British History 30 Years
Margaret Thatcher s Britain
Thatcher s Rise to Power (1979-1990) During the 1979 elections Great Britain was experiencing strikes and economic slowdown Conservatives were able to win a major victory Thatcher (Conservative) ran on a ticket of attacking unions, state ownership, and making cuts on the welfare state Thatcher also pushed for traditional values (Victorian Era) Thatcher pushed for a hard work ethic
The Falkland War (April 2, 1982- June 20, 1982)
The Falkland War 1982 In March 1982 Argentine forces attack and occupy the Falkland Islands Argentine military dictator General Leopoldo Galtieri did not believe the British would not aggressive respond He was wrong this move did not help his faulting regime but rather guaranteed Thatcher a second term as Prime Minister
The Falkland War 1982
The Falkland War 1982 Falkland Background/Invasion British Response
Thatcher s Friend
Thatcher s Friend Thatcher was strongly anticommunist and championed the British relationship with the United States
Thatcher s Friend Thatcher s unemotional administration won her admiration from Russians and Eastern Europeans In 1985 when Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the USSR, Thatcher stated about him, A man we can do business with. Between Reagan and Thatcher s endorsements, Gorbachev was able to gain credibility in Europe, Great Britain and the United States
Thatcher and the Irish
The Irish Republican Army Established 1913 on the basis to have complete independence from the United Kingdom The early goal of the IRA was to make British rule a costly endeavor Historically the IRA would use tactics like guerilla warfare, sabotage, and bombings to get their point across Another major point of contention is the division between Irish Catholics and Irish Protestants
Thatcher and the Irish An offshoot of the IRA, the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) continued to attack and assassinate members of the British cabinet (Airey Neave, 1979). Thatcher, her family, along with leaders of the Conservative party were targets of these groups Thatcher avoids an assassination attempt and continues to the Conservative Party Convention
Thatcher and the IRA
Thatcher and the Irish Thatcher avoids an assassination attempt and continues to the Conservative Party Convention The results of these attacks in 1985 created the Hillsborough Agreement. The agreement makes the governments found in London and Dublin will work together over security measures The backlash in Ireland is that Catholic Ireland now had authority over Protestant Northern Ireland affairs
The end of Thatcherism By 1990 Thatcher was respected as a leader gaining the nickname, The Iron Lady, but her coldness and indifference towards social issues made her lose favor with the Conservative Party and Great Britain The combination of a poll tax in 1989, the beginning discussions of the European Union, the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989), and the end of communism in various Eastern European countries made Thatcher seem obsolete
The end of Thatcherism Her last election in 1990 saw the seats of the Conservative Party dwindle and the Labour Party winning more seats On November 22, 1990 Margaret Thatcher announced her withdraw from the election
Post Cold War Britain John Major s Great Britain
John Major (1990-1997) John Major was able to win the seat of PM by being the things that Margaret Thatcher was not, idealistic and confrontational Major was the United States largest supporter during the Gulf War of 1991 In 1992 John Major and the British government witnessed one of the worst days in British economic history, Sept. 16, 1992 (Black Wednesday) The value of the British pound dropped so significantly that is Britain lost over 3 Billion Pounds (name of British $)
THE IRISH (AGAIN) Jon Major began secret talks with Sinn Fein (Irish PM) Downing Street Declaration of 1993 Ireland has the right to selfdetermination based on a consensus. A united Ireland is possible if all Irish people want it.
Transition John Major s final year as Prime Minister resulted in one of the worst loses by the Conservative Party The Conservatives lost 178 seats in the House of Commons and the Labour Party won 165 seats Tony Blair (1997-2007) was elected the new Prime Minister to what was called the New Labour Party The difference with the new title was a push to leave the socialist agenda
Transition British industry was on the decline and the loss of this industry did not carry the same weight prior to Thatcher Blair s new Labour party also was more in tune with social issues like gay rights, multiculturalism, same-sex marriage, and social liberalism
Back to Ireland The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 built on the peace process of John Majors The Republic of Ireland abandoned it s claim to Northern Ireland They agreed that any change in political status of N. Ireland will be done peacefully Even though peace was achieved many believed that this was an issue that terrorists were able to defeat a government
Britain and Terrorism
BBC 9/11 Coverage
The War on Terror Great Britain supported the United States as part of NATO in 2001. GB soldiers were involved in the war in Afghanistan against the Taliban and al-qaeda The British were also supported the United States in 2003 in Iraq Many in Europe did not support the claim of Weapons of Mass Destruction
Blowback Supporting the United States in the war on terror has come at a price for Great Britain Tony Blair was crushed by the press as a lap dog to the United States and British interest was not as important as American interest The worst reaction towards British support came on July 7, 2005 London was attacked with 4 coordinated suicide bombings The London Underground and transit bus system were targeted, killing 52
News Overview July 7, 2005
The end of Tony Blair Besides terrorism PM Blair was seen as unfavorable for various other reasons The Millennium Dome Labour Party loan scandal in House of Commons Declining economy Anti-Americanism
Brexit
What to do after Brexit?