INTERWAR ERA I

DECADE OF 1920s

It is true that UK and the Allies won WWI but with horrible consequences, creating a feeling that wars should disappear.

Treaty of Versailles

At Versailles Peace Conference, Lloyd George, Wilson and Clemenceau created the League of Nations in 1919 with the objective of prevent future wars. Also many sanctions were imposed to the losers:

-- New nations were formed in Europe.

-- Heavy financial reparations.

-- Germany had to declare its guilty, humiliating them.


Thanks to that treaty UK saw its larger extension obtaining the control of Palestine and Mesopotamia through the League of Nations, following the fall of the Ottoman Empire, as well as the former German colonies: Cameroon, Togoland, German East Africa (Tanganyika, Rwanda and Burundi), South West Africa (present Namibia ) and German New Guinea.


1921


Irish Independence
The conflict between Ireland and UK was stopped during WWI but then an Anglo-Irish war was fought between 1919 and 1921 and ended with an Anglo-Irish treaty that established the independence of the Republic of Ireland (six counties remained, Northern Ireland). Britain now adopted as name "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".




Domestic Politics and economics of 1920s

Lloyd George, was almost exclusively dedicated to international politics and paid no attention to the domestic problems such as unemployment, lack of decent housing, the resurgence of the industry… however he ran 2 important social programs, the construction of 214000 houses and an unemployment Insurance Act.

Stanley Baldwin (Conservative Party) was elected as Prime Minister in 1923. His mandate lasted until 1937 but in between the Labour Party reached to the government in 1924 and 1929 with James Macdonald in the head.





In the 20s UK started a low economic recovery. Taxes not returned to the ones before the war and they were used mainly to the unemployment benefits. The effects of the war was present, a very high unemployment (mainly in heavy industry and coal) and exports of coal and steel fell to the half. An important point was that Churchill (Chancellor) put back the Gold Standard in 1925. This was highly criticized because economy stopped and industry was in recession (reducing wages).

At the end of 20s the economical situation was established but Britain did not recovered at all in comparison of USA. The standard of living grew thanks to the new houses, the better domestic conditions as electric light...

INTERESTING LINKS:
Video about the economy in this difficult time: Video link