1.1 Conservative governments and reasons for political dominance
The Churchill Government (1951-1955)
What legacy of Attlee’s government was continued? Why?
What were the successes of this government?
The Eden Government (1955-1957): a man in a hurry
What led to his failure in Suez (personal)?
The Macmillan Government (1957-1953): Supermac
In what sense did he follow ‘the middle way’?
How were his last years in power marred?
The Sir Alec Douglas-Home Government (1957-1953): Estonian
how his appointment as a Prime Minister damaged the Conservative’s
reputation?
Labour divisions (1951-1964)
What were the main points of disagreement with the party?
What were the consequences of divisions for Labour?
Reasons for the Conservatives fall from power
why did it all end?
1.2 Economic developments 1957-1964
Economic problems
What factors led to economic problems?
Stop-Go
How the govenment tried to deal with them?
Why the government did not adopt a more radical, but presumably more
efficient economic policy ROBOT?
Planning
after the fail of ‘stop-go’, how the governement tried to deal with inflation?
What effects did the planning policy had?
1.3 Social developments
The extent of affluence
Key Question: to what extent did people ‘have it so good?’
what factors spoke against affluence?
Living standarts under the Conservatives: consumerism
, What factors spoke for the affluence?
Class
what important social shift were happening at that period?
how could the Conservatives’ affluent society could be criticised?
Changing attitides and social tensions
Immigration and social violence
when the inflow of immigrants increased and why?
how people reacted? What were the reasons for their actions? Were they
justified?
how the government dealt with violence? Was it successful?
A ‘youth subculture’
Why the violent/antisocial ‘youth subculture’ emerged? What were the
effects?
The status of women
What perception/position of women did the government encourage?
What new opportunities appeared for the women?
1.4 Foreign relations
Suez Crisis, Eden’s ‘mad venture’
what did the crisis could mean for Britain?
how Eden decided to solve the problem? Was he successful? Why? Why the
Americans criticised the British?
what was Eden’s personal role?
how and in what ways was Suez significant for Britain?
Macmillan and the end of the empire
what were the reasons for giving up the Empire?
how it happened? How successful it was?
what were the consequence for Britain?
Britain’s relations with Europe
why Britain (Macmillan) decided to join?
What did the coming into Europe mean? What people thought about this?
Why Britain’s 1961 application failed? What were the consequences?
, 1.1 Conservative governments and reasons for
political dominance
The Churchill Government (1951-1955)
Key Question: What legacy of Attlee’s government was continued? Why?
Continuation of consensus
‘Butskellism’: the left of the Conservatives and the right of Labour ‘tried to govern
from the centre’
-> belief that this position would receive the most support from the electorate.
R.A. Butler, who was the key figure in the Conservative government instead of old
and ill Churchill, continued Labour’s aims of:
● Committing Britain to heavy defence programme (Korean War)
-> Britain relied on America and did not want to lose her support
-> desire to remain a ‘world player’
… contributed to the economic crisis
● Developing nuclear weapons programme
-> desire to remain a ‘world player’
… contributed to the economic crisis
… a point of division in the government and Labour
● State-directed planning of economy (rejected ROBOT) and acceptance of
Keynesian approach
○ 1947 paper: accepted that Britain should have mixed economy
-> gain support of trade unions, as they were received a legitimate role
… paved the way to future economic problems (e.g. ‘stop-go’), growth of union’s
power
Key Question: What were the successes of this government?
Major developments:
- Commitment to build 300,000 houses per year
… popular domestic policy for the electorate
- End of rationing - promise of ‘more red meat’
… one of the first policies of the government to attract electorate
- Test of the nuclear bomb in 1952
… strain on finances
… continuation of the ‘world power’ image
- End of Korean War in 1953
… relief for the people
The Churchill Government (1951-1955)
What legacy of Attlee’s government was continued? Why?
What were the successes of this government?
The Eden Government (1955-1957): a man in a hurry
What led to his failure in Suez (personal)?
The Macmillan Government (1957-1953): Supermac
In what sense did he follow ‘the middle way’?
How were his last years in power marred?
The Sir Alec Douglas-Home Government (1957-1953): Estonian
how his appointment as a Prime Minister damaged the Conservative’s
reputation?
Labour divisions (1951-1964)
What were the main points of disagreement with the party?
What were the consequences of divisions for Labour?
Reasons for the Conservatives fall from power
why did it all end?
1.2 Economic developments 1957-1964
Economic problems
What factors led to economic problems?
Stop-Go
How the govenment tried to deal with them?
Why the government did not adopt a more radical, but presumably more
efficient economic policy ROBOT?
Planning
after the fail of ‘stop-go’, how the governement tried to deal with inflation?
What effects did the planning policy had?
1.3 Social developments
The extent of affluence
Key Question: to what extent did people ‘have it so good?’
what factors spoke against affluence?
Living standarts under the Conservatives: consumerism
, What factors spoke for the affluence?
Class
what important social shift were happening at that period?
how could the Conservatives’ affluent society could be criticised?
Changing attitides and social tensions
Immigration and social violence
when the inflow of immigrants increased and why?
how people reacted? What were the reasons for their actions? Were they
justified?
how the government dealt with violence? Was it successful?
A ‘youth subculture’
Why the violent/antisocial ‘youth subculture’ emerged? What were the
effects?
The status of women
What perception/position of women did the government encourage?
What new opportunities appeared for the women?
1.4 Foreign relations
Suez Crisis, Eden’s ‘mad venture’
what did the crisis could mean for Britain?
how Eden decided to solve the problem? Was he successful? Why? Why the
Americans criticised the British?
what was Eden’s personal role?
how and in what ways was Suez significant for Britain?
Macmillan and the end of the empire
what were the reasons for giving up the Empire?
how it happened? How successful it was?
what were the consequence for Britain?
Britain’s relations with Europe
why Britain (Macmillan) decided to join?
What did the coming into Europe mean? What people thought about this?
Why Britain’s 1961 application failed? What were the consequences?
, 1.1 Conservative governments and reasons for
political dominance
The Churchill Government (1951-1955)
Key Question: What legacy of Attlee’s government was continued? Why?
Continuation of consensus
‘Butskellism’: the left of the Conservatives and the right of Labour ‘tried to govern
from the centre’
-> belief that this position would receive the most support from the electorate.
R.A. Butler, who was the key figure in the Conservative government instead of old
and ill Churchill, continued Labour’s aims of:
● Committing Britain to heavy defence programme (Korean War)
-> Britain relied on America and did not want to lose her support
-> desire to remain a ‘world player’
… contributed to the economic crisis
● Developing nuclear weapons programme
-> desire to remain a ‘world player’
… contributed to the economic crisis
… a point of division in the government and Labour
● State-directed planning of economy (rejected ROBOT) and acceptance of
Keynesian approach
○ 1947 paper: accepted that Britain should have mixed economy
-> gain support of trade unions, as they were received a legitimate role
… paved the way to future economic problems (e.g. ‘stop-go’), growth of union’s
power
Key Question: What were the successes of this government?
Major developments:
- Commitment to build 300,000 houses per year
… popular domestic policy for the electorate
- End of rationing - promise of ‘more red meat’
… one of the first policies of the government to attract electorate
- Test of the nuclear bomb in 1952
… strain on finances
… continuation of the ‘world power’ image
- End of Korean War in 1953
… relief for the people
