What was Britain's position in 1918?

VICTORY IN WW1/MILITARY STRENGHT/EMPIRE

• armistice -  rejoicing- 'golden era'
• 5% male population(france 10% Germany 10%)
• 5.5 million in the army
• royal navy has 58 battleships, 100 cruisers (biggest  in the world)
• RAF  20,000  planes (36 at the start of  the war)
• Empire assistance - 2.5 million troops - proof of unity and utility

WEAKNESSES OF TRADITIONAL RIVALS/ GOOD RELATIONS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES         

• Germany defeated - Treaty of Versailles
• Russia in chaos - civil war
• France had suffered hugely in WW1
• USA: special relationships
• Japan: allies since 1902

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL STRENGTH

• reserves of wealth
• no balance  of payments defecit
• elimination of German competition
• industrial output remained high, despite war
• had paid for much of the war out of own resources and had loaned to others (who now had to pay them back, with interest)

ECONOMIC WEAKNESS AND FINANCIAL WEAKNESS

• Britain incurred debts equivalent to 136% if  it's GNP
• Unemployment in 1921 reaches its highest point (11.3%) since records had  begun
• More British than German workers were involved in strikes in 1919
• Public spending cuts introduced in 1922 in order to ward off inflation - lots of resentment towards this

DEFENCE OVER COMMITMENT

• Last year of war - 83% income spent on artillery
• Cuts to save money to spend on a land fit for heroes and widower's pensions etc
• Gain a lot of Empire - has to pay for it; look after and defend

LACK OF ALLIES

• suspicion of France and US isolationism - America doesn't want to get involved in world affairs
• strongest allies - France - disagreements, America - doesn't want to get involved

IMPERIAL WEAKNESSES

• Nationalist movements in colonies (e.g. India)
• Dominions wanted to achiece greater  autonomy
• Gains made at the end of WW1 made  it  unwieldy

INDIA:

• WW1 - (1.5 million Indian troops) - calls for Indian independence increase
• Monatgu - chelmsford report agreed to do this BUT there was very little change - India Office still controlled India
• Anto-British political meetings began e.g. Amritsar - British troops massacred - 379
• Massacre led to campaigns of civil disobedience by Ganahi

POTENTIAL ENEMIES

• Germany- because of the Treaty of Versailles

STRONG IN THE SHORT TERM, WEAK IN THE LONG TERM

1.) Preserve peace - 10 year rule

2.) Defend British (despite 'ten year rule') including trade routes

3.) Preserve the balance of power

4.) Preserve the Empire

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