Popular Attitudes Towards Imperialism
History: AQA A Level The British Empire, topic 2.4.6
Popular Culture and the Empire
The spread of education, literacy and political involvement created an audience for the imperialist message.
The Empire in music
- Elgar's "Imperial March" and "Pomp and Circumstance" were patriotic pieces of music that were widely identified with the British Empire.
The Empire in the popular press
- The Daily Mail was set up in 1896 as a newspaper to target the lower middle-class social group in Britain at an affordable price.
- The Daily Mail was pro-imperialism.
The Empire in literature
- The Empire was a key theme promoted in Boys Own Paper (a magazine for young boys).
The Empire in schools
- History and Geography curricula in schools glorified British activity in the Empire.
- Empire Day saw children salute the British flag and hear of the 'greats' of the British Empire - individuals like Clive, Gordon, and Rhodes.
- Culturally, at the time, the British Empire was viewed as a generally positive thing.
Representations of the Empire in popular culture
- The 'Imperial Leather' soap brand showed how imperialism filtered in the British psyche at the time.
- King George V's coronation in 1911 was accompanied by a 'Festival of the Empire', an exhibition of the Empire's culture and trade.
- Kitchen (1996) claims that people & society used the Empire as 'proof of Britain’s standing as a great, many would even say the greatest, power’.
The National Efficiency Movement
The National Efficiency movement was borne out of public dissatisfaction with Britain’s progress (or lack thereof) during the Second Boer War of 1899-1902.
Dissatisfaction
- The Spectator magazine reported in 1902 there was "a universal outcry for efficiency in all departments of society, in all aspects of life."
- White (1899) said that the empire needed to be better administered to be on a better footing and well placed to tackle the growing strength of Germany.
Supporters
- In many ways, the National Efficiency movement was politically broad, uniting Conservatives, Unionists, Liberals and Fabians, albeit all wanting the improvements for different reasons.
Educational advancements
- The historian Searle (1971) argued that educational advances were the most significant element of the National Efficiency movement.
- They led to the founding of the London School of Economics and the foundation of Imperial College.
Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Lesson’
- This poem was about the Boer War.
- The final stanza reads: 'It was our fault, and our very great fault--and now we must turn it to use. / We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse. / So the more we work and the less we talk the better results we shall get--/ We have had an Imperial lesson; it may make us an Empire yet!'
Test yourself on Popular Attitudes Towards Imperialism
Which of these are true of the Daily Mail?
Which soap brand showed how imperialism was a part of the British psyche at the time?
Which political factions did the National Efficiency movement unite?
Which did White (1899) say the empire needed to be better administered to tackle?