Imperialist Ideals

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Promoting the Empire, 1914-1947

In the early 20th Century the British establishment worked to promote the Empire.

1910s

1917: SOAS was established as part of the University of London. The institution aimed to breed a generation of skilled colonial administrators.
- At SOAS, men were taught about the language, customs and religions of part of the Empire they would work in.
- Similar projects were set up in other European countries like France and Germany at this time.
1919: Cambridge University created a special professorship for the studying and writing of Imperial History.

1920s

1924: With the nation feeling insecure about its position as a world power after WW1, the government decided to create an exhibition in Wembley park which would showcase the British Empire.
- It cost £2.2 million to build the stadium which hosted the exhibition and over 27 million people visited.
1926: The Empire Marketing Board was established.
- The aim was to promote intra-Empire trade and to encourage people to buy goods produced in the Empire.
- It promoted this through advertising campaigns and events like special weeks when people should 'Buy Empire'.

1930s

1931: Noel Coward wrote the folk song, "Mad Dogs and Englishmen".
- The song joked about colonialism and made fun of indigenous people.
- Its popularity showed that it was socially acceptable to make fun of people of different races and nationalities and highlights some of the racial stereotypes the public held.
1932: George V's Christmas Day message was broadcast to British colonies. This started a tradition which remains today of broadcasting the message to the Commonwealth.
- This was another attempt to impose patriotism and British culture onto the Empire.

Representations of the Empire, 1914-1947

British representations of Empire continuously shifted throughout the first half of the 20th Century in response to events at home and abroad. They were particularly affected by the two World Wars.

1914 - 1918

At this time, eugenicist ideas of racial hierarchies were the norm across the Western world, including in Britain.
- Social Darwinism played a significant part in Europe's descent into a world war in 1914 as each country wanted to prove it was racially, socially and economically superior to its neighbours.
Despite the significant contributions made by colonial subjects to the victory of the Allied powers in WW1, violent and intense racism remained in Britain and its Empire.

Post-WW1

After WW1 discussion of the Empire in public discourse was framed around it being a 'family of nations'.
- This was an attempt to justify continuing British rule against the backdrop of the dissolving Ottoman and Russian Empires and the rise of nationalist movements around the world.
- Indeed, even the president of the US, Woodrow Wilson was pro the self-determination of nations (to some degree).
Empire Day celebrations were held in British colonies and dominions around the world.
- The aim was to inspire patriotism and allegiance to the British crown around the world.

The extent of imperialist ideals

It is important to remember that the British public did not necessarily view the Empire in the way that they were encouraged to.
Contemporary historians work to show that the boundaries between empire and 'home' were not as rigid as people often imagine.
- The ideas of empire, its goods and its profits were deeply intertwined with everyday life.
- Empire supported life for Britons as they knew it.

WW2 and the post-war period

During WW2, the Ministry of Information produced a few short films which were designed to challenge racism in Britain.
- For example, West Indies Calling was a short film broadcast by the BBC in 1943.
- It challenged the idea that it was only white Britons working at the home front. The film showed that people from different ethnic backgrounds, including black women, were involved in the war effort in Britain.