Theme 1 a 2 - Responding to economic challenges Flashcards

1
Q

Give two things that may cause the gold standard to be readjusted

A

A high-spending government would either tax or borrow.

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2
Q

Why did MacDonald call the October 1931 election?

A
  • Followed the governments collapse.
  • So reluctant as fearing it would destroy the Labour party.
  • The conservatives in the National Government insisted on one.
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3
Q

Who won the October 1931 election?

A

The National Government

  • The conservatives within it won the most seats.
  • Until 1945
  • Various elections during this period showed shifting support for different support for the different parties.
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4
Q

Who was in government in 1931-35?

A

National Government

  • James Ramsay McDonald
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5
Q

Who was in government in 1945-51?

A

Labour

  • Clement Attlee
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6
Q

What did the National Government implement 1931-35?

A
  • Spending cuts
  • Public sector pay cuts
  • Limited tariffs
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7
Q

Who was in government 1935-37?

A

Stanley Baldwin

  • Conservative
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8
Q

What did Public sector cuts do?

A

Public sector pay cuts of 10% which led to a mutiny in the Royal Navy at the naval base of Invergordon

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9
Q

When did they re-break from the gold standard?

A

1933

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10
Q

Who was MacDonald’s main competition 1931-35?

A

Labour

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11
Q

How many members did the British Union of Fascists have by 1934?

A

50,000

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12
Q

How many members did the Communist Party of Great Britain have in 1934? What did they do?

A

9,000 eg. Fabians Sidney and Beatrice Webb

  • Organised the National Unemployed Worker’s Movement - Respected thousands of unemployed men.
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13
Q

What did the National Unemployed Worker’s Movement do?

A

Represented thousands of unemployed men.

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14
Q

What did Fabians Sidney and Beatrice Webb believe and do for the Communist Party of Great Britain?

A
  • Visited the Soviet Union, believing that communism was an economic success.
  • Impact - These influential figures argued convincingly in favour of state planning.
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15
Q

Who was Oswald Mosley?

A
  • A charismatic and forceful Labour MP
  • Inspired by Benito Mussolini in Italy
  • March 1931 - Got frustrated at the national government, resigned and made his new organisation The New Party
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16
Q

In Italy who and when has an influence on British politics?

A

Since 1922

  • A fascist one-party state
  • Leader - Charismatic dictator Benito Mussolini
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17
Q

What was the New Party’s manifesto?

A

Wanted change - March 1931

Mosley Memorandum

    • Both right and left attraction
    • Demanded a co-ordinated national economic plan to deal with the economic crisis.
    • Violent enforcers called ‘Biff Boys’ given the task of attacking his components.
    • This withdrew support from conservatives and labour
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18
Q

Who enforced Mosley’s new party?

A

Biff Boy’s - given the task of attacking his components.

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19
Q

What was the name of Mosley’s manifesto?

A

Mosley Memorandum

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20
Q

What did Mosley do in 1932?

A
  • Drew all the fascist organisations in Britain together with the New Party to form the British Union of Fascists.
  • At its height 50,000 members
  • Impact - Proved to be negligible but briefly presented a challenge to law and order.
  • Popularity decreased 1936
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21
Q

What did the Public Order Act do?

A

1932

Banned groups from wearing uniforms and requiring permission for marches and demonstrations.

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22
Q

What did the BUF demonstrate?

A

People did not believe the existing political system of parliamentary democracy was capable of working at the height of the depression.

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23
Q

What did Adolf Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor change in Britain?

A
  • Caused public opinion to divide between rearmament and disarmament.
  • The traumatic memories of the previous war many were attracted to organisations such as the Peace Pledge Union and the League of Nations that supported peaceful resolutions to conflict.
24
Q

State two organisations that supported peaceful resolutions to conflict

A

Peace Pledge

Union League of Nations

25
Q

What was the peace ballot?

A
  • 1934
  • Millions of householders asked their opinions on war and security
  • Organised by the League of Nations
  • 11 million questionned
  • The Peace Pledge Union - Followed
26
Q

How many people sent letters to Father Dick Sheppard opposing war?

A

100,000 men and women

27
Q

What was now the blame for WW1?

A

No longer all Germany’s fault

Instead blamed arm races and secret treaties

28
Q

Give an example of the government trying to negotiate disarmament of Germany

Why did it fail?

A

The World Disarmament Conference - 1932-1934

  • In 1933 Germany withdrew expressing its right to rearm to levels equal to France, Britain and the USA.
  • This made Baldwin argue to Parity
29
Q

How much was the RAF increased too after 1934?

A

40 Squadrons

30
Q

Who replaced Ramsay MacDonald (who resigned due to bad health) in 1935?

A

Stanley Baldwin

For the 3rd time

31
Q

For the October 1935 election what was Stanley Baldwins manifesto?

A
  • Pledged new houses, jobs and government help for the most economically deprived parts of the country
  • Also pledged to improve Britain’s defences although there was little desire among the public for rearmament
32
Q

When did King George V die? Why was this a big deal?

A
  • January 1936
  • Son - Edward VIII
  • Rumoured to be in a relationship with American divorcee - Wallis Simpson
  • November 1936 - King Edward VIII told Baldwin of his intentions to marry Wallis Simpson. Said the marriage would be seen by many British people as morally unacceptable.
  • 11 December 1936 - King Edward VIII abdicated the thrown to marry Wallis Simpson.
  • Gave way to his brother George VI
33
Q

What world event happened in 1935?

A

Italian invasion of Abyssinia

34
Q

What world event happened in 1936?

A

Hitler reoccupies the Rhineland

Outbreak of the Spanish Civil War

35
Q

What world event happened in 1937?

A

Japan invades China

36
Q

When was the Spanish Civil war?

A

1936

37
Q

What world event happened in 1938?

A

Hitler annexes the Sudetenland and Austria

38
Q

How did Hitler break the TOV?

A

Reoccupying the Rhineland in 1936

39
Q

Who became PM in 1937?

Following Stanley Baldwin’s ill health

A

Neville Chamberlain

40
Q

What did Neville Chamberlain help as PM?

A
  • Economic recovery
  • Falling unemployment
  • Stable prices
41
Q

State the main problem with the national government Chamberlain faced

A

The breakdown of international order making war increasingly likely.

But the antiwar movement in Britain was growing in strength this made rearmament harder.

42
Q

What made rearmament in Britain hard for Chamberlain?

A

The antiwar movement in Britain was growing in strength

43
Q

What did Chamberlain do in 1938?

A

Went to Germany 3 times to try and prevent an outbreak of war by negotiating with Hitler

44
Q

What did the Munich Agreement do?

A

September 1938

Granted nearly all of Hitler’s demands and allowed him to annex the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia.

45
Q

When was WW2 declared?

A

September 1939

After Hitler attacked Poland

46
Q

When and why did Chamberlain resign?

A

April 1940

He had lost the support of his MPs.

After a failed military expedition to Norway in April 1940.

47
Q

What did Chamberlain do to military spending in 1934?

A
  • Increased by £120 million
  • Believing it would cover the next 5 years of expenditure
  • 1937 - increased again to £1.5 billion
  • This was still a huge underestimate after war began.
48
Q

What was the ‘phoney war’?

A
  • Following the declaration of war in September 1939
  • The British Expeditionary Force was mobilised to France.
  • This was followed by 7 months standoff
  • Ended April 1940
49
Q

What happened to Chamberlain in the Norway Debate?

A
  • 7 May - After Norway was invaded and occupied by Germany
  • Chamberlain faced a full fury of both opposition and gov benched for the incompetent handling of the war.
  • He narrowly won a vote of no confidence
50
Q

What did Chamberlain do on 9 May 1940?

A

Attempted to form a new coalition government

Labour Party refused to serve under him which left wither Lord Halifax or Winston Churchill

51
Q

Who were the possible replacements for Chamberlain?

A
  • Lord Halifax - later stepped aside after realising he could not run the war from the House of Lords
  • Winston Churchill - Won!
52
Q

When did Winston Churchill become MP?

A
  • 10 May 1940
  • The day of Germany’s invasion of France
  • First Speech - To House of Commons offering his ‘blood, toil, tears and sweat’ 13 May
53
Q

What did Halifax negotiate on 25 May 1940?

A

A negotiation settlement with Germany.

This clashed with Churchill’s beliefs.

Who said it would make Britain a ‘slave-state’ if they agreed to German terms

54
Q

Why was Churchill unpopular with MacDonald and Baldwin?

A
    • India - Opposed Home Rule.
    • Support for Edward VIII - Believed he should remain king and even offered to form a new ‘King’s Party’ to oppose Baldwin
    • Disarmament - Instinctively supportive of military spending. Also opposed the policy of appeasement
55
Q

When was Churchill’s second term in office?

A

1951-1955

56
Q

When was Churchills first term as MP?

A

1939-1945

57
Q

Why was labour competition to McDonald?

A
  • Reorganised in first half of 1930s and became the official opposition.
  • New leader Clement Attlee