Revision guide
Unit – Britain 1900 – 1951
Britain 1918 –
1951
20 mark essay skills
1
The Assessment Objective (AO1)
You are required by the exam board to be able to do the following:
‘Demonstrate, organise and communicate knowledge and understanding to analyse and
evaluate the key features related to the periods studied, making substantiated judgements
and exploring concepts, as relevant, of cause, consequence, change, continuity, similarity,
difference, and significance.’
Essay structure
Introduction
Two main things need to be done:
- Establish your judgement on the question set
- Outline the key points to be addressed
Main body – 3 – 4 PEER/PEEL paragraphs that address a range of factors that link to the
question set.
Paragraph structure
Point
-The argument in an essay is the line of debate which the student takes in order to answer
the question. It is not a one-sided rant, but a careful and clever exploration of both sides
(balance) of the historical debate, with one side being championed over the other.
-Every point of argument must be supported by factual evidence, otherwise it is just
opinion.
Evidence
2
-Evidence is a fact (name, date, place, event, statistic) which has been brought in to the
essay to back up the argument. Each sentence of argument must be supported by a fact or
facts, otherwise it is just opinion.
-The facts must be SELECTED and DEPLOYED (‘CHOOSE and USE’), so that only the most
appropriate are used in the essay. In the short time you have to write OCR essays, you
CANNOT WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING!
-You need excellent subject knowledge to know which fact to use
-Use facts, don’t just ‘dump’ them
-Using a fact means that it is there for a reason – it is the best example to support the
point of argument in answering the question
-‘Dumping’ facts means writing lots of names/ dates in a paragraph without considering
why they are there, either just fill up space or tell the story – the examiner is not shown why
they are necessary
Explanation
This is where every precisely selected facts are clearly explained an evaluated, showing
clearly the link to the question:
-The argument always comes first because it is answering the question; the facts come
afterwards because they are the proof used to justify the argument; the explanation comes
next because it shows how the argument made and the facts used answer the question set
and assesses the significance of the argument.
How to ‘Explain’ in Essays
Exam mark-schemes talk about ‘developed explanations’, which students often take to
mean ‘explain everything’. It doesn’t mean this - instead, it means ‘show the examiner why
you think something’.
Here are stages of ‘explanation’ that students often go through:
-Describing the Event – a common mistake
-this is where the student describes what happened in an event, but does not explain to
the examiner why it is important in the argument:
-Implied Explanation – a common mistake
-this is where the student looks like they are about to explain why the event was
important, but never do so. Instead, they imply/ infer it to the examiner, but do not make it
explicit. The examiner’s response is then ‘So what? You are leaving me to make a guess
about what you think’:
-Developed Explanation – do this!
-this is where the student shows the examiner exactly why the event is in important in
their argument, so that the examiner can give them credit (marks) for it.
Refer
Link the point you have made and clearly explained back to the question set and your
overall judgement.
Conclusion
Reassert your overall judgement on the question set that was established in the
introduction and linked to throughout the answer.
3
Different types of questions
There are different ways that questions can be phrased and this will impact on the order of
the points that you address in your answer. For example:
How successful were government policies in dealing with economic problems in the 1930s?
This type of question requires you to use the essay structure laid out above.
X factor structure – although the overall structure laid out above still applies, this type of
question dictates the order of the points addressed. For example:
‘Poor leadership within the trade union movement was the main reason for the failure of the
General Strike of 1926.’ How far do you agree?
In this type of question you must always address the factor in the question first, assessing
whether you believe it to be the most important factor or not and why. If it is not the most
important factor this must be addressed in the second paragraph of your answer.
British History 20 markers past paper questions
‘Ramsey MacDonald’s first ministry was too short-lived to have achieved anything
substantial.’ How far do you agree?
How successful were government policies in dealing with economic problems in the 1930s?
‘Calmness in a crisis was the most important aspect of Baldwin’s leadership of the
Conservative party and as prime minister.’ How far do you agree?
‘MacDonald betrayed the Labour Party during his second ministry, 1929–31.’ How far do
you agree?
To what extent were the National Governments, 1931–40, dominated by the Conservative
Party?
‘The victory of the Labour Party in the 1945 election was unexpected.’ How far do you
agree?
Assess the reasons for the decline of the Liberal Party by 1924.
Assess the reasons for the failure of political extremism in the 1930s.
Assess the impact of foreign affairs on domestic government during the period from 1929 to
1939.
‘The impact of the Second World War on the civilian population of Britain was greatest on
women.’ How far do you agree?
4
‘Poor leadership within the trade union movement was the main reason for the failure of
the General Strike of 1926.’ How far do you agree?
How successful were the domestic policies of Labour governments in the period from 1945
to 1951?
Potential 20 markers
These cover content that has not been properly assessed yet, so ideally you should write a
full response for each. Happy to mark it if you do.
‘Attlee’s role as Deputy Prime-Minister during the war was the primary reason for Labour
victory in 1945.’ To what extent do you agree?
To what extent did the National Government alleviate the impact of the decline of the
staple industries?
‘Labour’s defeat in 1951 was entirely due to financial circumstances.’ To what extent do
you agree?
‘British foreign policy in the 1930s was weak and lacked foresight.’ How far do you agree?
‘Lloyd George fell from power because of his unwise interventions in foreign policy.’ To
what extent do you agree?
To what extent is it correct to refer to the 1930s as ‘The Devil’s Decade?’
Example answers
‘Calmness in a crisis was the most important aspect of Baldwin’s leadership of the
Conservative party and as prime minister.’ How far do you agree?
Calmness in a crisis was the most important aspect of Baldwin’s leadership. He dealt with a number
of crises by acting calmly and by planning correctly. One can also assess his leadership by his
willingness to take a backseat and his willingness to compromise.
Baldwin dealt with a number of crises in his time as leader of the Conservative Party. The first of these
he averted altogether in Red Friday of 1925; he negotiated and set up the Samuel Commission to
address the concerns of the minders and find a solution to their wage problem. He averted a General
Strike in this year and panned via the OMS for a future strike. By approaching the grievances of the
miners calmly Baldwin averted a crisis. In the General Strike which finally came after the Samuel
Commission’s findings that miners’ wages should be cut, Baldwin exercised extreme calm. He
executed planned procedures, the OMS which used volunteers to make up for the strikers and keep
essential services running, he broadcast messages daily and behind the scenes he negotiated with J.H.
Thomas, leader of the TUC. Baldwin’s calmness prevented the Strike from having and longevity and
5
prevented it from spreading; rash action against the strikers could have rallied public support to them.
Baldwin’s calmness was perfect for the situation. In the crisis of the Great Depression, which led to
the formation of the National Government, Baldwin’s calmness was less important as he was not
Prime Minister. However it ensured he did not take a drastically different position to Labour and
calmly agreed to compromise. Baldwin’s calmness in the abdication crisis involving Wallis Simpson
and Edward VIII was hugely important. He did not seek a radical solution, instead presenting a
precedent he calmly gave the king the choice of abdicating or abandoning Simpson. This dealt with
the crisis quickly and easily. Baldwin’s calmness and lack of resort to radical policy also ensured that
extremist groups did not rise in Britain as they did in Europe, with fascism in Germany and Italy and a
strong Communist movement in France Indeed, his calmness was perhaps most important in averting
an resort to radical solutions to crises, preventing the growth of groups such as the BUF. Therefore,
Baldwin’s calmness was extremely important in times of crisis.
Another important aspect of Baldwin’s leadership was his willingness to take a backseat. In the 1923
government which he inherited he allowed factions to take sides on tariff reform, having an election
to solve the issue rather than dictating a choice. Furthermore, in the 1924-29 government he allowed
Churchill to return to the Gold Standard, taking a backseat on financial matters as he did before. During
the General Strike he also allowed Churchill to publish the British Gazette and allowed other
government elements such as the Samuel Commission to determine what action to take. This was
highly important as a characteristic of Baldwin’s leadership is it showed that he was willing to let
others take the lead, which is undoubtedly why he remained leader of the Conservatives for over a
decade. In the National Government, despite the Conservatives having over 400 seats, Baldwin took
a backseat and let MacDonald and Snowden run the government. This is important as he avoided a
potentially brutal ideological battle by taking a backseat and keeping his promise to the government.
Willing to take a backseat was a highly important aspect of Baldwin’s leadership as it was why he
remained leader of the Conservatives for so long and because it created stability in the 1930s.
Finally, Baldwin’s willingness to compromise was extremely important in creating an adherence to the
parliamentary system and creating stability. In 1923 Baldwin compromises on tariff reform by holding
an election to decide on Red Friday. Baldwin compromised by creating the Samuel Commission and
by creating a temporary subsidy for miners’ wages. This was highly important as it created the
tradition of dialogue, rather than confrontation. This led to J.H. Thomas’ willingness to talk during the
General Strike and prevented any escalation of that crisis. Baldwin’s willingness to compromise was
also extremely important in 1931 with the formation of the National Government. Rather than seeking
Conservative dominance and potentially dividing the nation further, Baldwin compromised with
MacDonald to form the national government. Indeed, even with a huge Conservative majority he
followed Snowden and MacDonald’s economic proposals. Therefore, compromise was a highly
important aspect of Baldwin’s leadership as it led to dialogue being used to solve crises and ensured
the nation united in the crisis of the Great Depression.
Calmness in a crisis was Baldwin’s most important aspect as a leader as it ensured these crises never
expanded into something more and because it prevented the rise of extremist groups with radical
solutions. However, Baldwin’s willingness to compromise and his willingness to take a back seat also
characterised his leadership of the Conservative party and his time as PM. Although these aspects
were undoubtedly important, ensuring he remained the leader of the party for so long and ensuring
dialogue was used to solve crises, they were not as important as his calmness during crises. Therefore,
to a large extent I agree calmness during a crisis was the most important aspect of Baldwin’s leadership
of the Conservative party and as Prime Minister.
6
‘MacDonald betrayed the Labour Party during his second ministry, 1929-31.’ How far do you
agree?
MacDonald’s second ministry was the second time Labour had formed a government the previous
being in 1924. The 1924-31 ministry was overshadowed by problems and eventually led to the
formation of the national government in 1931 with Macdonald heading this with Conservative
support, however the extent to which he betrayed the Labour party during his second ministry is not
conclusive.
MacDonald in 1929 came to power on a largely moderate manifesto with no promises over radical
social change therefore although the left of the Labour party such as Devan wanted vast social change
this was never promised by MacDonald thus his ministry from 1929-31 was never going to be
traditionally left wing or support much of the Labour constitution adopted in 1918. However
MacDonald can be seen as not abandoning the Labour party as even during a minority government
(with support from the Liberals) MacDonald still passed socialist bills such as Greenwood’s housing
Act which provided for slum clearance and the building of over 700,000 new affordable homes
7
therefore evidentially showing that MacDonald did not betray the Labour party as he passed laws to
promote social welfare, furthermore MacDonald passed the unemployment insurance act of 1930
which removed the requirement of the ‘genuinelly seeking work’ clause for dole payments,
furthermore dole payments were makde available immediately after becoming unemployed therefore
showing once again how MacDonald did not betray the Labour party during his second ministry as he
passed socialist acts which promoted social welfare strongly supported by Labour.
However MacDonald’s second ministry from 1929 to 1931 was not without problem. MacDonald’s
desire to implement the May report in 1931 was a betrayal of the Labour Party as the report proposed
the cut of over £100m in expenduture including a 10% reduction in unemployment benefit something
directly against labour’s views at the time, furthermore his rejection of other views in the party such
as Keynes in how to deal with the economic problems shows MacDonald’s betrayal of the Labour
party. However MacDonald did ot only cut unemployment benefit by 10% unlike other countries such
as Germany in addition MacDonald did not agree to a £50m loan for the colonies in the form of
reinvestment projects which was in accordance with Labour policy. MacDonald just did not implement
them drastically enough showing how he did betray the Labour party in his second ministry in his
refusal to adopt a socialist programme.
The Labour government from 1929-31 led by MacDonald however was not in a strong position as
MacDonald did lose an overall majority and he only gained the 200+ seats he did due to his moderate
programme as evidence by the failure of the liberals ‘we can conquer unemployment’ campaing in
1929 gaining less than 60 seats therefore MacDonald did not betray Labout in his second miistry as
much like in 1924 he proved that Labour was a party of governance and could be trusted which helped
eventually lead to the first majority Labour goermnet in 1945 as they were trusted to govern thanks
to the actions of MacDonald. Moreover other acts of MacDonald’s ministry were in correlation with
Labour beliefs such as the Coal Mines Act of 1930 which guaranted working conditions for miners
something which was a longheld policy of the Labour party after it’s cration from the LRC in 1906.
MacDonald did however even with a minority government fail to deal with unemployment which
affected Labour’s core support the working class with over 2 million people being unemployed by 1931
and due to macDonald betrayal of Labour in later forming a national government in 1931 with
Conservative support as he left Labour leaderless in the early 1930s gaining only 50 seats in 1931. In
defence of MacDonald however the late 1920s suffered an economic crash never seen before
therefore he had no other option to reduce spending on social programmes and even though this
occurred MacDonald still managed to pass the road traffic act of 1930 which set the standard for
British roads including the need for driving tests and punishments for drink driving showing that again
although macDonald did betray Labour by not being more left wing he did pursue extensive acts which
promoted social welfare.
In conclusion MacDonald did not betray the Labour party during his second ministry as he was able to
pass social welfare programmes which led to over 700,000 new homes and the increase of miners
working conditions which were long held Labout views. Although MacDonald did not implement a
socialist programme and failed to deal with unemployment betraying Labour his hands were pretty
much tied as he lacks an overall majority and was elected as a moderate moreover the economic
situation of the late 1920s and early 30s presented a formidable task with cuts to expenditure
necessary. Thus overall MacDonald did not betray the Labour party during his second ministriy of
1929-31.
How successful were government policies in dealing with economic problems in the 1930s?
8
The 1930s was dominated by a National Government created by King George to deal with the
economic emergency that had been created by the Wall Street Crash in 1929. The British economy
had been in stagnation since 1920 after a boom and bust following the First World War. However, the
US depression resulted in a reduction in exports to the USA and a recall on loans which plunged the
UK into an even deeper recession. The government had to contend with a deep regional divide caused
by the decline of old industries, and focusing on new ones in the South East; poor trade performance;
and unemployment of around 25% of the population. It was their dealing with these poignant issues
that would indicate the government’s economic success.
The first Act of the government was to implement the cuts to government spending that the May
committee had suggested, but the Labour government had failed to introduce. A cut of 10% was made
in unemployment benefit, means tests were introduced and wages frozen for 6 million public sector
employees. On the one hand the cuts allowed the Government to regain the trust of international
financers, meaning an £80 loan from US bankers, and preventing a rush on the pound. However, this
idea was not sufficient to cover economic issues, banks repaying the nation’s debts. Furthermore, the
cuts threatened the living standards of those reliant as well as the mean’s tests making it more difficult
to get government aid. Discontent towards the wage freezes was shows by the Inver Gordon Mutiny
1931 when 12,000 sailors refused to work. The cuts were damaging, and it could be argued that more
unconventional economic policy was necessary, however at the time a balanced budget was standard
and failure to achieve this could have caused a run on the pound as investors sought to leave Britain,
so in this sense it was necessary although not exactly successful in solving economic problems.
A government decision which did help to improve the economy was the decision to leave the Gold
Standard in 1932 which had made British goods uncompetitive since its reimplementation in 1925,
worsening the impact of structural decline. The pound devalued by 25% which helped exporters to reestablish themselves, and seemed to cause wide economic instability (which was a major concern).
Furthermore, this allowed the Central Bank to lower interest rates from 8% to 2% making investment
much easier, which would encourage produces to grow in size and create more jobs.. However, leaving
the Gold Standard was a blow to the government’s reputation as it demonstrated that the pound was
overvalued. Furthermore, rather than being regarded as successfully tackling an economic problem,
it was arguably common sense, many argue that the Gold Standard shouldn’t have been reinstated in
the first place, and the government were forced to leave the gold standard or face a run on currency
reserves.
The government did attempt to implement new policies to directly tackle economic issues, as well as
making cuts and leaving the Gold Standard. The Special Areas Act 1934 set aside £2 million to
encourage new light industries that had flourished in the South East of England, such as financial
services, and chemicals, to move to areas of structural decline. Furthermore, the government finally
adopted a policy of imperial preference, which had been introduced as an idea to fund government
spending and protect the industries in 1903 by the Conservatives. The Ottawa Congress of 1932 had
to set up a deal with the British dominions which would provide tariff free trade within the empire
with protectionist policies towards all other trade; helping British exports while protecting domestic
industries from cheap imports. However, even these policies were limited in their success. The Special
Areas Act did not allow significant funds to realistically encourage the movement of new industries,
there was little change in the regional divide. Furthermore, the tariff reform was not the success that
the government had hoped, mainly because dominions feared reducing tariffs in Britain due to the
threat British industries imposed on their own. Therefore, a tariff on British goods remained, although
they did increase tariffs on non-British goods. Overall, these policies failed to have the desired effect.
By 1936, it was clear that there had not been a significant change in Britain’s economic position. The
regional divide was clear in fact, shown by the fact that unemployment was 3.6% in financial services,
versus over 30% in ship building. Furthermore, the rise of opposition to conventional politics
9
demonstrated the discontent of the population. For instance a National Unemployed Workers
movement scheduled regular marches showing anger about the unemployment and decline of
structural industries, In Jarrow, unemployment was near 100% as all the major works of the town had
shut down, causing them to pursue a 200 mile march to London to ask the government for help.
Furthermore, there was increased popularity for extremist parties like the British Union of Fascists
and Communist party. These never really had the power to be a threat to the government, the British
Union of Fascists membership peaked at 50,000. However, the social unrest indicated that economic
issues had not been resolved.
However, the end of the 1930s did see some ease in the economy. The late 30s saw a housing boom
which caused related industries, such as furnishings, to pick up. The government had implemented
Housing Acts in 1933 and 1936, which had built 500,000 houses. However, the boom was mainly a
result of private building of 2.5 million homes and an increase in the number of building societies
which offered more affordable mortgages. Furthermore, rearmament in 1937 allowed structural
industries to grow again, which helped to solve the regional decline, for instance a steel works was
implemented in Jarrow, which eased unemployment issues there. However, by 1937, unemployment
was 1.7 million, this was an improvement, though still dangerously high, however the economic pickup
in the late 30s was more a result of matters out of the government’s hands, such as the threat of war
and a housing boom, than specific government policies.
Overall, the government did try to solve the economic issues of the 1930s. The decision to make cuts
and leave the Gold Standard, though difficult, were necessary given international economic adversity,
and the necessity to prevent British currency reserves drying up. Furthermore, the reduction in
interest rates and scale and devalue of the pound would help economic activity. However, government
policies to specifically tackle the economy such as import duties and the Special Areas Act were less
successful. The fact that the economy was in recovery by the late 1930s was more as a result of rearmament and factors outside of the government’s control. Furthermore although rearmament
helped structural decline, it did not solve the underlying economy problem that Britain was less
competitive in these industries, and that the areas of the country reliant on these industries needed
to diversity in order to protect workers from structural unemployment. Therefore, government
policies were not successful in dealing with the economic problems of the 1930s, as the other factors
were more important; unemployment was still high, and industrial decline would continue to be a
threat until the war was over.
10
The following information is an overall guide of the content covered in the course from 1918
– 1951. You need to use this in conjunction with your own notes and revision notes in order
to properly prepare for your example.
Britain Politics & Economy 1918 – 40
‘Coupon’ Election 1918

Lloyd-George (Liberal) & the Conservatives fought for a coalition election –
nicknamed ‘Coupon’. Therefore, there were 2 Liberal candidates. Conservatives
were the main winners & ‘coupon’ Liberals 2nd – together they formed the
Government. * This highlights the nationalistic mood of the nation after the war.
 Why did Lloyd George & the Conservatives win?
 Nationalistic mood – suited the Conservatives (seen as traditional).
 Lloyd George was seen as ‘the man who won the war’.
 Lloyd George – was seen as a reformer – had been successful before the war &
promised more social reform after the war.
 The Liberal party lost – as they were split ( supporters of Lloyd George & Asquith).
Labour were still not experienced enough to challenge.
What problems did Lloyd George face when he became Prime Minister from 1918?

Problems in 1918 – shortage of young men, unemployment of men, debts, rise of
socialism & Trade Unions.
Post-war Coalition Government –
Lloyd was the Prime Minster – but Conservatives were the largest party.
Coalition Government was seen as necessary to restore order after the war.
Conservatives supported Lloyd-George – seen as the ‘man who won the war’ - & was
highly respected, good leader, reformer etc.
Initial success – after 1918
Demobilisation of soldiers – without a significant rise in unemployment.
Economy returned to peace time conditions – e.g. end of state control over prices,
rents, profits, rationing.
Railways & mines – retuned to by privatised.
However – Lloyd-George was in a weak position – as he relied on his enemies
support.
Also – Sinn Fein became the main Irish party – they refused to attend Westminster &
used the Dail (unofficial Parliament) – *highlighted the growing problems in Ireland.









Achievements of Lloyd-George –




Social reforms – Addison’s Housing Act 1919 (good quality Council houses)
Fisher’s Education Act (school leaving age raised to 14)
Pensions extended - war widows pensions.
Unemployment benefit for more workers.
11


*However – the cost of these & war debt were difficult for the economy. Led to –
‘Geddes Axe’ – Geddes introduced spending cuts (especially in education & Public
Health) – these were very unpopular, especially the working class.
What Economic & Industrial problems faced Lloyd-George?

Old problems still existed – competition from the USA, growth of Trade Unions,
decline of Staple Industries.
 New problems from the war –
 Debt – large loans to pay back to USA
 Changes to trade & industry – less trade around the world, more countries tried to
buy less imports.
 Demobilising soldiers – young men became unemployed.
 The war – had enhanced the power of the Trade Unions & working class (as they
were needed) – therefore they grew in confidence after the war.
Problems – by 1921






Unemployment – 2 million
Failure of Staple Industries – textiles, coal, iron, steel, shipbuilding etc. Less trade for
textile industry, mines needed modernisation etc.
Sankey Commission – recommended nationalisation of the Coal industry – but the
Conservatives didn’t want it.
Trade Unions – grew stronger & more militant, e.g. Transport & General Workers
union (TGWU) led by Ernest Bevin. Problems – strikes & growing fear of
Communism. –
1921 – National Miners Strike – due to cuts in wages. Led to1921 – Emergency Powers Act – due to a threat of a General Strike.
The problem of Ireland








Rise of Sinn Fein, Easter rising, setting up of the Dail & rise of IRA – these intensified
problems in Ireland.
Anglo-Irish war 1919-21Lloyd-George used the ‘black & tans’ (ex-soldiers) to fight the IRA – however, they
were seen as extreme & violent.
1920 – Lloyd-George passed the ‘Government of Ireland Act’ – to partition the north
(unionist & Protestant) from the south (nationalist & Catholic) – however, Sinn Fein
rejected it – they wanted complete independence.
Sinn Fein (Michael Collins) signed a 2nd treaty – Anglo-Irish Treaty – to make Ireland a
free state & the north a small British territory. Therefore Ireland was divided.
(However – it was very unpopular with many in Sinn Fein & Collins was murdered –
power went to De Valera).
Why was Lloyd-George criticised? –
Blamed for using ‘black & tans’ – increased problems in the Anglo-Irish war.
Claims he encouraged civil war in the south – by persuading Collins to sign the
treaty.
12


Conservatives & Unionists – blamed him for handing over most of Ireland. Start of
the decline of the Empire.
Blamed for dividing Ireland.
The fall of Lloyd-George - 1922




Resignation of Bonar-Law – damaged his relationship with the Conservatives.
1922 ‘Honours Scandal’ – Lloyd-George was accused of selling peerages.
‘Chanak Affair’ – he ordered troops into action without consulting coalition.
Carlton club meeting 1922 – Conservatives decided to fight next election alone –
therefore Lloyd-George resigned & the Conservatives won the next election.
Summary – what factors led to the fall of Lloyd-George?






Anglo-Irish war & the division of Ireland.
Industrial unrest
High unemployment
‘Geddes Axe’ – reduction of Government spending.
Honours scandal
Chanak Affair
Why did the Conservatives lose the 1923 General Election?




Baldwin called an election over the issue of Tariff Reform (he was trying to increase
trade in the Empire & create more jobs). This issue was still unpopular with voters.
The Conservatives were still associated with the problems created by Lloyd George –
e.g. Geddes Axe, Industrial Unrest etc.
The Labour Party had grown in power & popularity – e.g. all men could vote (working
class more likely to vote for Labour), rise of Socialist ideas.
* The Conservatives failed to get a majority in the election & therefore Labour –
formed a minority Government.
First Labour Government 1923/4







Successes –
Raised pensions, unemployment benefit, Housing Act – new council homes,
education committee etc.
Why did it fail?
Had a minority Government & needed Liberal support – but this was eventually
withdrawn by the Liberals.
Red Scare- Seen as ‘soft on Communism’ – e.g. trade deal made with USSR.
Campbell case – (Campbell had urged the Army not to suppress a General Strike) –
Macdonald had failed to deal with him.
* Macdonald resigned in 1924.
13




Why did Labour lose the October 1924 election?
Links to Communism damaged reputation – e.g. ‘Zinoviev letter’ – from the USSR
leadership to the British Communist party – urged them to promote subversion.
This was exploited by the Conservatives.
*Conservatives – under Stanley Baldwin – won the 1924 election.
Why had the Liberals declined by 1924?





Split in the party during the war between Lloyd George & Asquith – divided the party
& had stood as 2 different parties in subsequent elections (therefore splitting the
vote).
World War 1 had damaged Liberal values (of little government intervention &
pacificism) – through conscription, DORA, control over workers etc.
1918 Representation of the People Act – more working class male voters (more likely
to vote for Labour) & female voters over 30 & a householder (more middle class –
likely to vote Conservative). Liberals had lost core voters & main policies e.g. against
Tariff Reform, no longer relevant – as the Conservatives had dropped that policy too.
Rise of the Labour party – reorganisation & cabinet experience during the war,
Macdonald as leader & moderate), policies of more social reform & peace –
attractive to voters.
1924 election – Liberals just stood with Asquith as their leader – only achieved 40
seats. Highlighting their dramatic fall.
Economic problems 1923-29











High unemployment – due to weak Staple Industries in certain areas , e.g. textiles in
Lancashire, shipbuilding in Glasgow & North East, Coal & Steel in South Wales.
Fewer exports – less trade.
USA dollar replaced the pound as the main world currency.
What caused the problems?
War – led to less exports & trade, coming off the Gold Standard – had lowered the
value of the pound.
Staple Industries – were out of date & inefficient.
Greater foreign competition –e.g. USA & Germany.
Trade restrictions – e.g. USSR & tariffs from USA.
Geddes cuts’ – increased unemployment.
1925 – Britain back on the Gold Standard – this raised the cost of exports.
Industrial relation problems – e.g. strikes & power of Trade Unions.
Government Economic policies 1923-29 – how did they respond?

1922/3 (Conservatives) – Baldwin proposed tariffs to improve trade – but lost power
on the issue.
14


1923-4 (Labour) – Proposed trade treaty with USSR. Reduction of reparations for
Germany – to help improve trade with Britain. Public works programme – but these
were too small.
1924-9 (Conservatives) – Britain back on the Gold Standard – expanded trade, but
exports became too expensive e.g. coal.
What led to the General Strike of 1926?
 Coal mines  Unrest was worse in the mines – due to high injury & death rates.
 Owners tried to cut the wages – due to foreign competition & high costs.
 The mines were old & inefficient – therefore owners tried to cut wages, in order to
make a profit.
 This led to disputes over wage cuts – fears of a social revolution.

















Industrial Unrest–
1913 – Triple Alliance – dockers, miners & railwaymen – promised to support each
other in industrial matters. Continued in the 1920s.
Miners wanted the mines to be nationalised after the war – but they were reprivatised & miners tried to cut wages. This led to strikes, lock-outs etc.
Gold Standard 1925 – made coal exports more expensive. Owners again tried to cut
wages & make miners work longer hours. Therefore Baldwin offered to subsidise wages & profits for 9 months – to prevent action from
the ‘Triple Alliance’.
Samuel commission – set up to investigate problems in the coal industry. Trade
Unions saw this as a victory. However – it ended in disappointment – as it rejected
nationalisation & said wage cuts were essential – but Government help was needed.
What happened?
When subsides ended – mine owners said workers would have to accept wage cuts
& longer hours. Led to –
Call for a strike from other unions to support the miners.
Baldwin failed to stop the strike – by not talking to the TUC. He claimed the strike
had started illegally the day before, as some printers had refused to print the
Government’s story. Therefore Baldwin ceased talks.
Strike included – coal, iron, steel, chemical & newspaper industries, docks, trains
etc. Lasted for 9 days.
Why did the strike end?
Government action Through using the Emergency Powers Act – Baldwin used volunteer workers & Army
to keep the country running.
The unions lost public sympathy – Baldwin said it was an issue of who ran the
country – the elected Government or the Trade Unions?
Newspaper – ‘British Gazette’ – got support for the Government.
Failure of the Unions (TUC)15




Miner’s leaders – Smith & Cook – turned public sympathy against them, they were
seen as uncommunicative.
The Trade Unions – did not have the use of effective propaganda to get the public
on side- as the printers were on strike!
TUC was not prepared – had hoped just a threat of a general strike would do – they
could not afford to pay the strikers.
* TUC called off the strike & the miners had to accept owners demands.
Where did Baldwin & the economy do well in the 1920s?










‘Second Industrial Revolution’ – new industries did well – e.g. chemicals, cars,
electrical goods etc. In the south & midlands.
Electricity & the National Grid – helped businesses & homes – made them more
productive & efficient.
Growth of the service sector – e.g. retail, transport, entertainment etc.
Overall increase in living standards – cinema, fashion, music, setting up the BBC
etc.
Some social improvements – new houses, Widow’s Pensions, unemployment pay
increased.
Other areas of success –
All women given the vote in 1928 – full democracy.
Britain was still an important world power – e.g. in the League of Nations.
Conservatives – did well in the 1920s, due to the weakness of other parties – e.g.
Liberals declined due to split, Labour recovering after 1923.
Baldwin successfully dealt with the General Strike – only lasted 9 days.
Why did Baldwin’s Government lose the 1929 election?








General Strike – inability to deal with the Trade Unions, had created nationwide
disturbance.
Economic problems & increase in price of exports – caused by putting Britain back
on the Gold Standard.
Failure to tackle problems of Industry – e.g. decline of the Staple Industries &
unemployment.
Trade Disputes Act 1927 – outlawed ‘sympathy’ strikes – therefore another General
Strike would be illegal. This angered the working class & Trade Unions.
Baldwin – was seen as old fashioned & boring, e.g. his election slogan was ‘Safety
first’.
Rise of the Labour PartyLabour had successfully distanced itself from Trade Unions & the General Strike - &
therefore seemed moderate.
They promised to deal with unemployment & more help for the poor. There was
more demand for further social reforms by 1929.
16

Working class & women voters (who could now all vote by 1929) – wanted a change
from the Conservatives & saw Labour as a more modern party.
17