War and Society in Britain, 1899-1948

WAR AND THE BRITISH SOCIETY

Social and Political Consequences of War on British Society in the period 1899-1948 and Thereafter

War and the British Society : 1899-1948

Introduction

The period from 1899-1948 has great significance in British history and consequently world history , as it contains seminal events that led to culmination of British Empire and ended its unsurpassed dominance in the world affairs in the capacity of the most powerful nation of all times This epic period starts with Boer wars (1899-1902 ) in South Africa where Britain gained a major victory

but against the international opinion marking end of its territorial expansion of the Empire , and it terminates with the end of Second World War , with a torn and bleeding Britain that had emerged through unparalleled hardship and plight after being forced into two almost consecutive great wars

This period brought indelible changes in the political and social outlook of Britain , affecting both its internal and external approach It saw the beginning of the end of British imperial policies , end of the period of laissez fair , reconsolidation of democratic ideals and an insight into British problems of rapid colonization and industrialization that were so far ignored under euphoria of economic growth and expansion

Society , politics and the First World War

The Boer wars of 1899 forced British imperial mindset to realize that its polices of armed territorial expansion was no longer in favor neither in the international community nor in the domestic quarters Although Britain gained victory in the Boer wars , the public was weary of rising costs of war , setting off alarm bells within the government In the subsequent years Britain followed a policy of forming strategic coalitions and strengthening its colonial rule against the impending war that was increasingly appearing inevitable . When the First World War broke out , it was by far the biggest armed confrontation in the history of mankind and a war where Britain was involved in its full extent with all its dominions and colonies standing with it

The initial days of war were enwrapped in a false sense of excitement and it was a widely held belief that with the economic might and superior naval force Britain would decidedly help its allies Russia and France to overcome Germany and that the war would be over before Christmas of 1914 . When the war threatened to extend further a huge number of British young me volunteered to join the armed forces , swelled by feeling of patriotism and unified hatred of Germany . The effect of the Great War was severe on Britain and the country lost more than 750 ,000 men apart from bearing the economic strain of the war . However as indicated by later historians with a better vantage point , the effect of an entire nation involved in the massive war efforts brought many positive results for the society . For example , the mass participation forced the political parties to concede various concessions and rewards to the working population thereby creating conditions that removed some of the glaring...