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Summary A* essay - contraction of British empire due to world wars
A* level essay on how WW1 and WW2 weakened empire
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‘The Contraction of the British Empire was Started by the First World War, but acceleratedby the Second’ Assess the validity of this view with reference to the years 1914-1947
Introduction
Overall, this statement is a valid view because the
economic problems and increased nationalist sentiment
that was started by the First World War and accelerated
by the Second led to major contractions to the empire in
this period. Although some contraction took place before
World War Two (WW2) this was still started by World War
One (WW1) and it was in areas of less significance than
the contractions which took place after WW2 e.g. in India.
Furthermore, some of the problems the empire faced
were started by WW2, however, these issues were less
significant because they simply put more pressure on the
British to contract its empire – something which was
already inevitable because of the issues created by both of
the world wars.
Point 1: econ Point 2: nationalism
Fighting in two major wars damaged the British economy Increased nationalism which came about because of the
which drove forward contraction. It was no longer the contribution the empire made towards the war effort in
economic superpower it had once been as it was now in both wars also helped to bring about the contraction of
massive debts and eclipsed by the USA. In WW1, Britain the empire. Dominions especially gained a sense of
had borrowed $4 billion from the US to fund its war effort themselves and thought of themselves as, for example,
and recovery and it was struggling to keep up with ‘Australians’ rather the part of the British Empire because
competition in its oversees markets, for example, the of the sacrifices they made together on the battlefield e.g.
Japanese textile industry threatened the British. These Gallipoli in 1915. Nationalism, however, was mostly
economic issues were made worse by WW2, Britain had significant in the contraction of the empire when it came
debts of £3500m and it borrowed a further £900m from to India. In WW1, Edwin Montagu promised a more
the USA to rebuild its economy after the war. This reliance responsible self-government for India in 1917 after their
on the USA was important because it reduced Britain’s huge contribution of 1.4 million troops and £100 million to
ability to act independently, rather it was under the the war effort. The Government of India Act in 1919
influence of the USA who supported the contraction of allowed a limited system of self-government but this was
imperialism. Britain was also forced to sell 1/3 of its not enough for many Indians. The sense of nationalism
overseas assets to help to repay its debts which was increased in the interwar period and was accelerated by
significant because it led to a contraction of the ‘informal’ WW2 when again India made a huge contribution of 2.5
trading empire which had been an important aspect of the million volunteer troops. Independence was still denied to
empire before WW1 subsequently reducing the amount of them – there was merely vague promises of independence
influence that Britain had around the world. It also led to for after the war ended. Disorder spread through the sub-
contraction more directly because Britain could no longer continent as Congress called for independence, the ‘Quit
offer as many economic benefits to the colonies such as India’ campaign disrupted the war effort by sabotaging
access to greater markets which meant that they had little railways, cutting telephone lines and attacking
motivation to remain in the empire and therefore government buildings and the Indian National Army and
increased the desire for independence. If countries put up the Burman Independence Army actively fought against
large resistance to the British, Britain could no longer the British with the Japanese. Nationalism was significant
afford to keep them if they were not economically because large numbers of troops would have had to be
beneficial because it cost too much to supress the unrest deployed to regain control of India and then subsequently
and maintain control. Economic factors were one of the keep the peace there – something which would have been
driving forces in Indian independence in 1947 because the very unpopular both with the public and the international
amount of unrest there had made it economically community but also something which would have been
unfeasible. Economic problems were very significant in extremely expensive, too expensive for a country with a
driving the contractions of the Empire in this period war shattered economy. India had been denied
because the trade that had once held the empire together independence for so long, but it was quickly granted after
was greatly reduced because of the cumulative effect of WW2, showing that this contraction was accelerated by
the economic costs of both WW1 and WW2. It led to the events in WW2. The loss of India was hugely
contractions both of the informal empire and the formal significant because of the way it was perceived both in
empire and contributed to the hugely significant loss of Britain and by the wider empire. India had previously
India. shaped colonial policy and had been important in British
trade. Britain had given independence to the ‘jewel in the
On the other hand, some contraction happened in the crown’ which was not only a huge contraction in itself but
empire before WW2, which reduces the validity of this it also encouraged further nationalism in other areas
which ultimately led to further contractions of the empire
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