Popular support for the British Empire

Lavan Muraleedharan and Freddie Woodcock

Before the war & arising problems• Much support still existed. The Empire was a source of National Pride (ie Empire Day)

– BUT:• Economic costs of maintenance began to become discouraging, and many people

slowly began to prioritise a bettered Welfare State over keeping the Empire• US policy of National Self-Determination lead to worry at home in GB, because it

underlined the US were not in favour of Imperialism.• Anglo-Irish War happened close to home and lost Support for Imperialism. Outlined

potential problems Imperialism may cause Britain.• Naval Treaty signed with US. During the Depression, confidence in Empire was lost, as

US and Japan were taken over by militaristic Governments. Due to the terms of the Treaty, US power matched GB and Japan became aggressive. These combined led to fall in confidence and hence support for Empire at home, particularly during the depression when Britain was financially unstable.

• Government of India Act & resulting legislation led to Amritsar Massacre. Opinion was already divided over India and support was clearly waning for British control of India due to ‘strain and unrest’

During the War

• ‘proud but frustrated’ as Empire’s resources stretched thin

• British nation ‘stood undismayed against the dictator’ after France fell, although they stood alone (Churchill)

Postwar• “There is no doubt that public opinion had become far less attached to

the concept of Empire.” • C. Barnett maintained that Britain had a ‘moral revulsion’ against

imperialism• Main focus was welfare state – “electorate showed in 1945 that it was

overwhelmingly in support of social change [as opposed to imperial responsibilities].”

• Particularly for working class, even working class Conservatives, who were very supportive of social change

• WW2 had given most people enough external campaigns to last a lifetime and their emphasis was on internal reconstruction.

• A.P. Thornton argued that declining role and influence of the aristocracy accompanied the reduced interest in the empire from the public