History 330:  British History  

History 330 – BRITISH HISTORY – November 16, 2004  

Britain in the Inter-War Years:  Responses to Discontent  

 

COMMUNISTS

LABOUR

CONSERVATIVES

UNION OF FASCISTS

·          John Strachey (1932)

·          Capitalism doesn’t work!

·          Capitalism benefits a tiny elite, while the great majority gain little

·          Need for entirely new approach

·          Stress radical & complete EQUALITY

·          From Market to PLAN

·          Plan to be worked out Democratically

·          From National to INTERNATIONAL concerns

·          From War to PEACE

·          Universal Enforcement of the National Minimum

·          Democratic Control of Industry

·          Revolution in National  Finance (“Progressive Taxation”)

·          Surplus Wealth for the COMMON good

                           (Sydney Webb, 1918)

 

Beveridge Report (1942)

 

·          Social goods – housing, jobs, health

·          Must be seen as PUBLIC and not just PRIVATE good

·          Therefore, the State must actively be involved in securing these Public Goods

 

·          Stanley Baldwin; Neville Chamberlina

·          Preserve the STATUS QUO (Monarchy; Established Church; class privileges; extreme differences in wealth; Capitalism

·          But: advocate mix of reforms to ease problems of poverty & unemployment

·          Oswald Mosley

·          Italian Fascists/ Nazis

·          AUTHORITARIANISM

·          MILITARISM

·          IMPERIALISM

·          NATIONALISM/ RACISM

 

·          Mosley: radical change

·          BRITAIN FIRST!

·          AUTHORITARIAN STATE

·          Government by decree (Parliament has only right to vote whole gov’t up or down)

·          Militarism: Strong Army; impose military discipline of society

·          EMPIRE: preserve the Empire at all costs

·          Racism: Britain First!  “Real Britons;” Jews & other minorities are not “Real Britons”

 

 

 
 
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