Twentieth-Century Britain: A Very Short IntroductionFirst published as part of the best-selling The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, Kenneth Morgan's Very Short Introduction to Twentieth-Century Britain examines the forces of consensus and of conflict in twentieth-century Britain. The account covers the trauma of the First World War and the social divisions of the twenties; fierce domestic and foreign policy debates in the thirties; the impact of the Second World War for domestic transformation, popular culture and the loss of empire; the transition from the turmoil of the seventies to the aftermath of Thatcherism and the advent of New Labour. Throughout, cultural and artistic themes are woven into the analysis, along with the distinct national experiences of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. The profound tension that shook the United Kingdom are juxtaposed against equally deep forces for stability, cohesion, and a sense of historic identity. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. |
Contents
| 1 | |
2 The Twenties | 15 |
3 The Thirties | 31 |
4 The Second World War | 45 |
5 The PostWar World | 61 |
6 From the Seventies to the Nineties | 79 |
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Common terms and phrases
1987 general election American appeared Asquith Attlee Baldwin became Blair Blitz Britain British history British politics British society Cabinet campaign cent Chamberlain Churchill cities Clement Attlee coalition commitment communities consensus Conservatives cultural decade decline Ealing Studios East economic effect election electoral empire England Europe European Falklands football forces George’s German Harold Macmillan housing impact imperial increasingly innovation Irish Jack Hobbs John John Major Keynes Labour government Labour Party land later leader Liberals Lloyd George London MacDonald major Margaret Thatcher massive Michael middle-class military million miners nationalist naval Northern Ireland notably nuclear Oxford Passport to Pimlico patriotism peace period polls popular population post-war prime minister Princess Diana protest public mood remained resigned right-wing Scotland seemed Sinn Fein social socialist South Stanley Baldwin strike symbol Thatcher thirties trade unions traditional twenties unemployment Unionists Wales wartime Welsh workers working-class