To what extent were humanitarian and missionary motives the most important reason for British expansion into Africa between 1868 and 1902?
To what extent were humanitarian and missionary motives the most important reason for British expansion into Africa between 1868 and 1902? Although there had been British presence in Africa from the start of the 19th Century, with British areas of control including Cape Colony, Orange Free State and areas along the West coast, prior to 1880 Britain had in reality very few possessions in Africa. Only when the 'Scramble for Africa' was triggered did Britain, along with many other European great powers, begin its campaign for territorial acquisition. The fundamental motives for British expansion into Africa were essentially the economic interest Africa held for Britain and its entrepreneurs, the rivalry Africa created between the Great European Powers, its strategic value and what was commonly presented to the British public as being the most important motive, humanitarian purposes. For many, including Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain, it was believed that Britain had a moral obligation to bring civilization and Christianity to the native population who were considered to be 'uncivilized' and racially inferior. Moreover, the Church strongly promoted the idea of missionary work in Africa; the Church encouraged the notion that a fundamental element of imperial occupation was the extension of Christianity which therefore was a motive behind imperialism in Africa. Many
How successful was Wolsey's domestic administration of England 1515-1529?
How successful was Wolsey's domestic administration of England 1515-1529? Wolsey was born in Ipswich in 1472 to a working class family. He was a talented scholar who progressed from being the Rector of Limington in 1500 to being Henry VIII's highest advisor by 1514. Giustininani, the Venetian ambassador at the time, talks of Wolsey's "vast ability". Qwyn also says Wolsey, "combined both enormous ability and unstoppable determination." He progressed to Lord Chancellor, ruling the state and Legate, ruling the church enabling him to make many new policies. These included judicial and church policies, as well as social policies and finance. Wolsey felt that wrongdoing had to be punished wherever it was to be found, no matter who committed the crime. This meant that Wolsey's judicial policies affected both the rich and poor alike. This made Wolsey many enemies in high places due to his prosecution of nobles. An example of this is the prosecution of Sir William Bulmer for illegal retaining or Sir Robert Sheffield being fined £5330 for opprobrious words. Wolsey also got rid of Henry's closed friends, the minions as he felt they had more influence on Henry than he did. Wolsey replaced the minions with his own men but these reforms were abandoned, as Henry got bored of Wolsey's men. His attitude to nobles can also be seen in the execution of the Duke of Buckingham in 1521. Wolsey
How Successful Were the Religious Reforms of Somerset and Northumberland?
HOW SUCCESSFUL WERE THE RELIGIOUS REFORMS OF SOMERSET AND NORTHUMBERLAND? In the short period stretching from 1547 to 1553, England saw a time of uncertainty created by the speed of political and religious change during the time of underage monarch Edward VI. The fact that Edward was an underage monarch was only one of the small problems faced during his reign which was worsened by the problems left by his father Henry VIII. Religious developments and reforms during Edward's reign have often been seen as cautious and moderate reform under the Duke of Somerset and more radical changes under the Duke of Northumberland. There is some truth in this notion, though it is something of an over-simplification. Needless to say, there could be little doubt that in 1547 there would be some moves toward reforms, the question being how successful they actually were. From 1547 to 1549 the country was officially under the control of Edward Seymour (Edward VI's uncle, later known as the Duke of Somerset). Seymour was declared Protector and governor of the King's person by the Privy Council set up by Henry VIII in preparation for his death. Seymour quickly overcame many enemies on the council and assumed control of both council and control. He titled himself 'Lord Protector' during his two years in power, and rarely put the council into good use. During his time in power Somerset proved he
How liberal were Gladstone's domestic reforms during his first ministry?
How liberal were Gladstone's domestic reforms during his first ministry? Gladstone became Prime Minister for the first time in 1868, by winning the majority in the government. Gladstonian Liberalism united all members of the party and gave ordinary people hope and optimism to change their future. During his first ministry he introduced major reforms and policies which drastically changed the country, some of these included the reorganisation of the educational and civil services, rearrangement of the judicial system and the licensing act; he was also involved in developing Ireland and her political reform. Some of his policies supported his ideals of the government; however others contradicted his initial promises. Gladstonian Liberalism was based on principles which were to create a stronger and efficient government. Gladstone wanted to give all individuals freedom to manage their affairs without interference of the state and enable them to trade without restrictions. He believed that the state should involve itself as seldom as possible, and should not interfere with the economy or decide what should be taught in schools. Gladstone wanted to create a competent and cheap government with low taxes and rates, and didn't want to invest money in the public sector and instead to rely on private donations. Liberalism supported the idea of promotion by talent rather than
Achievements of the Attlee government and the birth of the welfare state
Discuss the achievements of the Attlee government and the birth of the welfare state Attlee's Labour government is sometimes described as one of the great reforming governments of 20th-centry Britain, pushing through even more sweeping reforms than those of the Liberal government before 1914. The record of the post-war Labour governments is dominated above all by one issue - the introduction of the so-called 'welfare-state' and the setting up of the National Health Service (NHS). Labour idealists in 1945 believed they were going to 'build a new Jerusalem' in Britain, overcoming class divisions and ensuring fairness for all in a progressive modern society. These idealistic objectives could only be achieved by practical politics. To be able to fulfil its social aims, Attlee's government had to prove that Labour could handle political power, deal with economic problems and cope with the burdens of imperial and foreign affairs. By 1951, Labour had gone a long way towards achieving its goals. Attlee himself is now widely regarded by some historians such as Peter Hennessy as having been one of Britain's best PMs, which is remarkable in itself in view of the dismissive way many people (inc. Churchill and some Labour politicians) regarded Attlee in 1945. But the post-war Labour government did not enjoy complete success and the Attlee legacy is still disputed. For many on the right,
Do you agree with the view that the main reason for the emergence of the Chartist movement was disappointment among the working-classes with the Outcome of the 1832 Reform Act?
Use Sources 4, 5 and 6 and your own knowledge. Do you agree with the view that the main reason for the emergence of the Chartist movement was disappointment among the working-classes with the Outcome of the 1832 Reform Act? There are many factors for the emergence of the chartist movement and disappointment among the working classes is certainly the main factor; however Chartism as an issue is more complex than this and there has been other factor which has contributed. Firstly look at source 4. It was a speech given by the foreign secretary Lord Palmerston. Lord Palmerston is part of the Whigs government so is in favour. Therefore he is not necessarily involved with the Chartism movement. It therefore questions if it's valid. During the parliamentary debates, on the reform Bill in 1831. However the idea if parliamentary debates is trying to set people to vote. Some may argue that it's not true and if it is what the government wants to hear, it can be argued if this is useful. The source agrees with the question to an extent as it states that the working class was disappointed with the lack of change. However it says 'Ministers have no intention of severing the existing ties between the middle classes and the aristocracy. This sets the idea that there main focus was set on the middle class rather than the working class. They also state that they are 'placing the middle
Which of the grievances of the Third Estates in France in 1789 were the most important?
Which of the grievances of the Third Estates in France in 1789 were the most important? In 1789 Louis XVI called for a meeting of the Estates-General pressured by social discontent and financial problems. The Estates-General had not met since 1614. This representative institution was divided among three groups: the First Estate, the Second Estate and the Third Estate. This last Estate ostensibly represented every one who did not enjoy of privileges. It consisted of the commoners. The Third Estate included the bourgeoisie and the peasants. On one hand, there were the bourgeoisie. They were the rich ones. They were rentiers, lawyers, financiers, doctors, shopkeepers, ship-owners, commercial traders, low ranking office holders, craft workers and small-scale manufacturers. On the other hand, there were the peasants. They were the poor. They included from gross fermiers to landless labourers. Peasants made up the largest group within the Third Estate. They were 80% of the total population in France. So on the whole, it can be said the Third Estate represented the majority of the French population. In anticipation of the meeting of the Estates-General, the king requested cahiers which were lists of grievances drawn up by local groups of each of the three Estates. Therefore, by 1789, the bourgeoisie along with the peasants had numerous grievances they wished addressed. But which of
Expain why the general strike broke out in 1926
Explain why the General Strike broke out in 1926. May 1926 saw one of the largest acts of union in British workforce history, the general strike saw much of Britain come to a standstill as the country's main traditional, staple industries ceased production. The strike began when 1 million miners were locked out by their employers for refusing to take a pay cut. The response of the British working class was magnificent. Over 2.5 million workers responded to the call for action and refused to work. There are several events that lead up to and caused such anger amongst the workforce and ultimately the General Strike. The first, and one of the most important in my opinion, was the economic situation of the time. Britain was at the beginning of a huge economic depression, and after the war found that they now couldn't compete with other countries in the international export markets. Germany and Poland were using more modern machinery and were able to churn out coal more efficiently and cheaper than Britain as she did not modernise her machinery, only 20% of British coal was cut by machinery, the rest was handpicked. In addition to this both France and Italy were receiving free coal from Germany as part of the reparations so had very little need to buy it from somewhere else. The problems with exports were only made worse by the decision to go back on the gold standard after
Assess the role of the nobility in providing political stability in Tudor England
Assess the role of the nobility in maintaining political stability in Tudor England. The nobility's role during the Tudor era was something of great importance in the maintenance of political stability, despite undergoing a dramatic change throughout the 16th century. Although not all nobles remained loyal to the Crown, the Tudors relied heavily on them as councillors, administrators and as military leaders, chiefly due to their desirable attributes including prestige, wealth and importance. The nobility however was not the sole factor in maintaining stability; the clergy, the gentry, local authorities and of course the monarch had significant parts to play in the keeping of authority. The Crown depended on the nobles a great deal, for instance all Tudor monarchs used the nobility as a source of advice, Henry VII summoned five great councils of the nobles and in the suppression of Lovel and Simnel he consulted with nobles such as Oxford and Pembroke. Pembroke again assisted Henry VIII with Wyatt's rebellion and both Henry and Elizabeth held assemblies of nobles in the 1530s and 1580s to discuss matters of state. Elizabeth, although only including one noble in her council of 1601, still expected every peer and leading gentleman to attend the royal court intermittently to pay his respects. Many nobles also held leading political positions in Tudor administration, for
Do you accept the view in Source V that Wolseys domestic policies were disappointing?
Question B Do you accept the view in Source V that Wolsey's domestic policies were disappointing? Wolsey was Henry VIII's chief minister and right hand man from his rise to power in 1514 after working himself up until his eventual fall from grace in 1529. During his time in power Wolsey made many changes to England's domestic policy. This essay will consider the view that these policies were disappointing. One of Wolsey's domestic policies that can be viewed as a disappointment is the way he dealt with finances. During this time in power Wolsey introduced amicable bonds. This system of taxation was designed to bring in more money to fund the Kings many European battles and invasions. Unfortunately the extra tax upset members of both the clergy and laity resulting in riots in East Anglia and Suffolk. Source T states that Wolsey's arrogant view that he could get whatever he wanted "aroused against himself the hatred of the whole country". Therefore this shows that this domestic policy was very disappointing as instead of raising much needed funds for the king it caused him great amounts of grief by displeasing so many of the common people and nobles, which also made it harder to bring about other change in his domestic policies. Contrary to this it can be argued that not all of Wolsey's financial policies were a failure such as levying tax which "favoured the people
