of the working man & putting his own career ambitions first

Question 21

Who did Mac Donald’s new cabinet consist of and what was their job?

Answer 21

-Four Conservatives, two Liberals & three Labour
-Job was to restore national confidence

Question 22

What did the national governments’ budget in September do?

Answer 22

Raised income tax & cut unemployment benefit + salaries of civil servants, teachers, armed series

Question 23

What led to Britain coming off of the Gold Standard?

Answer 23

Threat of naval mutiny starting a run on the Bank of England

Question 24

What were the results of the October 1931 general election?

Answer 24

-Vote for continuance of a National Government; approved by electorate
-But, w/ massive vote for Conservatives, who dominated the Nat Gov

Question 25

What happened in the 1935 general election?

Answer 25

MacDonald lost his seat, Baldwin became PM again

Question 26

What were the many domestic achievements of the Conservative governments 1935-39 attributed to and why?

Answer 26

-Neville Chamberlain's flair & imagination -Both him & Baldwin were considered 'safe pairs of hands' -Gov's reputation benefited from fall in unemployment & some economic revival, mainly in S England -Baldwin handled abdication crisis in 1936 well & ensured smooth succession of George VI -Baldwin united Conservative Party & held it together until end of his political career; retired & was succeeded by Neville Chamberlain in 1937

Question 27

Why was the succession of Edward VIII from George V in 1936 not as straightforward as it should’ve been?

Answer 27

-Edward didn't possess the attributes expected of a 20th century GB constitutional monarch (respect for the constitution, loyalty to one's subjects & moral rectitude) that'd been exemplified by his father -Neville Chamberlain prepared a memorandum to send to the new king, suggesting he tone down his appearance & ill-advised comments on political issues; was suppressed by Baldwin

Question 28

What was Edward VIII’s announcement in November 1936 and why was this an issue?

Answer 28

-His intention to marry Wallis Simpson, an American woman, dropped a constitutional bombshell -She was not British (an important issue then), a commoner & not a member of the aristocracy but most troubling was that she'd been divorced once & was married at the time to her 2nd husband, Ernest Simpson. Edward + his friends weren’t aware of the upset this’d cause & Wallis didn’t think her 2nd divorce would cause a problem

Question 29

What did Baldwin advise to Edward VIII & what would he do if he went against it?

Answer 29

-That to marry Wallis Simpson would be a deeply unpopular & would probably provoke a constitutional crisis -As the head of the CofE, it was unacceptable for Edward to marry a divorcee, as it’d weaken the institution of the monarchy -If he'd ignore the wishes of the cabinet, Baldwin would resign & leave the country w/out a gov

Question 30

What happened when Edward VIII’s intention to marry broke the press in December 1936?

Answer 30

-Some support for Edward's dilemma, but most were opposed & believed his public duty was clear -He attempted to negotiate deal whereby he could marry Wallis Simpson & she'd remain a commoner + not become queen; failed to meet w/ Cabinet approval so Edward abdicated on 11 December 1936 -His younger brother, the shy, retiring, stammering George VI became king Edward & Wallis marry the next year. He was given the courtesy title the Duke of Windsor & they lived in self-imposed exile for most of their lives

Question 31

What were the impacts and results of the abdication crisis?

Answer 31

-Caused great deal of unhappiness within royal family & it was many years before rift was healed -But, the abdication avoided longer term damage to reputation of the monarchy & George VI & his wife Queen Elizabeth (queen mother) restored public faith in the institution -Baldwin was applauded for his calm, efficient handling of very delicate situation & was rewarded by a seat in the House of Lords shortly after coronation of George VI in 1938

Question 32

When was the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) founded and when did it survive until?

Answer 32

-1920s -1990s

Question 33

Why was there a surge in interest for communism and rise in CPGB membership in the 1930s?

Answer 33

-Was based on a philosophy claiming to provide WC & its middle-class supporters w/ model for a more equal & progressive society -After communist regime was established in Russia in 1917, it appeared communists were building what British sympathisers called a 'new civilisation' -Severe worldwide economic crisis seemed to indicate collapse of capitalism in early 1930s & parliamentary democracy appeared inadequate -The revolutionary ideas & challenge of creating better type of society appealed to many idealistic young people; faced w/ mass unemployment, break up of Labour gov in 1931 & creation of GB Fascist Union in 1932, membership of CPGB rose

Question 34

Why and how did the Conservative Party often exaggerate the threat from communism?

Answer 34

-As a way of weakening support for Labour -Making allegations of communist influence behind the General Strike, 1926

Question 35

How were communists prominent in many aspects of British life in the 1920s & 30s?

Answer 35

-Several TU leaders were communist party members/communist sympathisers -Played leading role in organisations, eg National Unemployed Workers' Movement (NUWM) which had 50,000 members in early 1930s. It not only gave useful advice to the unemployed but organised 'hunger marches' (protest marches against inadequate welfare for the unemployed) & mass demonstrations, some resulting in violent confrontations w/ police -Violence when deliberately disrupting meetings & marches held by British Union of Fascists

Question 36

How did the Communist Party spread its influence and were they successfully influential?

Answer 36

-Via printed word; newspaper The Daily Worker had circulation of 80,000 -Handful of communists were elected as MPs & party membership x2 in 1930s but peaked at 18,000

Question 37

Why were the Communist Party at the time limited and by who?

Answer 37

-Communist influence in TU movement was limited by opposition of moderate union leaders like Ernest Bevin -Labour Party consistently refused to work w/ CPGB/allow it to affiliate w/ the Labour movement -National government was never seriously worried about any potential threat from them; secret service kept close eye on its leaders, sympathisers & activists + police cracked down hard on communist-led demonstrations

Question 38

What did the Incitement to Disaffection Act of 1934 do?

Answer 38

Enabled prosecution of political extremists

Question 39

When and how were the British Union of Fascists (BUF) formed?

Answer 39

In October 1932, following a visit to fascist Italy, Sir Oswald Mosley formed the BUF

Question 40

What were the BUF distinguished by?

Answer 40

-Dressed in black uniforms w/ silver flash insignia -Gving the fascist salute to their leader, Mosley -Brought disturbing political element to the streets of Britain

Question 41

Who supported the BUF and what did this result in?

Answer 41

-Newspaper baron, Lord Rothermere, proprietor of the Daily Mail, and by 1934, its membership had increased to approximately 50,000 -British fascism strongest in parts of London & some northern cities eg Liverpool, Manchester & Leeds -Early on there was enthusiasm for movement in more affluent middle-class towns eg Harrogate, but typical recruits were young working-class men

Question 42

What were the reasons for people being drawn to the BUF?

Answer 42

-Mosley's strong personality; was an exceptionally powerful speaker, who could inspire a crowd. He travelled around the country, making speeches wherever he went. He published books & wrote articles for newspapers + magazines, articulating his ideas, eg for reducing mass unemployment at a time when many were out of work. Mosley was his party's greatest asset, but its weakness was a lack of talent among other leading members -In early 1930s there was disillusionment w/ traditional political parties & system of government; collapse of 2nd Labour government, failure of National Government to solve problem of massive unemployment, & cuts in gov spending contrasted unfavourably w/ apparent dynamism of fascist Italy + Nazi Germany. Some traditional Labour voters flirted w/ BUF as they felt their party had betrayed them in 1931, in formation of National Gov -Mosley's appeal to anti-Semitism gained approval in certain quarters, but was a two-edged sword as many would-be Mosley admirers were repulsed by such racist attitudes

Question 43

How influential were Mosley and the BUF?

Answer 43

-In the end, Mosley & BUF didn’t really challenge political stability in GB although for brief spell it did seem a possibility -Mosley was a credible political figure in the early 1930s. He hoped that he would be seen as the country's saviour in dark days of the economic crisis & present formidable challenge to discredited MacDonald & cautious Baldwin -By 1935, BUF membership had fallen to about 5000. Electorally, BUF was a failure w/ no MPs/local councillors. Following violence of a BUF rally in London's Olympia Hall in 1934, Lord Rothermete withdrew backing. In late 1930s the BUF's close association w/ ideology of Nazi Germany was repugnant to majority of right minded GB people