The National Government, 1931-1945

The Great Depression and formation of the National Government dominated British politics in the 1930s.

Economic Crisis and National Government

The 1929 Wall Street Crash led to a global economic decline. Labour Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald faced pressure to cut government spending, including unemployment benefits. This was deeply unpopular within the Labour Party.

Highlight: In 1931, MacDonald formed a "National Government" coalition backed by the Conservatives to address the economic crisis. This split the Labour Party and led to a landslide victory for the National Government in the 1931 election.

Baldwin and Foreign Policy

Stanley Baldwin replaced MacDonald as Prime Minister in 1935. He faced foreign policy challenges including:

• The Abyssinia Crisis and failure of appeasement towards fascist Italy
• Growing threat from Nazi Germany leading to increased rearmament

Vocabulary: Appeasement - The policy of making concessions to an aggressive power in order to avoid conflict.

Baldwin's handling of these issues shaped British foreign policy in the lead-up to World War II.

The National Government Formation (1931-1945)

The Wall Street Crash of 1929 precipitated major political changes in Britain, leading to the formation of a National Government. This period saw the rise of extremist movements and the challenges of managing economic crisis.

Vocabulary: The 'National Government' was a coalition of all major parties formed to handle the economic crisis.

Highlight: The economic crisis forced cuts in government spending, including a 10% reduction in unemployment benefits.

The Rise of Political Extremism (1931-1939)

This period witnessed the emergence of fascist movements in Britain, notably Oswald Mosley's initiatives. The government responded with legislation to curb extremist activities.

Quote: "Mosley Memorandum demanded co-ordinated national economic plans to deal with the crisis."

Definition: The British Union of Fascists (BUF) was an attempt to unite all fascist organizations under one banner.