Britain’s power and wealth at the beginning of the twentieth century (OCR GCSE History B (Schools History Project)): Revision Notes
Britain's power and wealth at the beginning of the twentieth century
Tensions in Edwardian society: Context
The Edwardian era was a period of British history from 1901 to 1910. It spanned the reign of King Edward VII after the death of Queen Victoria, and extended to the start of WWI. The British Empire was at its height. The Edwardian era was one of distinct contrasts for the wealthy and the poor. The elite were fashionable and enjoyed their wealth conspicuously. At the same time, women did not have the right to vote and wealthy ones were not encouraged to engage in work or politics. Liberals returned to power in 1906 made brought about significant reforms in healthcare, and workers' rights. Significant political and social changes also occurred for those living below the upper class such as labourers and servants.
Tensions in Edwardian society: Britain's power & wealth at the beginning of the 20th century
From around 1750 to 1850, Britain was the leading nation in industrialisation. By 1900, the Industrial Revolution had transformed the economy and social structure such that Britain was one of the richest countries in the world by importing raw materials from its colonies, manufacturing goods for the local market, as well as exporting finished products back to its own colonies.
The four main industries of 20th-century Britain were:
Industry in Edwardian Britain
One quarter of the workforce was employed in one of these industries: Textiles, Steel and Iron, Coal Mining and Ship Building
In the 1800s, Britain built an extensive transportation network to support its industry at home and in its colonies. It amounted to tens of thousands of miles of railway, roads and canals.
Scope of the British Empire in 1910
Tensions in Edwardian society: Britain's power & wealth at the beginning of the 20th century
Workers in Edwardian Britain
Thanks to industry, there was a wide range of jobs for workers in Britain. These included skilled manual workers, who often earned good wages. There were millions of jobs for semi-skilled and unskilled workers. These people did not enjoy the same privileges as skilled workers: The work was hard, unpleasant, low-paying, and even dangerous. There was no government support for the unemployed, meaning no income meant dire poverty and hardships.
A child working in a textile factory in the early 20th century.
Workers in Edwardian Britain
For Edwardian women, the opportunity to earn a wage was more limited. In the north of England, women were employed in the textile mills of Lancashire and Yorkshire. In other parts of Britain, women worked in factories, laundries and shops. However, the only option for many working-class girls was to work as a domestic servant in the houses of the upper and middle classes.
Women at work at a textile factory in the early 20th century
Historic photograph of women working as servants in an upper-class Edwardian household
Threats from Abroad
While Britain had enjoyed many decades as industrial front-runners in the Industrial Revolution, by the 1900s, competition from other countries such as Germany and the US began to emerge.
The British were concerned that the closing industrial gap would threaten its global supremacy. Indeed, the other countries had learned from Britain's innovations, and were able to build more efficient steel works, factories and shipyards. At the same time, the limited land area of Britain meant that there was no more room to build larger and more advanced plants for industry.
Left: German industry at the start of the 20th century. Below: American industry at the start of the 20th century.
Questioning the Empire
At the same time, the Anglo-Boer war fought between 1899 and 1902 saw the public begin to question the nature of empire. This was because of the extremely harsh tactics used by the British against the Boers, which included scorched earth, and concentration camps for women and children. The war also cost Britain huge amounts of money and lives. Thus, was the cost of empire worth it?
The British Empire began its expansion in the late 16th century and continued rapidly into the 18th century. At its height before WWI, it was the largest empire in history spanning 412 million people (23% of the world population), it covered 13,700,000 square miles (24% of the Earth's total land area) and had significant political, legal, linguistic, and cultural influence widespread.
When Edward VII became king, the empire did not expand very much, which brought about criticism of his reign.
Boers fighting the British from a trench in Mafikeng, 1899
Questioning the Empire
It's not ok for the empire to exploit its colonised people and use brute force to protect its interests.
Military Strength
From the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Britain grew into a naval superpower. Come the 1900s, the enormous wealth gained through colonies and industry meant Britain had the means to become a major military power. In fact, in 1906, the British launched a new type of battleship called Dreadnoughts, which were so advanced and powerful they feared nothing, hence the name. As WWI broke out in 1914, the Royal Navy had 68 battleships, 121 cruisers and 64 submarines.
Military Strength
By 1914, Britain had built 29 Dreadnoughts that had a thick steel hull, was powered by powerful steam engines, had 12-inch guns that could hit targets 10 miles away, and could travel at a speed of 22 knots. Its neighbouring superpower rival, Germany, followed suit with its own version of the Dreadnought and the two countries engaged in an arms race.
Technology In People's lives
Technological advances began to speed up in the early 1900s, which impacted people's lives in various ways:
Moving pictures emerged in 1896. Come 1900, cinemas emerged all over Britain.
In 1901, Italian inventor Marconi sent wireless radio signals from America to England.
By 1910 motor cars had appeared. They wereincreasing in number but were still expensive and affordable only for the elite.
Electricity started replacing gas as a source of power and electric lights appeared in homes.
Liverpool was a major industrial city in the 1900s.
Cities in Edwardian Britain
By the beginning of 1900, there were over 50 cities in Britain that had populations over 100,000. As a result of industrialisation, more than 77% of the total population now worked in cities and towns rather than the countryside. Britain had, therefore, become the most urbanised country in the world, and London was home to 7 million people.
Other major cities included:
- Birmingham
- Leeds
- Manchester
- Newcastle
- Glasgow Originally dominated by horse-drawn vehicles, the stink and manure was immense. By 1918, however, these cities were motorised.
Cities in Edwardian Britain
Greater wealth (for some) meant more opportunities for entertainment. Britain's cities boasted town halls, department stores, baths, libraries, concert halls, theatres, pubs, music halls, and cinemas.
The glamorous, leisurely life enjoyed by some was not enjoyed by all, in fact in many industrial cities, overcrowding and poor sanitation, particularly in the slums where the poor and immigrants lived, lead to outbreaks of disease that could be deadly.
