Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Chapter 17: Ten years of Conservative rule (1895 – 1905) - Coggle Diagram
Chapter 17: Ten years of Conservative rule (1895 – 1905)
A few facts
Political life
1895 – 1902: Lord Salisbury was PM.
1901: Victoria’s Death, replaced by Edward VII
1902 – 1905: Balfour PM
During the early 1900’s, the Liberal Unionists were quite indistinguishable from the Conservatives
People used to speak of Unionists = politicians who agreed on the principle of a full union of GB with Ireland, and between the Empire and GB.
Salisbury - The last of the great aristocrats?
Did his best to prevent social reforms
Helped to Cons° party to remain unified => cause Conservative predominance at that time
old victorian way of thinking (laissez-faire, self-help)
Joseph Chamberlain and Imperialism
In favour of empire (White man's burden) SO joined Salisbury's gov (called a betrayer by other liberals)
Colonial Secretary => expanded empire (Venezuela, Sudan, Gold Coast, Transvaal/Orange Stats after 2nd Boer war) + encourage creation of Join Stock Companies => monopoly of trade in an area but dev infrastructure (railways), Colonial Loans Act =£3Mions
Charismatic radical politician, made fortune in Birimingham (+MP) => did his best to improve the working conditions there
Proposed (x times) a tariff reform (protectionism) BUT country of free trade + dominions feared British cheap goods to destroy their industry
Chamberlain
1895-1903: Salisburu's cabinet
1903: failed to impose the tariff reform => split of the Conservative party.
1886: opposed to Home Rule, brokeaway with liberals and created the Liberal Unionist Party
Heyday of imperialism! => eco and po predominance: China, the Sudan, the Transvaal and Orange States were added to the British Empire.
Foreign affairs
1895-1900 Splendid isolation
1900-1905: New allies. France, Russia, Japan => Relations with Germany deteriorated.
The Boer wars (1899- 1902)
Mistreatment of "uitlanders" (migrants for gold, most were british, giving them the same rights Boers had would have created a brit majority in Tranvaal and threaten its independance => they were denied po rights by Kruger + paid enormous taxes)
Conflicts btw Transvaal and Brit bc Kruger (psdt Transvaal) wanted to expand his territory VS Cecil Rhodes, head of the Brit South Africa Company (made fortune w/ De Beers diamonds)
Milner, chosen by Chamberlain as High Commissioner for South Africa provoked Kruger and Negotiations failed => they have 48h to leave
Do not leave => Boers attacked Cape colony 12th October 1899 (2nd Boers War) => At the beginning, the British were dramatically defeated (black week). Buller, Roberts and Kitchener finally won with controversial methods (violence, concentrated camps)
HWR European powers had really supported the Boers => GB = isolated in Europe
1902 Treaty of Vereeniging => the 2 Boers Republic were annexed in a British South African Union (Empire) + were promised soon self-government and well compensated for the damage => good relations Boers/English
Ireland
Very few things were made. The only thing = the Wyndham’s Land Purchase Act (1903). => Ireland remained quiet
Balfour's achievement
1905 Aliens Act: conditions of entrance for Jewish migrants were toughened (money, health, ability).
Education act of 1903 (equality between the voluntary schools and the others)
Became very unpopular => sanction vs whole conservatives years
Tariff reform controversy split the Conservative party => advocated by Chamberlain (many countries had done it + Germany/the US = too competitive) BUT failed to achieve it => divided the Conservative party => Balfour wanted to reach a compromise with Chamberlain but C refused and left the gvt in 1903
Chinese slavery affair: Chinese workers sent in the South African Union => exploited as slaves => criticism aroused.
Many acts were unpopular: Licensing act.
Traded Unions VS Cons° => Taff Vale case, the House of Lords stated that the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants should pay heavy damages following a strike => became almost impossible for unions to go on strike without risking bankruptcy.
No social reforms
Working class began to be interested in the New Labour Party
Licensing Act of 1904 (pub that closed were given a compensation funded by other pubs).
the Wyndham’s Land Purchase Act (1903): increased the number of loads granted to tenants.