1. 1. Introduction: After a brief post-war boom, the British economy went into depression... why?
1.1. 1. Decline of staple industries
1.1.1. Shipbuilding
1.1.2. Cotton
1.1.3. Coal
1.1.4. Iron and steel
1.2. 2. Growth of industry in other countries
1.2.1. American and Japanese ships were becoming better
1.2.2. Mechanical coal-mining better in Germany and America
1.2.3. Cotton industries in China & India
1.3. 3. British wage costs
1.3.1. Cotton, engineering, shipbuilding and mine workers all had to have wage cuts
2. 2. Inner Britain Vs Outer Britain
2.1. The depressed areas that were affected by the decline in the industries were mainly in "outer Britain".
2.1.1. Clydeside
2.1.2. Tyneside
2.1.3. Lancashire
2.1.4. South Wales
2.2. On the other hand, London and the midlands were not economically depressed.
3. 3. £££ Government policy £££
3.1. Wanted to balance the budget
3.2. Did not want to borrow money to help industry
3.3. Fixed the value of the £sterling to the Gold Standard
3.4. Criticised by many economists (including J.M. Keynes)
3.5. The dole
4. 4. General Strike, 1926
4.1. Wage cuts
4.2. Strong unions
4.3. Coal industry hit worst
4.4. 1925 Mine owners wanted wage cuts - Government paid the difference to maintain wages until a commission enquired into the coal inustry
4.5. The Samuel Commission supported wag cuts and longer hours
4.6. May, 1926 - Lock out and strike!
4.6.1. Transport, railway, building, printing, gas and electricity workers came out in sympathy with the miners.
4.6.2. Lasted only 9 days
4.6.3. The government had dealt well with the strike
4.6.4. OMS _ Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies / Soldiers protected food convoys / Volunteers drove cars
4.6.5. The miners stayed out on strike for 6 months after the TUC called it off
4.6.6. Results of the strike not good for unions
4.6.6.1. Membership fell by around 2 million
4.6.6.2. Trades Dispute Act 1927
4.6.6.3. Spirit of trade militancy was broken
5. 5. Wall Street Crash, 1929: Great Depression
5.1. Rise in unemployment
5.2. Budget deficit
5.3. New National Government
5.3.1. Took Britain off the Gold Standard
5.3.2. Cut unemployment benefit and introduced a Mean Test
5.3.3. Cut public sector wages
5.3.4. Introduced an Import Duties Act
5.3.5. Introduced the Special Areas Act, 1934
5.3.6. Managed to balance the budget and helped end the great Depression from 1934 on.
6. 6. Social Problems
6.1. Poverty in depressed areas
6.1.1. High infant mortality and death rate
6.1.2. Poor diet and unhealthy conditions
6.2. Hunger Marches
6.2.1. NUWM