Britain Between the Wars

From the end of WWI to the Munich Pact

When the armistice between the Allies and Germany was signed on November 11, 1918,

there were enormous celebrations in Britain. However, most people were badly affected by the war and their happiness was quickly replaced by sorrow.

An economy on its knees

The cost of the war damaged the world’s economy, including Britain’s. Many soldiers returned home only to find they were unemployed.

In 1926, the Trades Union Congress decided to call Britain’s first general strike to protest against plans to reduce the wages of coal miners. Over a million employees across the country stopped working. The dispute between the miners and the government carried on from May until October, but eventually the workers were forced to accept lower wages.

Just as the economy was beginning to improve, the stock market on Wall Street crashed on October 24, 1929 (Black Thursday). Britain quietly lost its leading role in the world and began to dismantle its empire.

The Ireland question

In December 1918, Sinn Féin, a party led by Éamon de Valera, that supported independence for Ireland, won an election. One of Sinn Féin’s earliest acts was to declare the first independent Irish parliament and no longer recognize the Parliament of the UK.

During the following two years, there was a war between Irish rebels and British forces. Mostly, there were isolated outbreaks of fighting and guerrilla warfare. In 1921, the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed, establishing the Irish Free State. Most of the country was supposed to become a self-governing part of the British Commonwealth. The six most northern counties in Ireland, however, decided to remain part of the UK.

A war between the Free State ‘Provisional Government’ forces (Anglo-Irish Treaty supporters) and Republican opposition (those who wanted complete independence) broke out in 1922. A year later the Anglo-Irish Treaty supporters won.

Éamon de Valera was prime minister and also became the third President of Ireland. Sinn Féin is still active today.

Alex Jordan (UK)