Resumen De Historia De Estados Unidos

History – Parte II
• The first labour government in 1924 •
The conservatives could not remain in office for long because although they were the largest party, they had lost their overall majority, both labour and liberals would vote against a conservative bill. Some conservatives form a government of national unity to keep labour out. Baldwin was quite happy for a labour government to go ahead.When Asquith decided to promise Liberal support in the Common s for a LG, Baldwin encouraged him because he knew it would outrage right – wing Liberals like Churchill who were likely to join conservatives labour, formed a government and McDonald became the first labour prime minister.
•McDonald helped Germany to recover in order to pay back France and England to USA. The problems were: wealth(spoiled food), rise goods, digestive disorders, tuberculosis, and infant mortality.
•Social reforms of the first labour government 1924 •
•Wheatley’s Housing Act: provided grants for the building of council houses.
•Old ages pensions and unemployment in grammar schools was increased.
•Achievements in foreign affairs•
McDonald acted as a foreign secretary as well as PM. He felt it wasessential to improve relations between Germany and France. His policy produced quite and impressive results:
•He was responsible for the Dawes Plan which solved the problem of Franco – German relations for the time being.
•McDonald gave full diplomatic recognition to the Soviet Regions in Russia.
•McDonald made a serious effort to make the League of Nations work, and tried to strengthen it byintroducing the Geneva Protocol.
•Tariff reform•
Tariffs must be introduced. But since Bonar Law had earlier promised that this was exactly what the conservatives would not do, Baldwin’s argument was that tariffs would make foreign goods more expensive in Britain and thus give a much-needed boost to British industry, the growing unemployment problems would be resolved at a stroke.
•Conservativesachievements 1924-1929•
Important domestic achievements:
•The Widows Orphans and Old Age Contribution Pension Act.
•The vote was extended to women at the age of 21.
•The Unemployment Act increased contributions and reduced benefits.
•The Local Government Act.
•The Central Electricity Board was made responsible for the distribution of electricity.
•The BBC became a public corporation.
•Overseas affairs•
In hands of Chamberlain --------- > Foreign Secretary.
•He made an important contribution to the signing of the Locarno Treaties. The most important one as that Germany, France and Belgium promised to respect their joint frontiers, if one of the three broke this agreement, Britain and Italy would assist the state which was being attacked.
•The Kellogg Briand Pact (1928). Thisoriginated in an idea of Briand, who proposed that France and the USA should sign a pact renouncing war. 65 states signed the pact, agreeing to renounce war as an instrument of national policy.
•No attempt was made to develop to new relationship with Soviet Russia.
•The way was prepared for the Status of West minister who defined the relationship between Britain and the rest of theCommonwealth (all countries that have been colonies).
•General Strike of 1926•
Causes:
•The post-war economic depression which brought falling exports and musses unemployment.
•Industrialist failed to promote greater efficiency and more mechanization. They tended to blame declining profits on higher wages and their attempts to reduce wages causes strained relations with their workforces.
•The problemof the coal industry was important because it was here that the stoppage began.
•The government refused to nationalize the mains.
•The returned to gold standard worsened the export position of all British industries.
•The TUC (trade unions congress) made it clear that they would support the miners, because if miner’s wages were reduced it was more than likely that wages of other workers...