The results of Britain's participation in World War II were mixed. The country retained its independence and made a significant contribution to the victory over fascism, at the same time it lost its role as a world leader and came close to losing its colonial status.

Political games

British military historiography often likes to remind that the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939 actually gave the Germans a free hand. military vehicle. At the same time, the Munich Agreement, signed by England together with France, Italy and Germany a year earlier, is being ignored in Foggy Albion. The result of this conspiracy was the division of Czechoslovakia, which, according to many researchers, was the prelude to World War II.

On September 30, 1938, in Munich, Great Britain and Germany signed another agreement - a declaration of mutual non-aggression, which was the culmination of the British “policy of appeasement.” Hitler quite easily managed to convince British Prime Minister Arthur Chamberlain that the Munich Agreements would be a guarantee of security in Europe.

Historians believe that Britain had high hopes for diplomacy, with the help of which it hoped to rebuild the Versailles system in crisis, although already in 1938 many politicians warned the peacemakers: “concessions to Germany will only embolden the aggressor!”

Returning to London on the plane, Chamberlain said: “I brought peace to our generation.” To which Winston Churchill, a parliamentarian at the time, prophetically remarked: “England was offered a choice between war and dishonor. She chose dishonor and will get war.”

"Strange War"

On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. On the same day, Chamberlain's government sent a note of protest to Berlin, and on September 3, Great Britain, as the guarantor of Poland's independence, declared war on Germany. Over the next ten days, the entire British Commonwealth will join it.

By mid-October, the British transported four divisions to the continent and took up positions along the Franco-Belgian border. However, the section between the cities of Mold and Bayel, which is a continuation of the Maginot Line, was far from the epicenter of hostilities. Here the Allies created more than 40 airfields, but instead of bombing German positions, British aviation began scattering propaganda leaflets appealing to the morality of the Germans.

In the following months, six more British divisions arrived in France, but neither the British nor the French were in a hurry to take active action. This is how it was carried out strange war" Chief of the British General Staff Edmund Ironside described the situation as follows: “passive waiting with all the worries and anxieties that follow from this.”

French writer Roland Dorgeles recalled how the Allies calmly watched the movement of German ammunition trains: “obviously the main concern of the high command was not to disturb the enemy.”

Historians have no doubt that the “Phantom War” is explained by the wait-and-see attitude of the Allies. Both Great Britain and France had to understand where German aggression would turn after the capture of Poland. It is possible that if the Wehrmacht immediately launched an invasion of the USSR after the Polish campaign, the Allies could support Hitler.

Miracle at Dunkirk

On May 10, 1940, according to Plan Gelb, Germany launched an invasion of Holland, Belgium and France. The political games are over. Churchill, who took office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, soberly assessed the enemy’s forces. As soon as German troops took control of Boulogne and Calais, he decided to evacuate parts of the British Expeditionary Force that were trapped in the cauldron at Dunkirk, and with them the remnants of the French and Belgian divisions. 693 British and about 250 French ships under the command of English Rear Admiral Bertram Ramsay planned to transport about 350,000 coalition troops across the English Channel.

Military experts had little faith in the success of the operation under the sonorous name “Dynamo”. The advance detachment of Guderian's 19th Panzer Corps was located a few kilometers from Dunkirk and, if desired, could easily defeat the demoralized allies. But a miracle happened: 337,131 soldiers, most of whom were British, reached the opposite bank almost without interference.

Hitler unexpectedly stopped the offensive German troops. Guderian called this decision purely political. Historians differ in their assessment of the controversial episode of the war. Some believe that the Fuhrer wanted to save his strength, but others are confident in a secret agreement between the British and German governments.

One way or another, after the Dunkirk disaster, Britain remained the only country avoiding complete defeat and able to withstand the seemingly invincible German machine. On June 10, 1940, England's position became threatening when fascist Italy entered the war on the side of Nazi Germany.

Battle of Britain

Germany's plans to force Great Britain to surrender have not been canceled. In July 1940, British coastal convoys and naval bases were subjected to massive bombing by the German Air Force; in August, the Luftwaffe switched to airfields and aircraft factories.

On August 24, German aircraft carried out their first bombing attack on central London. According to some, it is wrong. The retaliatory attack was not long in coming. A day later, 81 RAF bombers flew to Berlin. No more than a dozen reached the target, but this was enough to infuriate Hitler. At a meeting of the German command in Holland, it was decided to unleash the full power of the Luftwaffe on the British Isles.

Within weeks, the skies over British cities turned into a boiling cauldron. Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Belfast got it. During the whole of August, at least 1,000 British citizens died. However, from mid-September the intensity of the bombing began to decrease, due to the effective counteraction of British fighter aircraft.

The Battle of Britain is better characterized by numbers. In total, 2,913 British Air Force aircraft and 4,549 Luftwaffe aircraft were involved in air battles. Historians estimate the losses of both sides at 1,547 Royal Air Force fighters and 1,887 German aircraft shot down.

Lady of the Seas

It is known that after the successful bombing of England, Hitler intended to launch Operation Sea Lion to invade the British Isles. However, the desired air superiority was not achieved. In turn, the Reich military command was skeptical about the landing operation. According to German generals, the strength of the German army lay precisely on land, and not on the sea.

Military experts were confident that the British ground army was no stronger than the broken armed forces of France, and Germany had every chance of overpowering the United Kingdom's forces in a ground operation. The English military historian Liddell Hart noted that England managed to hold out only due to the water barrier.

In Berlin they realized that the German fleet was noticeably inferior to the English. For example, by the beginning of the war, the British Navy had seven operational aircraft carriers and six more on the slipway, while Germany was never able to equip at least one of its aircraft carriers. In the open seas, the presence of carrier-based aircraft could predetermine the outcome of any battle.

German submarine fleet was able to cause serious damage only to British merchant ships. However, having sunk 783 German submarines with US support, the British Navy won the Battle of the Atlantic. Until February 1942, the Fuhrer hoped to conquer England from the sea, until the commander of the Kriegsmarine, Admiral Erich Raeder, finally convinced him to abandon this idea.

Colonial interests

Back in early 1939, the British Chiefs of Staff were strategically one of the most important tasks recognized the defense of Egypt with its Suez Canal. Hence the special attention of the Kingdom's armed forces to the Mediterranean theater of operations.

Unfortunately, the British had to fight not at sea, but in the desert. May-June 1942 turned out for England, according to historians, as a “shameful defeat” at Tobruk from Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps. And this despite the British having twice the superiority in strength and technology!

The British were able to turn the tide of the North African campaign only in October 1942 at the Battle of El Alamein. Again having a significant advantage (for example, in aviation 1200:120), the British Expeditionary Force of General Montgomery managed to defeat a group of 4 German and 8 Italian divisions under the command of the already familiar Rommel.

Churchill remarked about this battle: “Before El Alamein we did not win a single victory. We haven't suffered a single defeat since El Alamein." By May 1943, British and American troops forced the 250,000-strong Italian-German group in Tunisia to capitulate, which opened the way for the Allies to Italy. IN North Africa The British lost about 220 thousand soldiers and officers.

And again Europe

On June 6, 1944, with the opening of the Second Front, British troops had the opportunity to rehabilitate themselves for their shameful flight from the continent four years earlier. General leadership of the allies ground forces was entrusted to the experienced Montgomery. By the end of August, the total superiority of the Allies had crushed German resistance in France.

Events unfolded in a different vein in December 1944 near the Ardennes, when a German armored group literally pushed through the lines of American troops. In the Ardennes meat grinder, the US Army lost over 19 thousand soldiers, the British no more than two hundred.

This ratio of losses led to disagreements in the Allied camp. American generals Bradley and Patton threatened to resign if Montgomery did not leave leadership of the army. Montgomery's self-confident statement at a press conference on January 7, 1945, that it was British troops who saved the Americans from the prospect of encirclement, jeopardized the further joint operation. Only thanks to the intervention of the commander in chief of the allied forces, Dwight Eisenhower, was the conflict resolved.

By the end of 1944 Soviet Union liberated a significant part of the Balkan Peninsula, which caused serious concern in Britain. Churchill, who did not want to lose control over the important Mediterranean region, proposed to Stalin a division of the sphere of influence, as a result of which Moscow got Romania, London - Greece.

In fact, with the tacit consent of the USSR and the USA, Great Britain suppressed the resistance of the Greek communist forces and on January 11, 1945, established complete control over Attica. It was then that a new enemy clearly loomed on the horizon of British foreign policy. “In my eyes, the Soviet threat had already replaced the Nazi enemy,” Churchill recalled in his memoirs.

According to the 12-volume History of the Second World War, Britain and its colonies lost 450,000 people in World War II. Britain's expenses for waging the war amounted to more than half of foreign capital investments; the Kingdom's external debt by the end of the war reached 3 billion pounds sterling. The UK paid off all its debts only by 2006.

Tula State pedagogical university them. L.N. Tolstoy

Department of English

Abstract

England during the reign of George V

Completed by: student 1aA

Namestnikova E.I.

Checked by: Associate Professor of the Department of English

Zykova L.V.

Tula-2002

GEORGE V

George V (1865–1936), King of Great Britain. Born on June 3, 1865 at Marlborough House (London), the second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later Edward VII and Queen Alexandra), he was baptized as Georg Friedrich Ernst Albert. Not expecting to be able to take the throne, he received a naval education and served in the navy. In 1892, the premature death of his elder brother, the Duke of Clarence, made him heir to the throne. Queen Victoria named him Duke of York. In July 1893 he married Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, who had previously been engaged to his elder brother. As heir to the throne, George received the Duchy of Cornwall, and on November 9, 1901, became Prince of Wales - after the coronation of his father Edward VII. After Edward's death on May 6, 1910, George was proclaimed the new king and crowned on June 22, 1911 in Westminster Abbey. The reign of George V began during a constitutional crisis in the House of Lords, which refused to approve a Bill of Parliament limiting its power to veto House of Commons bills. To resolve the crisis, George V promised additional support to the Liberal government, but after the victory of the Liberal Party in the 1910 elections, the bill was approved without additional measures. In 1911, George V visited India. This was the only British monarch to take such a step in the entire history of British rule over India. In 1914 it broke out. First World War. The king visited over 450 military units and over 300 hospitals with wounded servicemen. In 1917, due to anti-German sentiment, he changed the name of the royal house from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor, renouncing all personal and family German titles.

Throughout the 19th century, the nation's desire for independence intensified in Ireland. But in the north of the country the independence movement met resistance from trade unions and the Conservative Party. In 1916, the celebration of Catholic Easter in Dublin grew into civil war, which ended with the proclamation of the Irish Free State (later the Irish Republic) in 1922 (see article by Patrick Pearse). At the same time, the six northern counties remained part of Great Britain. In 1923–1929 in connection with economic crisis In Great Britain there were frequent changes of cabinets. The lack of a clear majority among the three rival parties in 1924 forced the king to replace the Conservative Prime Minister Baldwin with the Labor member MacDonald.

George V played an important conciliatory role, both in this and in other situations such as the General Strike of 1926. During the miners' strike and the general strike of 1926, the king used every opportunity to reconcile the parties. George V took the first Labor government appointed in 1924 in stride. After the World Economic Depression of 1929, the king persuaded a trade union leader to lead a coalition

a national government made up of all the winning parties in the 1931 elections. George V was directly involved in the creation of the Westminster Act of 1931, according to which the parliaments of the British dominions could pass their own laws independently of Great Britain. This increased the importance of the monarchy, as the dominions, no longer subject to the British Parliament, were now bound by a common oath of allegiance to the crown. George V began the tradition of an annual Christmas Broadcast to the sovereign territories (now the Commonwealth of Nations), which was first broadcast in 1932. George V died at Sandrinham on January 20, 1936.

Germany and Britain, 1905–1919.

The growth of the economic and military potential of the German Empire became the main threat to the prosperity and security of Britain. Relations with Germany came to the fore in British politics between 1905 and the outbreak of the First World War. In fact, it was the German threat that forced the British government in 1904 to decisively abandon its traditional policy of maintaining a balance of power. By 1907 France, Japan, Russia and Britain had entered into a potential alliance of sorts. In foreign policy, energetic and generally successful steps, which aimed to ease tensions and disagreements between countries. Long-standing differences with the United States were resolved. In 1906 and 1907, the Transvaal and Orange Free State, which had recently been at war with Britain, received responsible governments, and in 1910 the four self-governing colonies of South Africa were united and received dominion status, like Canada in 1867 and Australia, which entered the British Commonwealth in 1901 Asquith's Liberal government (1908–1916) was inclined to introduce Home Rule in Ireland, but opposition in the House of Lords temporarily delayed the act.

Social reform in the United Kingdom was also to some extent driven by the threat posed by Germany. The British population had to be kept on guard and prevented from discontent. In 1908–1911 steps were taken in the direction of the so-called. "welfare state". These first attempts were partial and admittedly inadequate, but nevertheless the costs of their implementation, together with the funds for rearmament, required a significant increase in taxes. Lloyd George, Asquith's Chancellor of the Exchequer, proposed shifting the tax burden to large landowners. The House of Lords refused to approve this proposal either. As a result, the same thing happened as in 1832. The government obtained the consent of George V to appoint new peers if necessary. The House of Lords again had to make the inevitable decision, and in 1910 the necessary Parliamentary Act was passed. As a result, in 1911 the budget presented by Lloyd George was formalized into law. In addition, in 1914, the Home Rule Act for Ireland and the Act on the liquidation of the Church of England in Wales were adopted. The implementation of these acts, however, was postponed due to the outbreak of world war.

The United Kingdom spent enormous amounts of money during the First World War. The national debt rose from £651 million in the 1914–15 financial year to more than £7.8 billion in 1919–1920. Spending continued after the end of the war. Interest on the debt and the need to pay pensions placed a heavy burden on the country. The number of killed and missing was approximately 680 thousand people, and the number of mobilized was 5.7 million. The war covered the entire globe and was carried out on land, at sea and in the air. The greatest threat to the United Kingdom was the German submarine blockade, which resulted in Britain losing 7.6 million tons of merchant marine ships. Free trade, which meant dependence on imported food, made the British population particularly vulnerable. In 1916, the dynamic Lloyd George succeeded Asquith as head of the coalition government. In the same year, a law on universal military conscription was passed. The Easter Rising in Ireland in 1916 posed a threat to Great Britain on its own home front. The most hard time came at the beginning of 1917. Russia withdrew from the war, and Germany launched military operations at sea. The British military suffered a crushing defeat in Mesopotamia. When the United States entered the war in April 1917, it remained unclear whether they would be able to form their armed forces in time and transfer them to the arena of military operations. In 1917, Lloyd George achieved the formation of an imperial war cabinet, which included the prime ministers of the dominions and a representative of India. In 1918, the situation improved despite the fact that Germany, during the March offensive, made a desperate attempt to break through to the English Channel. In 1918, the United Kingdom was even able to pass a major education law, as well as a new electoral law that granted suffrage to women over the age of 30. From the very beginning of the war, questions arose about how much the United Kingdom could rely on the support of the dominions and colonies. However, apart from serious opposition to the war in the south of Ireland and the unsuccessful attempt by a small group in South Africa join German troops in South West Africa, the war did not entail the breakaway of the Commonwealth states, which not only provided the United Kingdom with operational military bases, but also supported it with military personnel, money and supplies.

Interwar period, 1919–1939

From an economic point of view, the most pressing problem of the post-war era was the transition from a war economy to a peacetime economy. This process turned out to be more difficult and lengthy than expected, and was still ongoing during the Great Depression. Before the depression ended, preparations for a new war were on the agenda. From a political point of view, the agenda included improving the social situation of the population, relations with Ireland, relations within the Commonwealth as a whole, the administration of new mandated territories and, finally, finding the necessary balance between relations with the United States and relations with continental Europe.

Demobilization was carried out quickly and efficiently, but placing large numbers of men in the civilian sector of the economy proved difficult. The situation in the coal industry became more complicated when the increased use of oil reduced the need for coal. In 1925, the government provided subsidies to the industry, but stopped aid the following year. Then a strike of 1.2 million miners began, which quickly grew into a general strike that threatened to paralyze the economy. George V even felt obliged to take the extraordinary step of addressing the population of the country with a warning about the danger of violence. The miners were eventually forced to return to their jobs without receiving a pay rise.

Great Britain was not occupied by Germany during the Second World War, but this did not save the country from destruction, loss of population and resources. The aviation and navy of the Third Reich regularly attacked the cities of the British Isles, sank ships and submarines, military equipment. The British also died on the fronts of World War II, since the country's government sent its soldiers to the Middle and Far East, Japan, Asia, the Balkan and Apennine peninsulas, the Atlantic, Scandinavia, India, North Africa. The British took part in the invasion of Germany in the last months of the war, the capture and occupation of Berlin. Therefore, the consequences, outcomes and results of the Second World War were difficult for Great Britain in economic, social and political terms. The country's government declared war on Hitler and Germany on September 3, 1939, immediately after the capture of Poland, and until September 2, Britain was at war with the Third Reich. Only after the surrender of Japan was the war over for the British state and its population.

Economic and political conditions in the late 1930s.

Before entering the war, Great Britain plunged into a protracted crisis that paralyzed the economy, foreign markets, trade, and the work of enterprises. As a result, workers constantly took to the streets with demonstrations, refused to go to work, enterprises stood still, and British products did not reach the markets. Because of this, capitalists lost huge sums and positions in the global economy every day.

The government was headed by Neville Chamberlain, who sought to create strong country, capable of competing with Germany, as well as collaborating with it. This foreign policy course was supported by monopolists who had their enterprises in many English colonies. Plans to get closer to Germany are evidenced by the fact that already at the beginning of 1930, representatives of the political forces of England and major industrialists regularly gathered in the house of the Astor family (British millionaires) to develop a plan for cooperation with Hitler. The secret society was called the Cleveland circle, the existence of which only a select few knew. The country's citizens did not support the government's plans, so rapprochement with Germany should have become a fait accompli for them.

In the 1930s England, like its ally France, tried to adhere to the policy of “appeasement,” essentially turning a blind eye to Hitler’s actions in Central Europe. By signing the Munich Agreement in 1938, N. Chamberlain, like E. Daladier, hoped that Germany would continue to seize the East of Europe.

After this, declarations of non-aggression were signed and commitments were made that England would support Germany in the event of war.

Chamberlain, under pressure from British society, was forced to begin anti-German negotiations with the Soviet Union and France. Representatives of the political circles of England, France and the USA gathered separately. Such actions did not end with anything concrete, which is why Hitler launched the invasion of Poland.

Britain at War: The Initial Period

Having declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939, Neville Chamberlain tried to keep the country from direct participation in hostilities. Until May 1940, a “strange war” was fought, which ended with the capture of Belgium, Holland and France. After this, Chamberlain's government began to prepare for war. To prevent Hitler from using the French fleet to attack Britain, the British attacked first. The target was the harbor of Mers el-Kebir, located in Algeria. Having destroyed a huge number of ships, England captured many ships that were stationed in British ports. In addition, there was full block French fleet in the port of Alexandria (Egypt).

At this time, Hitler began to concentrate troops on the banks of the English Channel, preparing for the invasion of the British Isles. The first blow was delivered not from the sea, but from the air. In August 1940, German aircraft carried out a series of attacks on military factories, enterprises, and airfields in Great Britain. They were also injured major cities. The raids were carried out mainly at night, which led to the death of a significant number civilians. The targets of the bombing were streets, residential buildings, cathedrals, churches, stadiums, and factories.

British air power, supported by Canada and the United States, carried out retaliatory strikes. As a result, in September 1940, both Germany and Britain were exhausted by constant raids, many people died, equipment was damaged, which made the planned German invasion of the British Isles impossible. Hitler's carefully planned Operation Sea Lion was shelved because there were not enough aircraft to break the resistance of Britain, which was fighting the Third Reich alone. The United States did not provide military assistance, but only provided combat ships from which British planes took off.

British Army Forces

The basis of Great Britain's power was the fleet, which was one of the strongest in Europe. In 1939, the number of military personnel of various ranks in the army was about 900 thousand people, and another 350-360 thousand soldiers were stationed in the colonies. The main forces of the state were concentrated in the British Isles - regular divisions and brigades - territorial, infantry, cavalry, tank. In reserve there were seven regular divisions and many separate brigades formed on the basis of the British and Indians.

Before the war, the number of aircraft units that were transferred to the army's balance increased sharply. Aviation was reinforced with bombers, and the navy with battleships and aircraft-carrying ships.

Events of 1941-1944

Hitler's attention was diverted from Britain in the summer of 1941 due to the attack on the Soviet Union. Germany's position became significantly more complicated after the United States entered the Second World War. world war. Hitler could not conduct military operations on two fronts, so he threw all his efforts into the fight against the USSR and the resistance movements that arose in the occupied territories. While Germany was capturing the USSR and establishing its own rules there, Britain and the USA agreed to cooperate, as a result of which secret German documents and radio communications were intercepted, and supplies of food and raw materials were established to the British Isles.

British troops lost several battles on the Asian front in 1941; only the British colonies in India survived. The British also suffered losses in North Africa, but the strengthening of the army by the Americans made it possible in 1942 to turn the situation in favor of the Allies. Hitler withdrew troops from Africa in 1943. Next, the Italian islands were gradually recaptured, including Sicily, Salerno, and Anzio, which forced Mussolini to capitulate.

In November 1943, she opened her first job anti-Hitler coalition, which was held in Tehran. It was attended by Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt, who agreed on the liberation of France and the opening of a second front. In June 1944, the allied forces began to gradually liberate Belgium and France, displacing the Germans from the occupied territories. The Third Reich lost battle after battle. The situation was worsened by the offensive Soviet troops on the fronts of the war.

Surrender of Germany

In 1945, Anglo-American troops began to advance towards Germany. German cities and enterprises turned into ruins, as bombers constantly attacked various objects, many of which were unique monuments of history, culture and architecture. Civilians also became numerous victims of the strikes.

At the end of winter - beginning of March 1945, British troops consisting of allied forces, contributed to pushing German troops beyond the Rhine. The offensive took place in all directions:

• In April, the German army located in Italy surrendered;
• At the beginning of May they became more active fighting on the northern flank of the Allied front, which contributed to the liberation of Denmark, Mecklenburg, and Schleswig-Holstein;
• On May 7, the act of surrender of Germany was signed in Reims, signed by General A. Jodl.

The Soviet side opposed such actions, since the document was drawn up unilaterally at the American headquarters of D. Eisenhower. Therefore, the next day, all the allies - the Soviet Union, Britain, the USA and France - were gathered on the outskirts of Berlin, and the act of surrender was re-signed. At the end of May 1945, the British, under pressure from the USA and the USSR, arrested the German generals who commanded in the British zone of occupation.

In 1945, the British Army took an active part in military operations in Southeast Asia, liberating Burma from Japanese troops. The British did not ignore the Far East, where the offensive was carried out by the Pacific Fleet, formed by Britain in the fall of 1944.

Thus, the British army took an active part in all important operations the final period of World War II, supporting the actions of the Allies and individual states.

Results and consequences of the war for Britain

Historians assess the results of World War II for England ambiguously. Some believe that the country lost, while others believe that it emerged victorious. The main results of the conflict for the British Isles include:

• Loss of superpower status;
• She found herself in the camp of the winners, although at the beginning of the war she was on the verge of occupation by the Third Reich;
• Maintained independence, avoiding occupation, like many European states. The economy was in ruins, the country was in ruins, but the internal situation was strikingly different from Poland, France, Denmark, Holland;
• Almost all trade markets were lost;
• Colony of the former British Empire embarked on the path to independence, but most of them continued to maintain economic, trade and cultural relations with London. This became the core of the formation of the future Commonwealth of Nations;
• Production fell several times, which was returned to pre-war levels only in the late 1940s. The same applied to economic situation. The crisis was overcome gradually, only in 1953 was the card system finally abolished in Britain;
• The size of sown areas and agricultural land has been halved, so in the British Isles almost one and a half million hectares of land have not been cultivated for several years;
• The payment deficit of the British state budget has increased several times.

In World War II, England lost, according to various estimates, from 245 thousand to 300 thousand killed, and about 280 thousand maimed and wounded. The size of the merchant fleet was reduced by one third, causing Britain to lose 30% of foreign investment. At the same time, the military industry was actively developing in the country, which was due to the need to ensure mass production of tanks, aircraft, weapons and weapons for the needs of the army, as well as the significant influence of technological progress.

Given the current situation, Britain was forced to continue to use the Lend-Lease program. Equipment, food, and weapons were imported into the country from the United States. For this, the States gained full control of trade markets in the Southeast Asian region and the Middle East.

This internal and external situation in Britain caused concern among the population and government. Therefore, political circles headed for strict regulation of the economy, which included the creation of a mixed economic system. It was built on two components - private property and state entrepreneurship.

Nationalization of enterprises, banks, important industries - gas, metallurgy, coal mining, aviation, etc. – allowed already in 1948 to reach pre-war production levels. The old industries were never able to occupy key positions as they had before the war. Instead, new directions and sectors began to emerge in the economy, industry and production. This made it possible to begin solving the food problem, attract investment to Britain, and create jobs.

Questions

1. What was the reason for the fall of Cromwell’s protectorate? Could it have survived if Cromwell had lived another 10-15 years?

Cromwell's protectorate fell due to the fact that people were dissatisfied with the police regime in the country and the omnipotence of the district governors. In addition, even Protestants began to be divided into right and wrong (for example, the Dutch were declared wrong Protestants). And almost any person could be classified as wrong at any moment. Also, the reason was in the personality of Richard Cromwell, who had too few supporters. Whenever Oliver Cromwell died, there would still be popular discontent, and Richard Cromwell would still be a weak politician.

2. What was the meaning of the Habeas Corpus Act? Was he beneficial to everyone? English society or some part of it?

In fact, he acted in the interests of all Englishmen, because he protected them from judicial arbitrariness. But he was accepted by the king’s opponents in order to protect themselves and their supporters.

3. Why did the English (as a whole) support William of Orange, but did not support the Duke of Monmouth? What distinguished (besides the formal grounds) these two attempts to seize the throne?

Firstly, by the time of the landing of William of Orange, the negative features of the reign of James II had already manifested themselves longer and more clearly. Secondly, the Duke of Monmouth had very dubious rights to the throne, while William of Orange's wife was from the Stuart family, and no one doubted this. Thirdly, the Duke of Monmouth landed with too few forces; most of the British simply did not have time to speak out for or against his power when the landing was defeated. And William of Orange brought with him large forces.

Too much time passed between the execution of Charles I and the Glorious Revolution. In addition, in 1688 completely different parties were operating in parliament. Therefore, it cannot be combined with the main revolution in England.

Quests

1. In the Act of Abolition royal power(March 1649) it was said: “...Usually every person, possessing such power, becomes interested in gradually narrowing the legal freedom and liberties of the people and promoting the strengthening of his personal will and power, placing it above the law...” Can these words be attributed to the dictatorship of Cromwell that was soon established? Justify your answer.

These words fully refer to the absolute power of Cromwell. It was not for nothing that he dissolved parliament and established a police regime in the country - he was afraid of the indignation of the population.

2. One of the pamphlets of the Digger leader Winstanley said: “Private property is a curse, and this is clear from the fact that the landlords who buy and sell land got it either by oppression, or murder, or theft...” Do you agree with such a statement? Express your attitude towards private property and the idea of ​​its abolition. Is such abolition realistic in practice?

We cannot agree with this statement. Private property can be used for good, that’s why it is needed. There were attempts to abolish private property in the 20th century, but they did not lead to anything good. However, this was done much later by Winstanley, who could not know what the implementation of his demands would lead to.

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Slide captions:

England in the second half of the 17th century

Plan. 1. The period of the Cromwellian republic. 2. Cromwell's Protectorate and the Stuart Restoration. 3. “Glorious Revolution” and its results.

Period of the Cromwellian Republic

After the revolution, the situation of the common people did not improve. The confiscated lands of the king, his supporters and his bishops went on sale in large tracts. Only 9% of these lands fell into the hands of wealthy peasants, the rest were bought up by the urban bourgeoisie and the new nobility. The peasants did not receive land and were not released from quitrent.

The civil war led to the decline of economic life in the country: interrupted economic ties between counties, this had a particularly hard impact on London, the center of industry and trade. Difficulties in selling cloth led to mass unemployment. Therefore, part of the population was not happy with the parliamentary reforms. Protest movements developed across the country.

The Diggers, led by Gerard Whistanley, encouraged the poor to occupy the wastelands and farm freely, on the principle that every person had a right to the land. How do you think the Levellers and Diggers justified their views? (They assumed that God created people equal and differences in property and rights must be overcome.) ?

Everywhere the Diggers were dispersed, arrested, and severely beaten; They destroyed their crops, destroyed their huts, and mutilated their livestock. Why do you think? The propertied classes saw these peaceful workers as the most dangerous enemies of bourgeois property. ?

Having suppressed the Digger movement in England, Cromwell set out in August 1649 at the head of an army to suppress the Irish uprising, and essentially to reconquer the “Green Isle.” Of Ireland's one and a half million population, just over half remain. The subsequent massive confiscations of the rebels' lands transferred 2/3 of Irish territory into the hands of English owners.

In Scotland, on February 5, 1649, the son of Charles I was proclaimed King Charles II. Cromwell and his army headed there and by September 1651 the Scottish army was completely destroyed, the king fled and soon crossed to the continent.

Cromwell understood that the army was the main support of power. Therefore, the country entirely retained heavy taxes in order to maintain standing army, the number of which in the 50s had already reached 60 thousand people.

England was devastated by crop failures, falling production, reduced trade, and unemployment. The new land owners infringed on the rights of the peasants. The country needed legal reform and the adoption of a constitution.

Cromwell's Protectorate and Stuart Restoration

A conflict was brewing between Cromwell and Parliament. In 1653 Cromwell dissolved the Long Parliament and established a personal dictatorship, accepting the title of Lord Protector for life. The country adopted a new constitution - “The Instrument of Governance”, according to which Cromwell received supreme power for life. The Protector commanded the armed forces, was in charge foreign policy, had the right of veto, etc. The Protectorate was essentially a military dictatorship. A protectorate is a form of government in which the republic was headed by a lifelong Lord Protector.

The country was divided into 11 districts, each of which was headed by a major general subordinate to Cromwell. The Lord Protector banned public festivals, theatrical performances, and work on Sundays. - Why do you think? (Oliver Cromwell was a staunch Puritan, and, in his opinion, various amusements were contrary to Christian principles.) ?

On September 3, 1658, Cromwell died and power passed to his son Richard, but in May 1659 Richard left his post. The English political elite did not want a new dictator. Why do you think? (Military dictatorship was not the goal of the English revolution. In addition, Cromwell’s regime did not have serious support in society: it was condemned by royalists, Catholics, and moderate Puritans. The Lord Protector relied exclusively on the army.) ?

In 1660, a bicameral parliament was convened again, mainly from Presbyterians. The rich were afraid of “new unrest”; they needed legitimate power. In this environment, a conspiracy in favor of the “legitimate dynasty” of Stuarts was increasingly mature.

General Monck entered into direct negotiations with the son of the executed king, the emigrant king Charles II, on the conditions for the restoration (restoration) of the monarchy. On April 25, 1660, the new Parliament approved the return of the Stuarts; a month later, Charles II solemnly entered London. General Monck Charles II

England during the Stuart Restoration

Charles became king under certain conditions. He confirmed the rights won by the new nobility and bourgeoisie. He was deprived of royal lands, but was given an annual allowance. The king did not have the right to create a standing army. Do you think his power was absolute? But he rarely convened parliament, patronized Catholics, re-established the position of bishop, and persecution began against active participants in the revolution. Charles II?

The Whigs were a party to which the bourgeoisie and gentry belonged, who defended the rights of parliament and advocated reform. The Tories were a party to which large landlords and clergy belonged, who defended the preservation of traditions. In the 70s two political parties began to form.

"Glorious Revolution" and its results

After the death of Charles II, his brother James II took the throne. He did everything to reduce the role of parliament and establish Catholicism. This caused outrage among the English public. In 1688 The Glorious Revolution took place, as a result of which James II was overthrown from the throne, and the ruler of Holland, William III of Orange and his wife Mary Stuart, daughter of James II, were proclaimed king and queen. James II

At the same time, William and Mary accepted the crown under special conditions. They recognized the Bill of Rights, which differentiated the powers of the king and parliament. The Bill of Rights also guaranteed freedom of religion within the kingdom. The "Bill of Rights" (bill - bill) finally laid the foundation for a new form of statehood - a constitutional monarchy. William III of Orange

The affirmation of the principle “the king reigns, but does not rule” meant that everything critical issues will be decided in parliament, consisting of representatives of bourgeois parties. The party that wins the majority of seats in the House of Commons forms a government led by the Prime Minister.

The form of government in England is a parliamentary monarchy Legislative branch Executive branch Parliament House of Lords House of Commons King Government Prime Minister Elections based on property qualifications What is the name of this form of government that developed in England after the revolution?

After the death of William III and his wife, the throne passed to James II's daughter Anne Stuart (1702-1714). During her reign in 1707, a union was concluded between England and Scotland. The Scottish Parliament was dissolved, and representatives of this region sat from that moment in the English Parliament. Anna Stewart (1702-1714)

The main stages of the bourgeois revolution in England.

Questions to consolidate: 1. Why did the new owners go for the restoration of the Stuarts? 2. What made it necessary to finally remove the Stuarts from power? What did they interfere with and what did their rule threaten? 3. How were the events of 1688-1689 different? from the events of 1642-1649. ? Why are they called the “glorious revolution”? 4. What is the essence of the parliamentary monarchy regime? What form of government exists in England today? 5. What is the reason for the longevity of the two-party system? ?

Below are the reasons for the revolution in England. Please indicate the wrong answer. Parliament's dissatisfaction with the Stuarts' desire to rule alone. Parliament's dissatisfaction economic policy Stuarts. Embezzlement and bribery at the royal court. Translation of the Bible into English language and conducting services in this language.

Use a “yes” or “no” sign to indicate whether you agree with these statements: 1 2 3 4 5 The revolution in England destroyed absolutism. The English Revolution established a parliamentary monarchy in the country. After the revolution, capitalism began to develop in the country. The English Parliament became unicameral. Catholicism became the state religion in the country. yes yes yes no no

Glossary of terms and dates: 1688 - coup d'etat in England, overthrow of the Stuart dynasty. 1689 - adoption of the Bill of Rights - the beginning of the parliamentary monarchy in England. RESTORATION – restoration. PROTECTOR - patron, guardian.

Homework: prepare for testing on the topic “English Revolution of the 17th century.”