England in. England

Tula State Pedagogical University. L.N. Tolstoy

Department of English

abstract

England during the reign of George V

Completed by: student 1aA

Namestnikova E.I.

Checked by: Associate Professor of the Department of English

Zykova L.V.

Tula-2002

GEORGE V

George V (1865–1936), King of Great Britain. Born June 3, 1865 at Marlborough House (London), the second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later Edward VII and Queen Alexandra), was christened George Frideric Ernst Albert. Not assuming that he could take the throne, he received a naval education and served in the navy. In 1892, the premature death of his elder brother, the Duke of Clarence, made him heir to the throne. Queen Victoria named him the Duke of York. In July 1893 he married Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, who had previously been engaged to his older brother. As heir to the throne, George received the dukedom of Cornwall, and on November 9, 1901 he became Prince of Wales - after the coronation of his father, Edward VII. After Edward's death on May 6, 1910, George was proclaimed the new king and crowned on June 22, 1911 at Westminster Abbey. George V's reign began during a constitutional crisis in the House of Lords, which refused to approve a bill of Parliament restricting its power to veto bills in the House of Commons. To resolve the crisis, George V promised additional support to the Liberal government, but after the victory of the Liberal Party in the 1910 elections, the bill was approved without additional measures. In 1911, George V visited India. This was the only British monarch to take such a step in the history of British rule over India. It broke out in 1914. World War I. The king visited over 450 military units and over 300 hospitals with wounded soldiers. In 1917, due to anti-German sentiment, he changed the name of the royal house from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor, renouncing all personal and family Germanic titles.

Throughout the 19th century, the desire of the nation for independence intensified in Ireland. But in the north of the country, the independence movement met with resistance from trade unions and the Conservative Party. In 1916, Dublin's Easter celebrations escalated into a civil war that ended with the establishment of the Irish Free State (later the Republic of Ireland) in 1922 (see article by Patrick Pierce). At the same time, the six northern counties remained part of the UK. In 1923-1929, due to the economic crisis in Great Britain, there were frequent changes of cabinets. The absence in 1924 of a clear majority among the three rival parties forced the king to replace the Prime Minister from the Conservative Party, Baldwin, with the Labor MP MacDonald.

George V played an important conciliatory role, both in this and in other situations, such as the General Strike of 1926. During the miners' strike and the general strike of 1926, the king used every opportunity to reconcile the parties. George V took lightly the first Labor government appointed in 1924. After the World Economic Depression of 1929, the king persuaded a union leader to lead a coalition

a national government made up of all parties that won the 1931 elections. George V was directly involved in the creation of the Westminster Act of 1931, according to which the parliaments of the British dominions could make their own laws independently of Great Britain. This increased the importance of the monarchy, as the dominions, no longer subject to the British Parliament, were now bound by a common oath of allegiance to the crown. George V began the tradition of an annual Christmas Broadcast for sovereign territories (now the Commonwealth of Nations), which was first broadcast in 1932. George V died at Sandringham on January 20, 1936.

Germany and Britain, 1905–1919.

The growth of the economic and military potential of the German Empire became the main threat to the prosperity and security of Britain. Relations with Germany came to the fore in British politics between 1905 and the outbreak of the First World War. In fact, it was the German threat that forced the British government in 1904 to resolutely abandon its traditional policy of maintaining a balance of power. By 1907, France, Japan, Russia, and Britain had entered into a potential alliance of sorts. Energetic and generally successful steps were taken in foreign policy aimed at easing tensions and differences between countries. Longstanding differences with the United States were resolved. In 1906 and 1907 the Transvaal and the Orange Free State, until recently at war with Britain, received responsible governments, and in 1910 the four self-governing colonies of South Africa were united and given dominion status, like Canada in 1867 and Australia, which entered the British Commonwealth in 1901 Asquith's Liberal government (1908-1916) was inclined to introduce Home Rule in Ireland, but opposition in the House of Lords delayed the adoption of the corresponding act for a while.

Social reforms in the United Kingdom were also to some extent driven by the German threat. The British population had to be kept in readiness and prevented from discontent. In 1908–1911, steps were taken towards the so-called. "welfare states". These first attempts were partial and admittedly inadequate, but nonetheless the costs of their implementation, together with the funds for rearmament, required a significant increase in taxes. Lloyd George, the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Asquith's government, proposed shifting the burden of the tax to large landowners. The House of Lords refused to approve this proposal. As a result, the same thing happened as in 1832. The government obtained the consent of George V to appoint new peers if necessary. The House of Lords again had to make the inevitable decision, and in 1910 the necessary Parliament Act was passed. As a result, in 1911 the budget presented by Lloyd George was formalized into law. In addition, in 1914 the Home Rule Act for Ireland and the act for the liquidation of the Church of England in Wales were adopted. The implementation of these acts, however, was delayed due to the outbreak of world war.

The United Kingdom spent enormous sums during the First World War. The public debt rose from £651 million in the financial year 1914-1915 to over £7.8 billion in 1919-1920. Spending continued after the end of the war. Interest on the debt and the need to pay pensions placed a heavy burden on the country. The number of dead and missing was approximately 680 thousand people, and the number of mobilized - 5.7 million. The war swept the entire globe and was fought on land, at sea and in the air. The greatest threat to the United Kingdom was the German submarine blockade, which resulted in the loss of 7.6 million tons of British merchant marine ships. Free trade, which involved dependence on food imports, made the British population especially vulnerable. In 1916 the dynamic Lloyd George succeeded Asquith as head of the coalition government. In the same year, a law on universal military service was adopted. The Easter Rising in Ireland in 1916 posed a threat to Britain in her own home front. The most difficult time came at the beginning of 1917. Russia withdrew from the war, and Germany launched military operations at sea. The British armed forces suffered a crushing defeat in Mesopotamia. When the United States entered the war in April 1917, it remained unclear whether they would be able to form their armed forces in time and transfer them to the arena of hostilities. In 1917, Lloyd George secured the formation of an imperial military cabinet that included the prime ministers of the dominions and a representative of India. In 1918, the situation improved despite the fact that Germany, during the March offensive, made a desperate attempt to break through to the English Channel. In 1918, the United Kingdom was even able to pass a massive education law, as well as a new electoral law that granted suffrage to women over the age of 30. From the very beginning of the war, the question arose of how much the United Kingdom could rely on the support of dominions and colonies. However, apart from strong opposition to the war in southern Ireland and the unsuccessful attempt by a small faction in South Africa to join German forces in South West Africa, the war did not result in the breakaway of the Commonwealth states, which not only provided the United Kingdom with operational military bases, but also supported him with military personnel, money and provisions.

Interwar period, 1919–1939

From an economic point of view, the most pressing problem of the post-war period was the transition from a wartime economy to a peacetime economy. This process proved to be more difficult and lengthy than expected, and was still going on during the Great Depression. Before the depression ended, preparations for a new war were on the agenda. From a political point of view, on the agenda was the issue of improving the social situation of the population, relations with Ireland, relations within the Commonwealth as a whole, the administration of new mandated territories and, finally, finding the necessary balance between relations with the United States and relations with continental Europe.

Demobilization was carried out quickly and efficiently, but placing a large number of men in the civilian sector of the economy proved to be a difficult task. The situation in the coal industry became more complicated when the wider use of oil reduced the demand for coal. In 1925, the government allocated subsidies to the industry, but the next year it stopped assistance. Then a strike of 1.2 million miners began, which quickly grew into a general strike that threatened to paralyze the economy. George V even considered himself obliged to take an extraordinary step, turning to the population of the country with a warning about the danger of violence. The miners, in the end, were forced to return to their jobs without getting a pay rise.

For many people, Great Britain and England are consonant concepts, synonyms that are used to name the same state. But in fact, everything is not so simple, and there are serious differences between them, which we will discuss later in the article.

What is Great Britain

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the full name of an independent island state located in the north-west of Europe and occupying the largest territory in it.

Great Britain was founded in 1801. It includes such territorial units (the so-called "historical provinces") as northern Scotland, the Principality of Wales, which have sufficient autonomy and their own parliaments.

England is also one of the "provinces" of Great Britain (by the way, the largest in the country). Around it, in fact, from the very beginning, the formation of the modern state took place. But, unlike other parts of the kingdom, it does not have its own legislative and executive powers, and their role is performed by the national parliament of Great Britain.

In addition to these territories, the United Kingdom owns three more Crown Lands - the islands of Jersey, Maine and Guernsey, as well as fourteen overseas territories, which include, for example, Gibraltar, Bermuda, Falklands, etc.

England: country information

Despite the large number of dependent lands, England, again, is the historical core of the United Kingdom, and its population is 84% of all inhabitants of Great Britain.

Here the English language was "born", and from here the formation of a powerful state began. The beginning of this was laid by the Angles and Saxons, who conquered the territory at the beginning of the ninth century, displacing the Britons who inhabited it. In 825, King Egbert of Wessex united most of the petty kingdoms into one, giving it the name England (this translates as "Land of the Angles").

But when in 1707 Scotland became part of the state, and the United Kingdom was formed, it was decided to call it Great Britain, so as not to infringe on anyone's pride. After all, the name, for example, Great England (Great England) would be absolutely unacceptable for the Scots.

Some features of the British government

That the meaning of the word "England" in our minds is closely intertwined with the meaning of the word "Great Britain", and even some explanatory dictionaries cite these names as synonymous, a cultured person should still understand what their internal difference is.

Of course, the role of England for the whole state is difficult to overestimate. After all, it was her legal, legal and constitutional innovations that were adopted by many states of the world. And it was this part of the United Kingdom that became the cradle of the Industrial Revolution, making Great Britain the world's first industrialized country.

In general, the United Kingdom has a rather complex state system, which, nevertheless, does not prevent it from being an example in maintaining democratic relations within the country.

Interestingly, the UK does not have a single constitution. It is to some extent replaced by a set of acts of a different nature, common law rules, including many judicial precedents, and some constitutional customs. The most important of them include (signed back in 1215), as well as the Act of Succession to the Throne.

Why does England not have its own Parliament?

Due to the fact that England is the only constituent part of Great Britain that does not have its own parliament and government, a movement has formed in the country in support of its creation. After all, if decisions concerning Scotland alone can be made by the Scottish legislatures, then decisions regarding England are made by Welsh, Scottish, and Northern Irish deputies who are members of the national parliament.

But in response to this, representatives argue that if the largest part of Great Britain receives independent authorities, this will lead to the fact that the remaining small territories will sharply lose their significance, and this, in turn, may lead to the collapse of the Kingdom.

Once again about the differences between England and Great Britain

We hope the article helped to finally understand how England differs from Great Britain. And in order to finally systematize the information, we once again recall their main differences:

Great Britain is an independent state, which includes England as an administrative unit;
England has no foreign policy relations, and Great Britain is an indispensable member of international organizations (UN, NATO, European Union, OSCE, etc.) and "arbiter of fate" for countries dependent on it;
England does not have its own currency, armed forces and parliament;
The territory of England is only a small part of the whole of Great Britain.

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Slides captions:

England in the second half of the 17th century

Plan. 1. The period of the Cromwellian Republic. 2. Cromwell's protectorate and the restoration of the Stuarts. 3. "Glorious Revolution" and its results.

Period of the Cromwellian Republic

After the revolution, the situation of the common people did not improve. The confiscated lands of the king, his supporters and his bishops were sold in large plots. Only 9% of these lands fell into the hands of wealthy peasants, the rest were bought up by the urban bourgeoisie and the new nobility. The peasants did not receive land and were not exempted from dues.

The civil war led to the decline of economic life in the country: economic ties between the counties were interrupted, this was especially hard on London, the center of industry and trade. Difficulties in marketing cloth led to mass unemployment. Therefore, part of the population was not satisfied with the reforms of the parliament. Protest movements broke out across the country.

The Diggers, led by Gerard Wistanley, called on the poor to occupy the wastelands and farm freely, based on the principle that every person has a right to land. How do you think the levellers and diggers substantiated their views? (They proceeded that God created people equal and property and legal differences must be overcome.) ?

Everywhere diggers were dispersed, arrested, severely beaten; destroyed their crops, destroyed their huts, maimed their livestock. Why do you think? The propertied classes saw in these peaceful workers the most dangerous enemies of bourgeois property. ?

Having suppressed the movement of the Diggers in England, Cromwell went in August 1649 at the head of an army to suppress the Irish uprising, but in essence to reconquer the "Green Island". Of the one and a half million population in Ireland, a little more than half remained. The ensuing mass confiscations of the lands of the rebels transferred 2/3 of the Irish territory into the hands of the English owners.

In Scotland, on February 5, 1649, the son of Charles I was proclaimed King Charles II. Cromwell with his army went there and by September 1651 the Scottish army was completely destroyed, the king fled and soon crossed over to the continent.

Cromwell understood that the army was the main pillar of power. Therefore, heavy taxes were entirely preserved in the country in order to maintain a standing army, the number of which in the 50s had already reached 60 thousand people.

England was ravaged by crop failures, a drop in production, a reduction in trade, and unemployment. The new owners of the land infringed upon the rights of the peasants. The country needed legal reform and a constitution.

Cromwell's protectorate and the restoration of the Stuarts

A conflict was brewing between Cromwell and Parliament. In 1653 Cromwell disbanded the Long Parliament and established a regime of personal dictatorship, assuming the title of Lord Protector for life. A new constitution was adopted in the country - "Instrument of Management", according to it, Cromwell received the highest power for life. The protector commanded the armed forces, was in charge of foreign policy, had the right to veto, etc. The protectorate was essentially a military dictatorship. Protectorate - a form of government, when the head of the republic was the Lord Protector for life.

The country was divided into 11 districts, each of which was headed by a major general subordinate to Cromwell. The Lord Protector forbade public festivals, theatrical performances, work on Sundays. - Why do you think? (Oliver Cromwell was a convinced puritan, and, in his opinion, various amusements were contrary to Christian principles.) ?

September 3, 1658 Cromwell died, and power passed to his son Richard, but in May 1659 Richard leaves his post. The British political elite did not want a new dictator. Why do you think? (Military dictatorship was not the goal of the English Revolution. In addition, Cromwell's regime did not have serious support in society: he was condemned by royalists, Catholics, and moderate Puritans. The Lord Protector relied solely on the army.) ?

In 1660, a bicameral parliament was again convened, mostly from Presbyterians. The rich were afraid of a "new turmoil", they needed legitimate power. In this environment, a conspiracy in favor of the "legitimate dynasty" of the Stuarts was becoming more and more mature.

General Monk entered into direct negotiations with the son of the executed king, the emigrant king Charles II, on the conditions for the restoration (restoration) of the monarchy. On April 25, 1660, the new Parliament approved the return of the Stuarts; a month later, Charles II solemnly entered London. General Monck Charles II

England during the Stuart Restoration

Charles became king under certain conditions. He confirmed the rights won by the new nobility and bourgeoisie. He was deprived of royal lands, but was assigned an annual allowance. The king did not have the right to create a standing army. Do you think his power was absolute? But he rarely convened parliament, patronized Catholics, re-established the position of bishop, and began persecution of active participants in the revolution. Charles II?

Whigs - a party to which the bourgeoisie and gentry belonged, who defended the rights of parliament and advocated reforms. The Tories are a party to which large landlords and clergy belonged, who advocated the preservation of traditions. In the 70s. two political parties began to form.

"Glorious Revolution" and its results

After the death of Charles II, his brother James II took the throne. He did everything to reduce the role of parliament and establish Catholicism. This caused outrage in the English public. In 1688 The Glorious Revolution took place, as a result of which James II was overthrown from the throne, and the ruler of Holland, William III of Orange, and his wife Mary Stuart, daughter of James II, were proclaimed king and queen. James II

At the same time, William and Mary accepted the crown on special conditions. They recognized the Bill of Rights, according to which the powers of the king and parliament were demarcated. The Bill of Rights also guaranteed freedom of religion throughout the kingdom. The "Bill of Rights" (bill - bill) finally laid the foundation for a new form of statehood - a constitutional monarchy. William III of Orange

The affirmation of the principle "the king reigns, but does not rule" meant that all the most important issues would be decided in a parliament consisting of representatives of the bourgeois parties. The party that wins the majority of seats in the House of Commons forms the government headed by the prime minister.

The form of government in England is a parliamentary monarchy Legislative power Executive power Parliament House of Lords House of Commons King Government Prime Minister Elections based on property qualification What is the name of the form of government that developed in England after the revolution?

After the death of William III and his wife, the throne passed to the daughter of James II, Anna Stewart (1702-1714). During her reign in 1707, a union was concluded between England and Scotland. The Scottish Parliament was dissolved, and representatives of this region sat from that moment on in the English Parliament. Anna Stuart (1702-1714)

The main stages of the bourgeois revolution in England.

Questions to reinforce: 1. Why did the new owners decide to restore the Stuarts? 2. What made it necessary to finally remove the Stuarts from power? What did they interfere with and what threatened their rule? 3. What was the difference between the events of 1688-1689. from the events of 1642-1649. ? Why are they called "glorious revolution"? 4. What is the essence of the parliamentary monarchy regime? What form of government exists in England today? 5. What is the reason for the durability of the two-party system? ?

Following are the causes of the revolution in England. Enter the wrong answer. The dissatisfaction of Parliament with the desire of the Stuarts to rule alone. Dissatisfaction of Parliament with the economic policy of the Stuarts. Embezzlement and bribery in the royal court. Translation of the Bible into English and conducting services in this language.

With a “yes” or “no” sign, mark whether you agree with these judgments: 1 2 3 4 5 The revolution in England destroyed absolutism. The English Revolution established a parliamentary monarchy in the country. After the revolution, capitalism began to develop in the country. The English Parliament became unicameral. Catholicism became the state religion in the country. yes yes yes no no

Glossary of terms and dates: 1688 - coup d'état in England, overthrow of the Stuart dynasty. 1689 - adoption of the "Bill of Rights" - the beginning of a parliamentary monarchy in England. RESTORATION - restoration. PROTECTOR - patron, protector.

Homework: prepare for testing on the topic "English Revolution of the 17th century."

Great Britain during the Second World War was not occupied by Germany, but this did not save the country from destruction, loss of population and resources. The aircraft and navy of the Third Reich regularly attacked the cities of the British Isles, sank ships and submarines, and land military equipment. The British also died on the fronts of World War II, as the country's government sent its soldiers to the Middle and Far East, Japan, Asia, the Balkan and Apennine Peninsulas, the Atlantic, Scandinavia, India, and North Africa. The British took part in the invasion of Germany in the last months of the war, the capture and occupation of Berlin. Therefore, the consequences, results and results of the Second World War were difficult for Great Britain in economic, social and political terms. The government of the country declared war on Hitler and Germany already on September 3, 1939, immediately after the capture of Poland, and until September 2, Britain was at war with the Third Reich. Only after the surrender of Japan, the war for the British state and its population was over.

Economic and political state in the late 1930s.

Before entering the war, Great Britain plunged into a protracted crisis that paralyzed the economy, foreign markets, trade, and the work of enterprises. As a result, workers constantly took to the streets with demonstrations, refused to go to work, enterprises stopped, British products did not enter the markets. Because of this, capitalists lost huge sums and positions in the world economy every day.

At the head of the government was Neville Chamberlain, who sought to create a strong country that could compete with Germany and also cooperate with it. Such a foreign policy course was supported by monopolists who had their own enterprises in many English colonies. Plans to get closer to Germany are evidenced by the fact that already at the beginning of 1930, representatives of the political forces of England and large industrialists regularly gathered in the house of the Astor family (British millionaires) to develop a plan for cooperation with Hitler. The secret society was called the Cleveland circle, the existence of which only a select few knew. The citizens of the country did not support the plans of the government, so rapprochement with Germany was to become a fait accompli for them.

In the 1930s England, like its ally France, tried to adhere to the policy of "appeasement", in fact turning a blind eye to Hitler's actions in Central Europe. By signing the Munich Agreement in 1938, N. Chamberlain, like E. Daladier, hoped that Germany would continue to seize Eastern Europe.

After that, declarations of non-aggression were signed and commitments were made that England would support Germany in the event of a war.

Chamberlain, under pressure from British society, was forced to start anti-German negotiations with the Soviet Union and France. Representatives of the political circles of England, France and the USA gathered separately. Such actions did not end with anything specific, which is why Hitler began the invasion of Poland.

Britain at War: Initial Period

Having declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939, Neville Chamberlain tried to keep the country from direct participation in hostilities. Until May 1940, a "strange war" was waged, which ended with the capture of Belgium, Holland and France. After that, the Chamberlain government began to prepare for war. To prevent Hitler from using the French fleet to attack Britain, the British attacked first. The target was the harbor of Mers-el-Kebir, located in Algiers. Having destroyed a huge number of ships, England captured many ships that were in British ports. In addition, there was a complete block of the French fleet in the port of Alexandria (Egypt).

At this time, Hitler began to concentrate troops on the banks of the English Channel, preparing for the invasion of the British Isles. The first blow was delivered not from the sea, but from the air. In August 1940, German aviation launched a series of attacks on military factories, enterprises, and airfields in Great Britain. Major cities have also been affected. The raids were carried out mainly at night, which led to the death of a significant number of civilians. Streets, residential buildings, cathedrals, churches, stadiums, factories became the targets of the bombing.

British aircraft, backed by Canada and the United States, retaliated. As a result, in September 1940, both Germany and Britain were exhausted by constant raids, many people were killed, equipment was damaged, which made the planned German invasion of the British Isles impossible. The elaborate Operation Sea Lion was delayed by Hitler because there were not enough planes to break the resistance of Britain, which was fighting the Third Reich alone. The United States did not provide military assistance, but only gave warships from which British planes took off.

British army forces

The basis of the power of Great Britain was the fleet, which was one of the strongest in Europe. In 1939, the number of servicemen of different ranks in the army was about 900 thousand people, and another 350-360 thousand soldiers were stationed in the colonies. The main forces of the state were concentrated on the British Isles - regular divisions and brigades - territorial, infantry, cavalry, tank. There were seven divisions of a regular nature in reserve and many separate brigades formed on the basis of the British and Indians.

Before the war, the number of units of aviation equipment, which was transferred to the balance of the army, increased sharply. Aviation was reinforced with bombers, and the fleet was reinforced with battleships and aircraft carriers.

Events 1941-1944

Hitler's attention was diverted from Britain in the summer of 1941, in connection with the attack on the Soviet Union. The position of Germany became much more complicated after the entry of the USA into the Second World War. Hitler could not conduct military operations on two fronts, therefore he threw all his efforts into the fight against the USSR and the resistance movements that arose in the occupied territories. While Germany was seizing the USSR and establishing its own rules there, Britain and the United States agreed to cooperate, as a result of which secret German documents and radio communications were intercepted, and supplies of food and raw materials to the British Isles were established.

British troops in 1941 lost several battles on the Asian front, only the British colonies in India survived. The British also suffered losses in North Africa, but the strengthening of the army by the Americans made it possible in 1942 to turn the tide in favor of the Allies. Hitler in 1943 withdrew troops from Africa. Further, the Italian islands were gradually conquered, including Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, which forced Mussolini to capitulate.

In November 1943, it opened with the work of the first anti-Hitler coalition, which was held in Tehran. It was attended by Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt, who agreed on the liberation of France and the opening of a second front. In June 1944, the allied troops began to gradually liberate Belgium and France, ousting the Germans from the occupied territories. The Third Reich was losing battle after battle. The situation was aggravated by the offensive of the Soviet troops on the fronts of the war.

Surrender of Germany

In 1945, Anglo-American troops began to advance in the direction of Germany. German cities and enterprises turned into ruins as bombers constantly attacked various objects, many of which were unique monuments of history, culture and architecture. Civilians also became numerous victims of the strikes.

At the end of winter - beginning of March 1945, British troops, as part of the Allied forces, contributed to the pushing of German troops across the Rhine. The offensive took place in all directions:

In April, the German army in Italy capitulated;
In early May, hostilities intensified on the northern flank of the Allied front, which contributed to the liberation of Denmark, Mecklenburg, Schleswig-Holstein;
On May 7, Germany's surrender was signed in Reims, which was signed by General A. Jodl.

The Soviet side opposed such actions, since the document was drawn up unilaterally at the American headquarters of D. Eisenhower. Therefore, the next day, all the allies - the Soviet Union, Britain, the USA and France - were gathered on the outskirts of Berlin, and the act of surrender was signed again. At the end of May 1945, the British, under pressure from the United States and the USSR, arrested the German generals who commanded in the British zone of occupation.

In 1945, the British army took an active part in the hostilities in Southeast Asia, freeing Burma from Japanese troops. The British did not ignore the Far East, where the offensive was carried out by the Pacific Fleet, formed by Britain in the autumn of 1944.

Thus, the British army took an active part in all the important operations of the final period of World War II, supporting the actions of the allies and individual states.

Outcomes and consequences of the war for Britain

Historians evaluate the results of the Second World War for England ambiguously. Some believe that the country lost, while others - came out the winner. The main outcomes of the conflict for the British Isles include:

Loss of superpower status;
She ended up in the camp of the winners, although at the beginning of the war she was on the verge of being occupied by the Third Reich;
It retained its independence, avoiding occupation, like many European states. The economy was in ruins, the country was in ruins, but the internal situation was strikingly different from Poland, France, Denmark, Holland;
Almost all trading markets were lost;
The colonies of the former British Empire embarked on the path to independence, but most of them continued to maintain economic, commercial and cultural relations with London. This became the core of the formation of the future Commonwealth of Nations;
Production fell several times, which was returned to the pre-war level only in the late 1940s. The same was true for the economic situation. The crisis phenomena were overcome gradually, only in 1953 the card system was finally abolished in Britain;
The area under crops and agricultural land has been halved, so in the British Isles almost one and a half million hectares of land have not been cultivated for several years;
The deficit of the payment part of the British state budget has increased several times.

England in the Second World War lost, according to various estimates, from 245 thousand to 300 thousand killed, and about 280 thousand maimed and wounded. The size of the merchant fleet was reduced by one third, because of which Britain lost 30% of foreign investment. At the same time, the military industry was actively developing in the country, which was associated with the need to ensure the mass production of tanks, aircraft, weapons and weapons for the needs of the army, as well as with the significant impact of technological progress.

Given the current situation, Britain was forced to continue to use the Lend-Lease program. Equipment, food, and weapons were imported from the United States into the country. For this, the States received full control of trade markets in the region of Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

This internal and external position of Britain caused concern among the population and the government. Therefore, political circles took a course on strict regulation of the economy, which included the creation of a mixed economic system. It was built on two components - private property and state entrepreneurship.

Nationalization of enterprises, banks, important industries - gas, metallurgical, coal mining, aviation, etc. - allowed already in 1948 to reach pre-war indicators in production. The old industries were never able to take the key positions they had before the war. Instead, new directions and sectors began to appear in the economy, industry and production. This made it possible to start solving the food problem, attract investment to Britain, and create jobs.

1. The beginning of the Second World War and England. "Strange War" "Battle for England".

2. The role of Great Britain in the victory over the Nazi coalition during the war.

1. Great Britain can be considered one of the initiators of the Second World War. Firstly, this is due to the fact that already in the mid-30s. the struggle for dominance in the world revives again between Great Britain and France, on the one hand, and Germany, Italy and Japan, on the other. Secondly, Great Britain at the same time passively watches how Germany violates the terms of the Versailles Peace. The ruling circles of Great Britain, like those of some other Western countries, hoped that Germany's aggression would be directed against the USSR. This is evidenced by the participation of Great Britain, together with France, Germany and Italy, in the Munich Conference of 1938, at which an agreement was signed aimed at dismembering Czechoslovakia by Germany. And only after Germany violated this treaty in the spring of 1939, the ruling circles of Great Britain were forced to negotiate with the USSR on the creation of an anti-Hitler alliance. But the position of both the leadership of the USSR and Great Britain did not allow this task to be completed.

On September 1, 1939, World War II began with the German attack on Poland. Great Britain was an ally of Poland and the latter, of course, expected her help. But the British government was still trying to solve the problem with Germany through diplomacy. And only on September 3, Great Britain declared war on Germany. Following her, her dominions Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the Union of South Africa did the same.

Despite the fact that Great Britain and France at that moment could curb the aggressor, they did not go further than declaring war. Until the spring of 1940, there were practically no military operations on this front, so these events were called "strange war" in historiography. At this time, mobilization was only taking place, expeditionary troops were being transferred to France.

In April 1940, Germany launched an offensive in Western Europe, and in May, German troops entered French territory. The offensive was swift and the British troops after the defeat at Dunkirk were forced to evacuate to the British Isles.

From this moment begins the so-called "Battle for England". In Germany, the landing operation on the British Isles ("Zeele") was developed, but it was never carried out. The reason for this can be considered that Great Britain was in more favorable conditions than France: its geographical position, the presence of a strong navy, and a high ability to resist. In addition, the new government of W. Churchill took decisive measures to organize the defense of the country: the volume of military production increased, volunteer civil defense detachments were created, which were later transformed into a people's militia.

The "Battle of England" took on the character of massive bomb attacks. At first they were sent to naval bases and airfields, and from September 1940 to cities: London, Coventry, Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, etc. Germany's goal was to destroy or significantly weaken the British navy and aviation, the disorganization of the military industry, the suppression of the population's desire for resistance. But this goal was not achieved. The German air force suffered heavy losses. Failed to destroy British industry and undermine the morale of the population. On November 3, 1940, the intensity of the raids began to weaken. The last massive air strikes on London were delivered in late April - early May 1941. At the same time, Germany began reorienting military production and distributing material resources for the war against the USSR, i.e. to the development of their armed forces in the "land" and not in the "sea" version, which meant the rejection of the invasion of the British Isles.

At the same time, Great Britain conducted military operations in Africa and other areas. The campaign in Africa (against Italy) was held with varying success, but nevertheless, by the spring of 1941, the British managed not only to drive the Italians out of their colonies, but also to oust the Italians from Ethiopia. Only in North Africa, where Germany provided assistance to Italy, did the British troops retreat, the northwestern part of Egypt was occupied by the enemy.

2. The situation during World War II changed radically after the German attack on the USSR on June 22, 1941. From that time on, the main events of the war took place on the Soviet-German front. The invasion of the German armies into the British Isles no longer threatened Great Britain. Air raids have also been drastically reduced.

Great Britain switched to the path of cooperation with the Soviet Union. Already on June 22, 1941, British Prime Minister W. Churchill made a statement about his readiness to provide "Russia and the Russian people with all the help that we are capable of." In other words, the British government agreed to an alliance with the USSR, which was formalized in Moscow on July 12, 1941. This was the beginning of the creation of the anti-Hitler coalition.

Almost immediately, the Soviet Union began to insist on opening a second front in Western Europe, but this problem was solved only in 1944. Until that time, North Africa had been the main theater of operations for the British troops. Until the autumn of 1942, events here took place with varying degrees of success. After the American-British landing was landed in Morocco and Algeria on November 8, 1942, the situation changed in favor of the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition, which led to the surrender of the enemy in Africa on May 13, 1943. In July 1943, the American-British troops landed on the island of Sicily and launched an offensive in Italy, which led to Italy's withdrawal from the war on the side of Germany. And on June 6, 1944, a second front was finally opened in Europe by the landing of allied troops in Normandy (France).

British troops also took part in the war against Japan. After the Japanese attack on the American base of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, in a short time she captured many territories, among which were British possessions: Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaya, Burma. Approaching the borders of India, Japan created a threat to this "pearl of the British crown." Therefore, the British command concentrated a large group of troops in the northeastern part of India. For more than two years it was inactive, and only in the summer of 1944, when Japan's position was shaken due to the successes of the anti-Hitler coalition, British troops invaded Burma and by the spring of 1945 cleared it of Japanese troops.

In Europe, the offensive of the allies from the west and from the east in 1944-1945. led to the defeat of Nazi Germany, and on September 2, 1945, the Second World War ended with the surrender of Japan.

Thus, Great Britain took an active part in the creation of the anti-Hitler coalition, in hostilities and emerged from the war as one of the winners, and Prime Minister W. Churchill, who led the country during the war years, was recognized as a national hero.