National Crisis and National Government: British Politics, the Economy and Empire, 1926–1932
Cambridge University Press, 1/16/1992
EAN 9780521361378, ISBN10: 0521361370
Hardcover, 588 pages, 22.9 x 15.2 x 3.7 cm
Language: English
From 1926 Britain fell into a condition of deep national crisis, which seemed to threaten its domestic stability and international power. By 1932 the effort to contain these problems had transformed British politics and policy. Strains produced by three-party politics, economic recession and imperial difficulties resulted during 1931 in such a severe financial and political crisis that the Labour government collapsed and Conservative, Liberal and some Labour leaders joined together in a National government. Despite large public expenditure cuts and tax increases, and despite devaluation of sterling and a new crisis in the Indian Empire, this government obtained the greatest British election victory of modern times. This 1992 book examines all aspects of the crisis together and in depth, using an extensive range of official, institutional and personal papers.
List of illustrations
Acknowledgements
Conventions and abbreviations
Introduction
Part I. Components of Crisis
1. The erosion of Conservative predominance
2. Economic and imperial troubles
3. Government and party troubles
4. 'National crisis'
Part II. Crisis Avoided
5. The impact of India
6. Retrenchment and containment
7. Towards a two-party system
Part III. The Crisis
8. The financial crisis
July 1931
9. The political crisis
August 1931
10. First effects
11. The emergency government's crisis
September 1931
Part IV. Crisis Overcome
12. The political reconstruction
13. The defeated
14. The national government
Conclusion
Appendix
Sources
Index.