Lecture 1: The First Labour Government And The General Strike Of 1926 PDF

British Civilization 30/10/2024 By: Dr. Bennaa Youcef  A jack of all trades is a master of none but oftentimes better than a master of one.  Purpose  Literature: To gain a deeper understanding of the human experience: Literature allows students to explore the comple...

British Civilization 30/10/2024 By: Dr. Bennaa Youcef  A jack of all trades is a master of none but oftentimes better than a master of one.  Purpose  Literature: To gain a deeper understanding of the human experience: Literature allows students to explore the complexities of human emotions, relationships, and society through the lens of characters, plot, and themes.  History: To gain insights into the past, understand the evolution of societies, learn from past successes and failures, and develop a broader perspective on current events.  Purpose  Civilization: To examine the intersections of history, literature, politics and society.  In British and American Studies, we begin as literary critics, morph into curators, turn into historians and contextualizers, and finish as social theorists.  Texts  As literary critics, we will first concern ourselves with the act of interpretation. By that we mean a detailed reading of individual texts, which will become evidence.  Indeed, our analysis will expand beyond the literary to encompass art history, material culture studies, and performance studies, among other strategies for looking up close and personal at texts.  Archives.  Any time we move beyond the individual text, we are in the business of curation. But instead of simply collecting texts at random, we need to develop the logics that allow us to bundle those texts together purposefully.  We might juxtapose films, reviews, fan fiction, internet commentary, Or any number of possibilities.  Social Theory  Because our interest will be in people, human social relations, domination, and uneven power, we will move to the broadest methodological register, that of social theory, where we will develop generalizable arguments that explain the significance of our study to other examples.  Theory, in this case, simply means an ability to take an analysis and suggest the ways that it might apply, in a general sense, to other times and places.  Main Theories of Interest  Theories of Subjectivity: that seek to understand the constitutive relationship between human subjects and social institutions. Psychoanalysis  Theories of Identity : that examine the public faces of ascription and resistance on the part of individuals. Intersectionality  Theories of the State: which try to explain the ways that political institutions—nations, states, and empires—organize the lives of their members, and influence people across the globe. Marxism vs Capitalism  Key Concepts  General Strike  A nationwide strike called by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on May 3, 1926, lasting nine days, aimed at supporting miners facing wage cuts and poor working conditions.  Trade Union Congress (TUC)  An organization representing trade unions in the UK, which coordinated the general strike in response to the miners' plight.  Miners Federation  The representative body for coal miners that opposed wage cuts and increased working hours, leading to their support for the general strike.  Key Concepts  Dawes Plan (1924)  A plan to stabilize the German economy post-World War I, which inadvertently affected British coal prices by allowing Germany to sell coal cheaply on international markets.  Gold Standard Act (1925)  A policy reinstated by Winston Churchill that pegged the British pound to gold, making it too strong against other currencies and harming British exports.  Samuel Commission  A Royal Commission established to investigate the mining crisis, which recommended wage cuts and withdrawal of government subsidies, leading to increased tensions among miners.  Key Concepts  Blackleg Strikebreakers  Workers who crossed picket lines to work during the strike, often escorted by police for protection against striking workers.  Trade Dispute Act (1906)  A law that provided certain protections for striking workers; however, it was determined that the general strike was not protected under this act, leading to legal challenges for unions.  Origins of the General Strike:  The strike originated from the coal industry's return to private ownership in 1921, leading to demands for pay reductions and worse working conditions by coal owners. Government Intervention:  On July 31, 1925, the government announced a Royal Commission to investigate the coal industry and provided subsidies to coal owners, delaying the crisis for a year.  Start of the Strike:  The General Strike began on May 3, 1926, involving 1.75 million workers nationwide, although government support for coal owners remained strong.  Limited Impact: The strike's effectiveness was diminished by volunteers and troops who maintained essential services, preventing widespread disorder.  End of the Strike: The Trade Unions Congress called off the strike on May 12, 1926, after failing to secure new terms for miners. Many workers were disappointed as no guarantees against victimization were established.  Aftermath:  The General Strike did not lead to salary increases or improved working conditions for miners, who earned very low wages compared to mine owners.  Political Consequences: Following the strike, the Baldwin government enacted the Disputes and Trade Union Act of 1927, prohibiting sympathetic strikes.  Labour Party Rise: In the 1929 General Election, Labour became the largest party in a hung parliament, leading to Ramsay MacDonald's second term as Prime Minister.  Legacy:  Shift in Government Attitudes: a hardline approach towards labor movements, which extended to its foreign policy. The government aimed to project stability and strength domestically to avoid any perception of weakness abroad.  Increased Surveillance and Control: heightened surveillance of labor movements, fearing that unrest could be exploited by foreign communist influences.  Legacy  Legislative Changes: The punitive measures following the strike, including the Trades Disputes and Trade Union Act of 1927, reflected a broader strategy to control domestic dissent.  Conclusion  A Changed Country: The General Strike of 1926 permanently changed Britain by weakening trade unions and leading to the Trades Disputes and Trade Union Act of 1927, which made general strikes illegal. This defeat diminished workers' confidence in collective action, fostering a culture of acceptance toward poor economic conditions and reshaping labor relations for decades to come.  References  https://www.historic- uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/General-Strike- 1926/