Chapter 3: Britain Since 1945

The Welfare State

After World War II, Britain was economically exhausted despite victory. The 1945 Labour government under Clement Attlee implemented sweeping reforms based on the Beveridge Report.

The NHS

In 1948, Aneurin (Nye) Bevan established the National Health Service (NHS), providing "a minimum standard of health care for all, free at the point of use."

Other Reforms

The government nationalised railways, coal mines, and utilities
Comprehensive social security protections were introduced
Independence was granted to former colonies -- nine countries in 1947 alone, including India, Pakistan, and Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
Britain developed atomic weapons and joined NATO in response to Soviet threats

Key Figures of the Post-War Period

Clement Attlee (1883--1967)

Led the Labour government that created the NHS and implemented the Beveridge welfare reforms.

William Beveridge (1879--1963)

Authored the influential 1942 Beveridge Report, which identified five "Giant Evils":

Want (poverty)
Disease (lack of healthcare)
Ignorance (lack of education)
Squalor (poor housing)
Idleness (unemployment)

R.A. Butler (1902--1982)

Oversaw the 1944 Education Act, establishing free secondary education in England and Wales.

Dylan Thomas (1914--1953)

Renowned Welsh poet and writer, known for works including Under Milk Wood.

Post-War Migration

Labour shortages after the war prompted recruitment of workers from abroad
Workers came from Ireland and continental Europe
In 1948, workers arrived from the West Indies aboard the ship Empire Windrush
From the 1950s, textile and engineering industries recruited workers from India and Pakistan

The Conservative Government (1951--1964)

Economic recovery strengthened during this period
Prime Minister Harold Macmillan championed decolonisation through his famous "wind of change" speech

The Swinging Sixties

The 1960s brought significant social transformation:

Culture and Technology

Pop music flourished -- The Beatles and The Rolling Stones became world-famous
Fashion innovation and cultural creativity defined the decade
Concorde, developed jointly by Britain and France, represented a major technological achievement

Laws were reformed on divorce and abortion
Parliament granted women equal pay rights
Gender-based employment discrimination was prohibited

Immigration Policy

In the late 1960s, immigration restrictions required "a strong connection to Britain through birth or ancestry"
In the early 1970s, the UK admitted 28,000 people of Indian origin expelled from Uganda

20th Century British Inventions and Discoveries

| Invention/Discovery | Inventor/Scientist | Date | |---------------------|-------------------|------| | Television | John Logie Baird | 1920s; first London-Glasgow broadcast in 1932 | | Radar | Sir Robert Watson-Watt | 1935 | | Radio telescope | Sir Bernard Lovell | Jodrell Bank Observatory | | Turing machine (early computer) | Alan Turing | 1930s | | Insulin (co-discovery) | John MacLeod | Early 20th century | | DNA structure | Francis Crick (and others) | 1953 | | Jet engine | Sir Frank Whittle | 1930s | | Hovercraft | Sir Christopher Cockerell | 1950s | | ATM (cash machine) | James Goodfellow | 1967 | | IVF therapy | Sir Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe | First test-tube baby born 1978 | | Cloning (Dolly the sheep) | Sir Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell | 1996 | | MRI scanner | Sir Peter Mansfield | -- | | World Wide Web | Sir Tim Berners-Lee | First successful transfer 25 December 1990 |

The 1970s -- Economic Crisis

Post-war prosperity ended in the late 1970s
Rising commodity prices, currency instability, and balance of payments problems emerged
Strikes disrupted industries; critics blamed excessive trade union power
Northern Ireland experienced severe violence -- approximately 3,000 deaths occurred after 1969
The Northern Ireland Parliament was suspended in 1972 and direct rule from Westminster was imposed

Mary Peters (born 1939)

Won an Olympic gold medal in the 1972 pentathlon, later promoted athletics and tourism in Northern Ireland. Created a Dame of the British Empire.

Britain and Europe

Britain joined the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973
Later became a full EU member
Britain did not adopt the Euro as its currency

Margaret Thatcher (1925--2013)

Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female Prime Minister in 1979, serving until 1990 -- the longest-serving 20th-century PM.

Key Policies

Privatised nationalised industries (gas, water, electricity, telecoms)
Controlled trade union powers
Deregulated financial services
Traditional industries like shipbuilding and coal mining declined significantly

The Falklands War

In 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands. British military action successfully recovered them.

Successor

John Major succeeded Thatcher as PM and advanced Northern Ireland peace processes.

Roald Dahl (1916--1990)

Welsh-born author of Norwegian descent who wrote acclaimed children's literature including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and The BFG.

New Labour and Modern Britain

Tony Blair (PM 1997--2007)

Created a Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly (devolved governments)
The Good Friday Agreement (1998) advanced peace in Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Assembly was reinstated in 2007

Gordon Brown (PM 2007--2010)

Succeeded Blair as Labour Prime Minister.

Military Operations

Britain participated in coalition operations including the liberation of Kuwait (1990s) and conflicts in Yugoslavia
Since 2000, British forces engaged in operations in Afghanistan and Iraq
British combat troops departed Iraq in 2009

Coalition Government (2010)

The May 2010 general election produced Britain's first hung Parliament since 1974
The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats formed a coalition government
David Cameron became Prime Minister

Britain Since 1945