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BRITAIN - THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT. Turn of the century : -end of “ splendid isolation ” -Germany ’s competition Early part of the century : - Edward VII , Victoria’s son - social reforms in education and welfare
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BRITAIN - THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT • Turn of the century : -end of “splendidisolation” • -Germany’s competition • Early part of the century:-Edward VII, Victoria’s son • -social reformsin education and welfare • George V: -the House of the Lordsloses veto overfinancialmatters • -TradeUnionismstartedtodevelop • -violentunrestsbetween capital and labour (1910-12) • World War I: -end of the illusionsthatproblemscouldbesolvedpeacefully
Ireland: -a problemsince the 1880s • -Ulster Protestantswanted unionwith Great Britain • -southernCatholicswanted anindependent • Republic ofIreland-> rebellion • -IRA resortedtoterroristtactics • -1921, creationofIrish Free State withstillsixcounties • of Ulster under Britishrule -> Civil War in the South • Colonies: -DominionImperialConferencedeclaredthem • autonomousbutallyto the Crown and associatedto • the British Commonwealth ofNations • -1920, Mahatma Gandhi -> policy ofnon-violentprotest • againstBritishGovernment
War Poets: - Wilfried Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, • Isaac Rosenberg • -theydescribe the physicalhardship and miseryof the soldier’s life on the Western front, attackingpoliticians and propagandists