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The Making of Modern Britain (1951-2007) > The Affluent Society 1951-64 > Flashcards

The Affluent Society 1951-64 Flashcards

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1
Q

Name the 4 Prime Ministers in this period and when they were in office

A

Winston Churchill - 1951-55
Anthony Eden - 1955-57
Harold Macmillan - 1957-63
Sir Alec Douglas-Home - 1963-64

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2
Q

Describe Churchill as a leader

A
  • He was old and frail (suffered stroke in 1953 which was kept secret)
  • Saw himself an international statesman, rather than domestic politician
  • Saw himself above party politics
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3
Q

What was the name for the broad political agreement between all three major parties in the UK in 1951?

A

The post-war consensus

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4
Q

What did the post-war consensus say?

A
  • The importance of the welfare state, especially the NHS - ‘from the cradle to the grave’
  • Intervention in the economy - ensure growth and full employment
  • Foreign policy to support USA and oppose USSR and communism
  • Independence for the colonies
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5
Q

What did Labour label the years of Tory dominance in this period?

A

‘13 wasted years’

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6
Q

What were some reasons for Conservative success from 1951-64?

A
  • Seemingly successful economics - minimal unemployment and increased standard of living
  • Britain still seemed a world power - nuclear weapons and strong in Korean War
  • Churchill’s government built 300,000 houses a year (mostly not public sector)
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7
Q

What were some failures in the Labour party from 1951-64?

A
  • Labour party divided, particularly over defence spending. Bevanites supported nuclear disarmament, favouring welfare spending, whereas Gaitskellites opposed it
  • Labour faced problems beyond its control - Gaitskell died in 1963
  • Electorate was satisfied with Conservative rule
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8
Q

What were some reasons for the Conservatives’ fall from power in 1964?

A
  • An ageing leadership who many felt was unrepresentative of ‘New Britain’ - most born into wealth and no women in government
  • Satirists mocked leading figures mercilessly (That Was The Week That Was)
  • Macmillan sacked 2/3 of his cabinet in the ‘Night of The Long Knives in 1962 - gave the impression of disunity
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9
Q

Give an example of a spy scandal in 1951-64

A

The Kim Philby Affair 1963
Kim Philby was a trusted MI6 agent who fled to the USSR in January 1963. He had been passing on sensitive information for much of his career. Macmillan’s government inevitably looked weak because of this

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10
Q

Give an example of a sex and moral scandal in 1951-64

A

The Profumo Affair 1963
John Profumo, Minister for War, lied to the House of Commons about an extramarital affair with 19 year old Christine Keeler. The investigation implicated many senior figures in similar activities and lost much support of the public

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11
Q

What did the replacement of Macmillan with Douglas-Home suggest?

A

Out-of-date methods and the overwhelming existence of privilege
Macmillan was already seen as a somewhat out-of-touch leader and Douglas-Home was no better

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12
Q

What was Labour’s majority in the 1964 election?

A

4 seats

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13
Q

What did Harold Wilson base his campaign around in 1964?

A

Technological and scientific developments in terms of ‘white heat’

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14
Q

What ideas did Wilson put forward in his ‘White Heat of Technology’ speech in 1963?

A
  • Rapid change and the modernisation of the economy to shape Britain’s future
  • He linked science, education and planning with social progress, aiming to build a more equal and efficient society
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15
Q

What overlying economic circumstances were there in 1951-64?

A

A ‘post-war boom’ of economic growth and unprecedented rises in living standards

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16
Q

What were the economic policies during the post war consensus known as, and why?

A
  • Butskellism - an combination of Chancellor Rab Butler and Shadow Chancellor Hugh Gaitskell
  • This was because there was little difference in the views of the Conservative and Labour party about the economy
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17
Q

What were the aims of Butskellism?

A
  • Maintenance of full employment and economic growth
  • Continued development of the welfare state
  • Maintenance of defence and nuclear weaponry
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18
Q

What were some reasons for the growth of the British and other Western European economies?

A
  • Marshall Aid
  • The growth of exports
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19
Q

What were some economic issues in Britain in the period?

A
  • Balance of Payments issues - Britain imported more than it sold so were always in a deficit (around £95 million by 1961)
  • Britain couldn’t afford to modernise the economy, develop the welfare state and maintain defence commitments
  • Growing inflation and even stagflation
  • Industrial relations - as inflation grew, workers demanded pay rises
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20
Q

What is stagflation?

A

Continued price rises despite a downturn in the economy

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21
Q

What were Britain’s budget deficits in 1957 and 1964?

A

£540 million in 1957
£800 million in 1964

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22
Q

What speech did Macmillan give in 1957 and how true was it?

A

The British people had ‘never had it so good’
While it was largely truly, much consumer spending was on credit and unemployment was growing

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23
Q

What did unemployment go from and to from 1951-58?

A

367,000 in 1951
563,000 in 1958

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24
Q

What were ‘Stop-Go’ economics?

A
  • The use of interest rates to control economic growth
  • When the economy was growing too quickly, interest rates would be raised, making it more expensive to borrow, lowering demand
  • When the economy slowed, interest rates would be cut, making credit cheaper, increasing demand
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25
How did elections influence economic decision making from in 1951-64?
- As elections approached, budgets were manipulated to win support - In 1959, tax cuts were introduced so people had more to spend - Interest rates should have been increased to reduce spending, due to growing inflation
26
Who foresaw the issues stop-go economics were causing?
- Macmillan's entire team of Treasury Ministers resigned in 1957 over these measures - They wanted to reduce government spending on welfare
27
What two organisations were set up in 1961 to develop a planned economy?
National Economic Development Council (NEDDY) National Incomes Commission (NICKY)
28
What was NEDDY's purpose?
Allowed representatives of employers, unions and the government to plan growth
29
What was NICKY's purpose?
To regulate wage demands
30
What did the government announce in July 1961 to try and curb excessive pay demands?
A 'pay pause'
31
What stopped the 'pay pause' being effective?
The government gave in to demands from electricity workers, as they were threatening strikes
32
What had unemployment risen to by 1963?
800,000
33
Who was the chancellor in 1964?
Reginald Maudling
34
What did Maudling adopt to tackle unemployment?
A free-spending budget, reducing interest rates and cutting taxes
35
What did Maudling's budget lead to?
Unemployment falling to 500,000 by 1964, but a deficit of £800m
36
What fuelled the growth of consumerism in Britain in the 1950s?
Credit
37
How much did car ownership grow by in the 1950s?
3 million to 7 million
38
Ownership of which appliances grew through consumerism?
Vacuum cleaners Washing machines Cookers Refrigerators
39
How much did ownership of TVs grow from 1951 to 1963?
1951 - 340,000 1963 - 13 million
40
What was the position of women in professional life?
- Most professional women became nurses, teachers or office workers - Women on average received 40% less pay than men for doing the same jobs - The civil service introduced equal pay in 1958
41
What was the position of girls in schools?
- There was a concentration on subjects such as domestic science to prepare girls for their anticipated low life - Less than 2% of women went to university during the 1950s
42
What did Maureen Nicol introduce?
The National Housewives' Register It's aim was to bring women closer together
43
List some changes in class and the establishment in this period
- WW2 had seen some levelling of society and created a sense of 'all being in it together' - Growing affluence and living standards reduced class divisions to some extent - Satire and government scandals encouraged a decline in deference
44
What was one of the biggest cultural developments in this period?
The huge growth in television
45
What was the first shift that helped grow television?
The shift from the BBC solely dominating both radio and TV to the introduction of commercial TV in 1956
46
What genre broke through, what did it reflect, and name a playwright who created these?
'Kitchen sink dramas' Reflected real tensions in society John Osbourne
47
What did labour shortages in Britain lead to?
Led to people from the New Commonwealth (e.g. India, Pakistan and the Caribbean) being encouraged to move to Britain to take up mainly unskilled or semi-skilled jobs
48
What areas were members of the New Commonwealth attracted to?
- Asian communities often became centred in textile areas of Northern towns - Areas of heavy industry such as the West Midlands attracted Asian and Caribbean communities - London became a magnet for all groups
49
How many immigrated to the UK in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s?
240,000 in 1940s 676,000 in 1950s 1,243,000 in 1960s
50
When and where was there a series of racial attacks?
Various cities from Nottingham to Notting Hill August bank holiday 1958
51
What was the name of the official inquiry into the race riots?
The Salmon Report
52
What were the Salmon Report's findings?
- The indigenous population resented the immigrants willingness to work for low wages, as they feared it would undercut their own employment - Immigrants were forcing up the cost of rents
53
What was introduced in 1962 to limit immigration?
The Commonwealth Immigration Act
54
What did the Commonwealth Immigration Act limit immigration to?
- Whether would-be migrants had a job to go to - Whether they possessed particular skills, e.g. in medicine - Whether they were dependants of people there
55
Who were the Teddy Boys?
A youth group who emerged in the 1950s They fed on a decrease in deference and were feared by many as being violent This was shown in gang fights, vandalism and racist attacks on immigrants from the New Commonwealth
56
What was Britain's overwhelming dilemma in the 1950s and where was this made evident?
It sought to maintain a global influence but lacked the resources to do so This was clear in the Cold War, where Britain wanted its own Nuclear deterrent
57
How much of Britain's GDP was spent on defence?
8%
58
How were Britain tied the USA?
Through connections with NATO, particularly in the Cold War Macmillan was often emphasising the 'Special Relationship' with the US - always supporting them in disputes, such as the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
59
When was the EEC founded?
1957
60
What was West Germany's growth rate between 1951 and 1964 compared to Britains?
5% compared to less than 2.5%
61
What did Britain join instead of the EEC?
European Free Trade Association (EFTA) which was smaller and did comparatively little trade
62
When did Britain first apply to join the EEC and who vetoed this?
1961 - vetoed by French President Charles de Gaulle, as he feared that Britain's commitment was too weak and they were too close to the USA
63
When was Britain's second application to the EEC and who vetoed this?
1967, again vetoed by Charles de Gaulle
64
What was Polaris?
Polaris was Britain's first nuclear deterrent, which they purchased from the USA De Gaulle criticised Britain for buying nuclear weapons rather than developing them with France
65
Where was there conflict over decolonisation?
There was considerable unrest in Cyprus, and wars in Malaya and Kenya
66
What country was decolonised first, and when was independence given to the majority of colonies by?
Ghana was decolonised in 1957, most were granted independence by 1968
67
What speech did Macmillan give about colonialism, where did he give it, and where?
The 'Winds of Change' speech South Africa 1960
68
What did the 'Winds of Change' speech outline?
Macmillan's belief that colonialism was dead
69
What event showed the impracticality of colonialism?
The Suez Crisis 1956
70
Who was Egypt's leader in the Suez Crisis?
Gamal Abdul Nasser
71
What was Nasser's view about the Suez Canal, and what did he do about it?
He resented the fact that the canal was largely owned by Britain and France and brought little wealth into Egypt In 1956, he nationalised the canal
72
Describe the agreement made by Britain and France following the nationalisation of the Suez Canal
They made a secret agreement at Sevres with Israel that Israel would invade Egypt, and Britain and France would invade the canal zone
73
What issues arose from the invasion?
While the military campaign was successful, it was opposed by the USA, USSR and significant groups within Britain The USA threatened to stop British loans if Britain did not withdraw troops, which they did
74
What were the results of the Suez Crisis?
Prime Minister Anthony Eden resigned, and the government was widely seen to have been humbled It showed Britain's reduced role in the world

The Making of Modern Britain (1951-2007) (6 decks)

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