Билет 39. Britain after Waterloo.

The Vienna Settlement gave Eutope 40 years of peace. The British navy began to spread over the world. Australia was in process of colonisation. Upper Canada was filling with English and Scots – the second empire was rising. Tory and Whig parties improved the governmental machinery, depending on the Cabinet and the PM. The task was to adapt this system to the new social facts created by the Industrial Revolution. People expected relief from the hardships of war, but they had to face a harsh economic and political crisis. High bread prices (“Corn Laws” 1815) caused riots, radical meetings (“Peterloo” 1819), which were supressed and followed by repressions (“the Six Acts”). Later, in the 1920’s, revival of industry began and radical agitation decreased. For this the middle and working class should have been involved in the control of the political machine. Thus democratisation began to take place and political rights were given to all. This was safely accomplished because Victorian Age was the time of peace and security and all the classes and parties showed good political sense. To increase the standart of living, a number of various organisations, dealing with every aspects of life, had to be created: municipalities, Civil Service, schools, trade unions, co-operative societies, leagues, boards, committees etc. Parliament and local government began to respond to the needs of the society as a whole, the State became more interested in the work of education and medicine, conditions of labour and life. All these changes were possible only in conditions of peace, prosperity and security which marked the 19^th century in Britain.

Билет 40. The liberal reforms of the 1820’s.

The biggest reason for the increase of reforms in the 1820's was the fact that the economy was already improving. This inspired confidence within the aristocrats of the time as the improvement in economy watched the decrease in radicalism. With fewer protests from radical demonstrators, the Tories found that there was less need to use repressive policies as there was little aggravation across the country.

In the beginning of the 19^th century Parliamentary politics became a struggle not between the parties, but between the groups within the Tory party, and Whigs were of no importance. The power was held by landowners, City merchants and financial oligarchy. The industrial capitalism continued to be an outsider. From 1820’s there were many signs of coming change: - the revival of Whigs on a new basis – industrial capitalists and the middle class of the large towns, called themselves Liberals. - ultimate break up of the Tory party, appearance of Conservative party in the 1930’s.

The government had to make a few liberal changes: - the reform of the criminal law: 100 crimes punished by death instead of 200, creating the system of police force. - reforms in the field of trade and finances: modification of Navigation Acts, promotion of raw material import, foreign ships admitted to British ports. - development of foreign policy. Britain feared that the Holy Alliance would dominate in Europe and rearranged its relationship with France towards understanding.

In 1827 Wellington took the office of the PM and had to choose between the civil war and Catholic emancipation in Ireland. He chose the latter and this hastened the destruction of the Tory party.