Britain Between The Wars
Britain between the wars
In 1929, the Wall Street Crash plunged the USA into economic depression. The Americans stopped imports of goods. This created a depression across the rest of the world. Unemployment in Britain, especially in industries like coal, iron, steel, shipbuilding. These industries had not modernized after the war and had been badly affected by competition from other countries.
It left a terrible effect on the British economy. When the war ended, they found that other countries had taken their customers. British goods were expensive to produce, since they depended on imported raw materials and there were too many small factories with old machinery. As few goods were exported, factories cut their production and unemployment grew quickly.
The value of the pound began to fall. Instead of letting this happen, the Government borrowed money from foreign banks to keep its value, but as condition, Britain had to make cuts in state benefits and in wages. Anyway, the pound was devalued a month later. The president cancelled the construction of new roads and schools. Communists wanted factories and railways into state ownership.
A general strike is called by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to support the miners in their quarrel with the mine owners, who want to reduce their wages and increase their working hours. Huge numbers of road transport, bus, rail, docks, printing, gas and electricity, building, iron, steel, chemicals and coal workers stay off work.
The government acts aggressively against the strike and tries to control the media.
Why was there a general strike in 1926?
1. Trade Unions- This included a promise to support each other if there was a strike.
2. Economic Depression - there were problems in the economy after the war. The government tried to tie the value of the pound to the amount of gold in the Bank of England. This caused a depression and reduced exports, especially of coal.
3. Fear of Communism - The'Daily Mail' published a letter
In 1929, the Wall Street Crash plunged the USA into economic depression. The Americans stopped imports of goods. This created a depression across the rest of the world. Unemployment in Britain, especially in industries like coal, iron, steel, shipbuilding. These industries had not modernized after the war and had been badly affected by competition from other countries.
It left a terrible effect on the British economy. When the war ended, they found that other countries had taken their customers. British goods were expensive to produce, since they depended on imported raw materials and there were too many small factories with old machinery. As few goods were exported, factories cut their production and unemployment grew quickly.
The value of the pound began to fall. Instead of letting this happen, the Government borrowed money from foreign banks to keep its value, but as condition, Britain had to make cuts in state benefits and in wages. Anyway, the pound was devalued a month later. The president cancelled the construction of new roads and schools. Communists wanted factories and railways into state ownership.
A general strike is called by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to support the miners in their quarrel with the mine owners, who want to reduce their wages and increase their working hours. Huge numbers of road transport, bus, rail, docks, printing, gas and electricity, building, iron, steel, chemicals and coal workers stay off work.
The government acts aggressively against the strike and tries to control the media.
Why was there a general strike in 1926?
1. Trade Unions- This included a promise to support each other if there was a strike.
2. Economic Depression - there were problems in the economy after the war. The government tried to tie the value of the pound to the amount of gold in the Bank of England. This caused a depression and reduced exports, especially of coal.
3. Fear of Communism - The'Daily Mail' published a letter