Paul Thompson wrote about the impact of the Liberal Party on society, in the following quote:
The mentioning of the Liberals giving a “deceptive illusion of strength”, explains how the Liberals were desperately attempting to give the impression
of them being solid and consistent, but Thompson’s account tells us that people were not convinced about the success of their government. The phrase, ‘political standpoint’, refers to the rivalry between the parties. Asquith and Lloyd George did not get on well at all.
The Liberals let down the British people by making a number of promises and acts, which were not successful. The party promised that the Irish Home Rule would be brought in, providing they could rely on them in the House of Commons, especially after the 1910 election. However, delaying this meant that they lost this support and this had further impact on their vote share.
The Working-Class Vote did also not go down well, in the long run. Poor living and working conditions meant this group were hugely dissatisfied. The Liberals had, however, had brought in National Insurance and insurance, but the working-class disliked this, due to the fact that it was being deducted from their wages. This lead to the working-class wanting to be better represented, which led to the emergence of the Labour party, and in hand, a loss of votes for the Liberals. The Labour party became popular around 1920, and saw their first prime minister, win the election of 1924, under Ramsay MacDonald.
Pre-war, half of the electorate were ineligible to vote and this led to campaigning during this period, gaining momentum. This led to suffragettes, a form of feminism, campaigning for the right for women to vote. They were willing to use violent protest in order to gain the rights that they wanted. They were responsible for arson attacks on public places such as churches, corner shops and train stations. Many people believe that suffragettes only made their situation worse by carrying out specific and notable acts. The main example, at the June 1913 Derby, where Emily Wilding Davison, threw herself under the King’s horse, as it passed Tattenham Corner. She was killed and the suffragettes had their first martyr. This was considered bad for the suffragettes because Davison was a very well-educated woman, and this was considered a huge waste of life. Many thought, if that is what a well-educated woman is willing to do, how lesser educated suffragettes would act.
Case Study 2 – Remembrance
WWI had a huge impact on Britain, not only between 1914 and 1918, but also more recently, as we still remember the events that took part in the Great War. It was the first war in modern times, which affected everyone across Britain, many who lost loved ones in battle. It was the first real example, of ‘total war’, in Britain.
We remember those who perished while fighting for their country, in a number of ways. There are many war memorials dedicated to war victims, which is significant because this had not been done as much, in previous wars and battles, involving Britain. We also changed the way, we as a nation, remembered our soldiers, by having memorials in all the countries, where soldiers had died. The picture to the right shows a typical war memorial in Britain with the engravings of deceased soldiers from that region. These are found in almost every town and large village in Britain. This allows citizens to respect those who thought for the good of their country, and for future generations.
One of the most famous war memorials in the world, The Cenotaph, in London, was commissioned by Lloyd George in 1919. It was originally intended to be a small part of the Peace Day events in July 1919, but was later dedicated entirely to the soldiers of WWI. It was built by Edwin Luytens, a very famous British architect, who was also involved in building Cathedrals. This was the first of its kind and this makes it extremely significant to the change that occurred after the war. The name, Cenotaph, which is a directly translated into Greek, as Empty Tomb, and was originally constructed with wood and plaster, was extremely in favour of the public, and was later made a permanent memorial. Of course, since the construction of the memorial, the ceremonies have developed, in the sense that hymns are sung, two minute silence is carried out and official wreaths are laid on the steps of the memorial.
The National Act of Remembrance, which takes part each year, on the 11th November, which involves a two minute silence across Britain, is an essential part of the remembrance of our nation’s heroes. The Red Poppy has a long association with remembrance. These were chosen as symbolism of the war because after the battles in Flanders, the red poppy, was one of the only plants to continue growing, spreading across the region, which seemed at the time, to give the impression of blood. This was the first main example of a flower, being adapted as a symbol of remembrance, which suggests the change in the way we remembered our soldiers, who had perished for their country.
Conclusion
To conclude, I think that the subject matter is a very valid interpretation due to the considerable changes the First World War, brought upon Britain. It brought considerable political change as it saw two governments throughout the war, both standing for very different morals and approaches to Britain’s problems. The political party who were in government at the beginning of the war, lost a lot of support due to their failure to keep promises, which brought change to the country’s control and attitudes towards war. The war brought such a change to the way that we remember the victims of the Great War. It was mainly due to the death count, that the war was and still is, remembered so well, and also due to the fact, it took place in modern times, when people’s relatives had been directly involved with the war effort. After the war, people seemed to look at life from a different perspective, and became more grateful for what they had, rather than what they needed.