Political parties 1914-1939 Flashcards
(32 cards)
Why were the Liberals strong before ww1?
- Won elections in 1906
-Was able to curtail the power of the conservative lords through the Parliament Act 1911
-Passed significant social reforms such as NI which made them popular
Why did the breakout to war weaken the Liberals
-Demand for greater state intervention and restriction of freedoms - illiberal
-Conscription imposed - illiberal
-Restrictions on free trade
What notoriously illiberal, but necessary, reform did the Liberals pass in 1914?
-Defence of the Real Act (DORA) 1914
a)What Liberal and Labour pressure group protested against war and urged a negotiated peace and b) why was this bad for Liberal party
a)Union of Democratic council
b) As Liberals became associated with pacifism which is unpopular during war time
What reasons during the war also led to Liberals weakness concerning Ireland?
-IPP voters decreased dramastically as they began to vote Sinn Fein as they were radicalised by the Easter Rising
-Irish catholics in Britain also began to vote for Labour as they condemned the Liberals treatment of Ireland through Black and Tans
What did David Lloyd George become known as in WW1 and why??
-The man who won the war
-Became Minister of munitions: fixed the shell crisis
What were the 3 reasons why Liberals had begun to lose seats after the war?
-Middle class woman got the vote in the 1918 representation of people Act and they voted conservative
-People in Ireland voted Sinn Fein - no support from IPP anymore
- Labour took most w/c votes from Liberals (Liberals no longer could distinguish themselves from the other parties)
Why did the Liberal Party split in 1916?
-DLG created a war council , excluding Asquith which Asquith refused to agree to
-Both resigned and DLG created a Coalition with Labour and Conservatives. (Asquith refused to join and split the Liberals)
What was the name of the act that enforced conscription for unmarried 18-41 yr olds?
-Military Service Act in January 1916
(extended to married men in April after DLG demanded it when Asquith wavered)
When was a Coalition government created begin Conservative (Bonar Law) and Liberals?
-May 1915
a) When and b) what was the Maurice debate?
a)April 1918
b) After a letter accusing DLG of starving troops of vital supplies on the Western Front- decreased DLG’s popularity
By 1924 how many candidates could the Liberals afford to put up?
-324 candidates
Why was DLG not liked?
-Marconi scandal
-DLG relationship with his secretary
-sale of honours
When did Asquith lose his seat?
-lost his seat in 1918 (won it back in 1919) and lost it again in 1924 (peer in 1925- still didn’t give up leadership of Libs)
When did DLG become leader of Liberals and did this fix problems
-leader in 1926 (after Asquith suffered from a stroke)
-NO- Liberals still weak
Why were conservatives unpopular from 1906-1912
-use of cheap chinese labour in mines in South Africa
-Conservative (chamberlain) tariff reform
Why were conservatives unpopular under Bonar Law before the war
-Bonar law encouraged Ulster unionist violence
How were conservatives benefitted from the coalition in May 1915?
-In government without an election and after Asquith left in 1916, they dominated cabinet positions
What happened at the Carlton Club 1922?
-Bonar Law and Stanley Baldwin condemned DLG and said he threatened to split the Conservatives party
-They ended the coalition which ejected DLG from government
When and who was Bonar Law replaced by as leader of Conservative?
-1923
-Stanley Baldwin
How many seats did conservatives have in a)1922 b) Oct 1924
a)345
b)419
Why were Labour weak on the onset of war?
-Divided because of pacifist and anti-war leaders: Keir Hardie objected and MacDonald resigned which left Arthur Henderson as leader and he joined the coalition
Why did Labour get increasing support during the war?
-Growth in trade unions from 4 million to 8 million helped the party gain greater political funds (did not lead to immediate success)
Did Labour win all w/c votes?
-NO- during IWYs they secured less than half the w/c vote
