History Depression War And Recovery

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Why was there a decline in Traditional Industries?

1. Countries which had bought coal from Wales, were now able to buy it at a cheaper price from countries like the USA and Poland.

2. During WW1, countries like the USA and Poland had modernised their industries so that they were able to produce steel and other metals more cheaply than Britan.

3. The Treaty of Verssailles stipulated that Germany could pay some of its war reparation debt in raw resources. This meant that some countries receieved coal from Germany and therefore had no need to buy coal from Wales.

4. Oil was taking the place of coal as the main fuel for ships.

5. The Welsh coal industry had acheived their record production figures by employing more miners and not by investing in coal - cutting machines or modernising workingf practises.

6. The WW1, had disrupted Britains trading. She found it difficult to recovfer from this.

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What were the effects of the Depression in Britain

1.The effects on the industrial areas of Britain were immediate and devestating, as demand for British products collapsed.

2. By the end of 1930 unemployement had more than doubled from 1 million to 2.5 million  (20% of the insured workforce), and exports had fallen in value by 50%.

3. South Wales was declared a 'depressed area'. By the mid-1930s the number of miners employed in the Rhondda valleys had fallen by more than half in less than ten years. For most of tge 1930s it remained an employement 'black spot' with an unemployement rate of over 40%. Merthyr saw the closure of iron and steel works which resuted in another 'black spot'.

4. In these areas millions unemployed and their families were left destitute, and queing at soup kitchens became a way of life.

5. The industrial industries were hardest hit, along with the coal mining districts. London and the South-East of England were hurt less.

6.In the North East unemployment was 70%, Jarrow was badly affected whch led to the JM.

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Why DID people suffer as a result of the Depressio

1. Decline in traditional industries.

2. High Unemployement in areas such as South Wales, Umemployement figures, Soup Kitchens, Starvation, depressed areas, Means Test, Anomalies Act and Hunger Marches.

3. Role of Women, making ends meet, first to be laid off and high death rates.

4. Governement schemes not always help, eg. new industries, Special Areas Act, impact of migration on areas that they left.

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Why DIDNT people suffer as a result of the depress

1. Government laws did alleviate some suffering, eg. 1934 Unemployement Act.

2. Some areas not affected such as the South of England.

3. Creation of new industries, new jobs created in some areas, eg. Oxford.

4. Some Women benefitted, eg. became MP's Ellen Wilkinson for example.

5. Development of radio and cinema and sporting events provided escapism.

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Describe the Special areas act.

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Describe the Special Areas Act. How Successful?

-The special areas act took the worst hit areas of unemployement such as England, Northen England and South Wales and named them the 'special areas'.

-Then in 1934 the government passed the special areas act which offered grants of £2 to conpanies that woukd move to spoecial areas to make business.

Successful?

-Unemployement came down only very slowly.

-By 1938about £8,400,000 had been spent but only 121 had been set up creating 14,900 jobs.

-New companies were now reluctant to move to special areas.

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Describe the Means Test.

-The Means Test began in 1931 and was a scheme used to tackle the high cost of unemployement benefit.

-After 6 months of unemployement benefit, people went on to receive the 'dole'.

-Before they could recieve the 'dole', they had to gave their houses inspected to check all their savings and possessions.

-Families could be forced to sell their possessions such as furniture, if they wanted the 'dole'.

-The amount payed was based on daily income snd the average for 1936 was £1.80 but still below the average wage of £3.00.

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What impact did the Means Test have on the poor?

-Poor people were badly umoacted by the Means Test.

-The Means test took away poor peoples dignity in the way they operated it as they often sold many possessions and lost memorable items.

-Many protested against the Means Test and called them Hunger Marches by trying to bring attention to their plight.

-Many clamied that the Means Test was more about the government trying to save money than helping the unemployed.

-The poor often had to open soup kitchens.

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Describe the Jarrow March.

-The March prepared as the final route.

-Eventually, 200 men marched from Jarrow to London, led by the Mayor.

-The working class/ poor, marched in their best clothes so that they were taken that seriously and respected.

-The marchers wanted to recieve as much media as possible and marched for 450 kilometres.

-It began in 1936 as a result of deduction of 'dole' and the Means Test.

-Ellen Wilkinson was the Mayor and organiser and handed in a petiton of nearly 12,000 signatures at the Palace of Westminster and was presnted to the house of commons mentioning the rate of unemployement and it was then asked for the governement to provide work for the town.

-Marchers improved the public image of hunger marches and they were respected by police.

-However this March did not change anything.

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Describe the Role of Women.

--Women didn't work alot and had to make ends meat for their family.

-They were often last to eat and sometimes told their family they had eaten so that their family could.

-The life expectancy of Women was lower in Wales than England as poverty was high Wales.

-Women often marched and were trained to speak, as a political role.

-The death rate for women was twice as high in 1931-1935 than in 1915-1935.

-They bought the cheapest food such as bread, butter and sugar.

-They created clubs and by 1969 there were 300 of these clubs in Wales. They were often lectured on how to make clothes and items for their families.

-1,0000 women attacked the Merthya unemployement board.

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Were there any trading estate built and were they

-Yes, the Treforest Trading between Cardiff and Pontypool.

Sucessful?

-Not very. Despite £8,400,000 being spent, only 121 new companies had been set up creating 14,900 jobs. Industrial estates could not replace the scale of employement that coal and ship builing industries sustained.

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What actions did the government take to deal with

1. Special Areas Act.

2. Public spending cuts.

3. The National government off the gold standard.

4. The Means Test.

5. Income tax raised.

6. Import duties Act.

7. Ottawa agreements.

8. The exchange equalisation account.

9. Rationalisation.

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