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Summary OCR A Level History: Britain 1930–1997 - AS Unit F961 - British History Period Studies
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Revision GuideSection A – Churchill 1930-1951
● Churchill’s view of events 1929–1940
1930’s = threatening period for Britain, Japan intent on creating new empire in Far
East, Italy ruled by dictator, civil war in Spain, oppressive Communist regime in USSR
and depression in Europe and USA. BUT Churchill not involved in political dramas.
Churchill was “in the wilderness” 1929-1940
Why Churchill was out of office 1929–1939
Gallipoli 1915 → battle in WW1 which ended in many
deaths
→ Churchill involved in military decisions,
appeared incompetent.
CON mistrust → crossing the floor = was CON (1900-04)
switched to LIB (1904-24); attacks CON
views on HOL and Ireland, begged to rejoin
CON 3 times; appeared untrustworthy +
traitor + selfish
→ conflict with his own party and leaders
→ spoke recklessly on several controversial
topics
→became an isolated figure in British
politics
→ affected by wall street crash; wiped out
investments + savings
→ old-fashioned thinking e.g views on India
made = right-wing imperialist
Gold Standard → returned Britain to Gold Standard in
1925 whilst Chancellor of the Exchequer -
aimed to boost the economy
→ was a failure and UK had to leave it in
September 1931; appeared incompetent
LAB + LIB mistrust →LAB = bitter about Churchill's attacks on
trade unions during General Strike 1926 +
his use of troops against strikers before
WW1.
, → high unemployment caused by Gold
Standard, raised export prices
Views about Empire + India → Gandhi helped pressure for Indian
independence to grow - Round Table
conferences
→ Churchill became increasingly forceful in
adopting the policy of protectionism due to
his fear of the USSR and Japan as it invaded
Manchuria in 1931. he was determined to
safeguard India and keep her empire.
→ product of Victorian era, Churchill
influenced by “white man's burden” as a
means to govern primitive countries.
→ did believe at one point India could
govern itself as he supported the liberal
Simon Commission 1928.
→ opposed Irwin's declaration 1929, as he
made ‘India defence league’ in 1933 as well
as being head of the Britsh empire society.
→ opposition to India Bill 1920 failed as it
manifested in the Government of India Act
in 1935 = began the transfer of power
attitude to India gaining independence:
→ Economic consequences - argued that
giving India independence would bring
economic disaster to the cotton industry.
For Churchill, India was key in relieving
Britain of the economic decline of the
1930s.
→ racist + outdated views pushed him out
of the mainstream politics
views on the abdication crisis → Edward VIII wanted to marry American
Divorcee Wallin Simpson, rejected by public
and government
→ Churchill favoured this marriage, failed
to notice public was unhappy and would
upset the “head of church”
→ made him look outdated, a sycophant
who wanted to suck up to those in power.
→ made him a minority in government, his
own party including Baldwin abandoned
, him, removing him from mainstream
politics.
views about rearmament and appeasement →used his position as a backbench MP and
journalist advocated for rearmament at
times of peace and when the public
favoured disarmament.
→ wall street crash + poverty, cuts in gov
expenditure
→ appeared as a warmonger and someone
who incited conflict
→ Minority in government and most were
pro-appeasement.
→ he saw the Nazi regime as brutal
especially because Hitler informed
conscription 1935 and built the Luftwaffe,
and remilitarized Rhineland in 1936 -
violation of ToV.
plans to rearm:
→ building a superior airforce
→ A Grand Alliance - between France, USA,
USSR. BUT failed, US was isolationist, didn't
want war. France was in economic decline.
Italy:
→ Churchill like Mussolini = wanted him as
an ally but Italy signed a pact with Germany
in 1936
problems with rearmament campaign:
→ focused too much on Hitler and ignored
Japan and Italy endangering the Suez Canal
and British Empire in Far East
→ due to Gold Standard, Britain in
economic decline couldn't afford
rearmament.
→ public didn’t want war and the
Dominions sided with Chamberlain’s policy
to appease Hitler
appeasement:
→ Chamberlain supported Germany to
break the ToV stating that Germany had
genuine grievances = 1936 peace ballot
showed majority of people supported it
→ BUT after Sudetenland crisis attitudes
changed.
, → Munich agreement September 1938:
Hitler granted Sudetenland to prevent
invasion of Chezchslovakia, Churchill
opposed this agreement saw it a betrayal to
Czechs and for allowing Hitler to continue
expanding.
→ fears conformed when Hitler invaded
Czechoslovakia in March 1939.
Opinions after Munich:
public mood changed
Churchill's views = less unrealistic
German forces invaded Poland 1st
September, Chamberlian asked Churchill to
become part of inner war cabinet.
3rd September 1939 - Britain declared war
Why Churchill became PM → Chamberlain's position: Norway
Campaign April 1940; campaign failed due
to poor preparation. Chamberlain took the
blame
→ Lord Halifax: following the thrashing of
Chamberlian in HoC about Norway, LH was
first picked but clear he couldn't manage a
wartime country and didn’t want to give up
his title so resigned
→ Wartime experience - military
experience under WW1 cabinet. FLOTA in
WW1 + member of the 4th Hussars.
→ Oratory skills/appearance - speeches
rallied up, appeared charismatic + brave
→ Clairvoyance - was vindicated in his
premonitions out the rise of Hitler. Always
been pro-war + anti-Germany.
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