1929 Britain

1929 Britain

1. Political Situation

   • All three parties were at turning points
     • Liberal Party was in decline
       • 1929 election
       • Unlikely to return to position of main opposition
       • Anti-Conservative vote was shifting towards Labour
     • Labour on the rise
       • Many felt the MacDonald government was the beginning of a new age of socialism
     • The Conservatives still remained strong
       • Still backed by newspapers, businesses, the middle class and some working class
       • Faced serious challenge from Labour
       • 'Safety First' Campaign had not succeeded
         • Many felt the party needed to modernise
   • Britain had fully enfranchised the population
     • Women playing a wider role
   • Accepted that the government needed to play a bigger role in the lives of the people
     • Addressing the impact of poverty
     • All three parties
       • Passed significant social legislation
         • These all improved the lives of the British people

2. Economic Situation

   • Substantial growth in new industries
   • However there were many economic problems faced in 1929
     • Decline in the staple industries
     • High unemployment
       • Never less than 1 mil during the 1920's
     • The Gold Standard
       • Return in 1925
         • Caused more problems than it solved
           • In 1931, Britain eventually came off the Gold Standard

3. Social Situation

   • Major social changes
     • Entertainment
     • Fashion
     • Culture
   • Women breaking into previously male-only areas
   • Radio became a household feature
     • Introduced people into a wider range of entertainment
       • News
       • Helped create a strong national identity
   • New inventions
     • Changing lives
     • Motor car and possibility of air travel
       • New possibilities of travel for the wealthy

4. International Situation

   • Changes in the International situation had an impact on Britain
     • The Emergence of the USA as a world power
       • Effected Britain culturally
         • Ideas, inventions and fashion spread to Britain
       • Economic impact on Britain
         • Impact of the Wall Street Crash in 1929
     • Communist Revolution in Russia
       • Fears of a similar revolution in Britain
         • Fuelled Conservative propaganda against Labour
     • Optimism in Europe
       • Germany returned to the international community
       • However, still many issues to be resolved
         • International disarmament
         • The League of Nations wanted international disarmament
   • The impact of the First World War on the Empire
     • Undermined British rule of the empire
       • Continuous problem of how to hold onto the Empire
         • India was a particular problem
           • Growing independence movement