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The principal aim of the 1926 general strike was to achieve elevated wages and enhanced working conditions for all industrial laborers across Britain.
Answer: False
Explanation: The primary objective of the strike was specifically to prevent wage reductions and worsening conditions for the 1.2 million locked-out coal miners, not all British industrial workers.
The 1926 general strike constituted a sympathy strike, wherein workers from diverse sectors demonstrated solidarity with the locked-out coal miners.
Answer: True
Explanation: The 1926 general strike was indeed a sympathy strike, with workers from various sectors striking to support the locked-out coal miners.
Stanley Baldwin functioned as the principal representative for the Trades Union Congress (TUC) during the 1926 general strike.
Answer: False
Explanation: Stanley Baldwin was the Prime Minister and lead figure for the government, while Walter Citrine, A. J. Cook, and Jessie Eden were key figures for the TUC.
World War I contributed to the decline of the British coal industry by depleting coal seams and enabling other nations to augment their coal exports.
Answer: True
Explanation: World War I depleted rich coal seams and reduced British exports, allowing countries like the United States, Poland, and Germany to expand their coal industries and increase competition.
Coal production per man in the United Kingdom experienced a substantial increase in the decades preceding the 1926 strike, attaining an annual output exceeding 350 tons.
Answer: False
Explanation: Coal production per man in the UK significantly declined in the decades leading up to the strike, falling from 310 tons in the 1880s to 199 tons in 1920-1924.
The Dawes Plan of 1924 facilitated British coal exports by impeding Germany's re-entry into the global coal market.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Dawes Plan of 1924 allowed Germany to re-enter the international coal market, increasing supply and reducing overall coal prices, which negatively affected British coal exports.
Winston Churchill's reintroduction of the gold standard in 1925 resulted in an overvalued British pound, thereby impeding British exports and adversely affecting the coal industry.
Answer: True
Explanation: Winston Churchill's reintroduction of the gold standard in 1925 strengthened the British pound, making exports less competitive and raising interest rates, which negatively impacted the coal industry.
Mine owners suggested augmenting miners' wages and decreasing working hours as a strategy to sustain profits amidst economic volatility.
Answer: False
Explanation: Mine owners proposed reducing miners' wages and increasing working hours to maintain profits during economic instability.
What was the primary objective of the 1926 United Kingdom general strike?
Answer: To compel the government to prevent wage reductions and worsening conditions for coal miners.
Explanation: The primary objective of the 1926 general strike was to compel the British government to intervene and prevent wage reductions and deteriorating working conditions for the locked-out coal miners.
Who was the Prime Minister leading the Conservative government during the 1926 general strike?
Answer: Stanley Baldwin
Explanation: Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin was the lead figure for the government during the 1926 general strike.
How did World War I contribute to the decline of the British coal industry?
Answer: It depleted rich coal seams and allowed foreign competitors to expand their markets.
Explanation: World War I depleted rich coal seams and reduced British exports, enabling other countries to expand their coal industries and increase global competition.
What was the impact of the Dawes Plan on the British coal market in 1924?
Answer: It allowed Germany to re-enter the international coal market, reducing overall coal prices.
Explanation: The Dawes Plan of 1924 allowed Germany to re-enter the international coal market, increasing the supply of coal and reducing overall prices, which negatively affected British coal exports.
How did Winston Churchill's reintroduction of the gold standard in 1925 affect the British economy and the mining crisis?
Answer: It made the British pound too strong, hindering exports and negatively impacting industries like coal.
Explanation: Winston Churchill's reintroduction of the gold standard in 1925 made the British pound too strong, hindering exports and leading to raised interest rates, which adversely affected the coal industry.
The General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) commenced the 1926 general strike with the intention of supporting locked-out coal miners.
Answer: True
Explanation: The General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) initiated the 1926 general strike as a sympathy strike, specifically to support the locked-out coal miners.
The Miners' Federation of Great Britain's slogan, 'Not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day,' conveyed their readiness to concede on wages but not on working hours.
Answer: False
Explanation: The slogan 'Not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day' indicated their firm refusal to accept *any* reduction in wages or *any* increase in working hours.
The Conservative government initially provided a nine-month subsidy to preserve miners' wages and instituted a Royal Commission to examine the mining industry.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Conservative government, under Stanley Baldwin, offered a nine-month subsidy for miners' wages and established the Samuel Commission to investigate the industry.
The Samuel Commission's report advocated for a 13.5% increase in miners' wages and the perpetuation of the government subsidy.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Samuel Commission's report recommended a 13.5% *reduction* in miners' wages and the *withdrawal* of the government subsidy.
Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin promptly repudiated the Samuel Commission's recommendations, declaring them unacceptable to the government.
Answer: False
Explanation: Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin announced that the government would accept the report's recommendations if all other parties involved also agreed to them, not that he immediately rejected them.
The unsuccessful conclusion of final negotiations on May 1, 1926, directly prompted the TUC to declare a general strike.
Answer: True
Explanation: The failure of final negotiations on May 1, 1926, directly led the TUC to announce the general strike, commencing on May 3.
Labour Party leaders expressed enthusiasm for the proposed general strike, anticipating it would bolster their political position.
Answer: False
Explanation: Labour Party leaders were concerned about the proposed general strike, fearing it could empower revolutionary elements and damage the party's reputation.
Printers of the Daily Mail declined to publish an editorial denouncing the general strike, thereby contributing to the breakdown of final negotiations.
Answer: True
Explanation: Printers of the Daily Mail refused to print an editorial condemning the general strike as a 'revolutionary move,' which contributed to the failure of last-minute negotiations.
King George V publicly denounced the miners, exhorting the populace to endorse the government's position against the strike.
Answer: False
Explanation: King George V attempted to de-escalate the situation and promote balance by stating, 'Try living on their wages before you judge them,' showing empathy rather than condemnation.
Which organization called for the 1926 general strike?
Answer: The General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC)
Explanation: The General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) initiated the 1926 general strike.
What was the Miners' Federation of Great Britain's famous slogan in response to proposed wage reductions and longer hours?
Answer: Not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day.
Explanation: The Miners' Federation of Great Britain famously responded to proposed wage reductions and longer hours with the slogan, 'Not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day.'
What were the key recommendations of the Samuel Commission's report in March 1926 regarding miners' wages?
Answer: A 13.5% reduction in miners' wages.
Explanation: The Samuel Commission's report, published in March 1926, crucially suggested a 13.5% reduction in miners' wages.
Why were Labour Party leaders concerned about the proposed general strike?
Answer: They feared it could empower revolutionary elements and damage the party's reputation.
Explanation: Labour Party leaders were concerned that an all-out strike could empower revolutionary elements within the union movement and damage the Labour Party's reputation as a responsible governing party.
What incident involving the Daily Mail printers contributed to the failure of last-minute negotiations before the strike?
Answer: They refused to print an editorial condemning the general strike as a 'revolutionary move'.
Explanation: Printers of the Daily Mail refused to print an editorial condemning the general strike as a 'revolutionary move,' contributing to the failure of last-minute negotiations.
What was King George V's notable comment regarding the miners' situation during the strike?
Answer: Try living on their wages before you judge them.
Explanation: King George V attempted to de-escalate the situation and promote balance by stating, 'Try living on their wages before you judge them.'
The 1926 United Kingdom general strike concluded precisely seven days after its commencement, spanning May 4 to May 10.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 1926 general strike lasted for nine days, from May 4 to May 12, not seven days.
An estimated 1.5 to 1.75 million workers participated in the 1926 general strike, predominantly from the agricultural and textile sectors.
Answer: False
Explanation: While approximately 1.5 to 1.75 million workers participated, they were primarily concentrated in the transport and heavy industry sectors, not agriculture and textiles.
The TUC restricted participation in the general strike to particular industries, such as railwaymen and dockers, due to concerns that an unrestricted strike might embolden revolutionary factions.
Answer: True
Explanation: The TUC limited participation to specific industries, including railwaymen and dockers, fearing that an all-out strike could bring revolutionary elements to the forefront.
Archbishop Francis Cardinal Bourne publicly endorsed the general strike, characterizing it as an indispensable measure for social justice.
Answer: False
Explanation: Archbishop Francis Cardinal Bourne condemned the strike as 'a direct challenge to lawfully constituted authority' and urged support for the government.
The government had undertaken nine months of preparations for the general strike, which included the establishment of the Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies (OMS).
Answer: True
Explanation: The government prepared for nine months, providing a subsidy to miners and creating organizations like the OMS to maintain essential services.
On May 4, 1926, the initial day of the strike, the national transport system largely sustained operations owing to governmental preparations.
Answer: False
Explanation: On the first day of the strike, May 4, 1926, the nation's transport system came to a complete standstill, surprising both the government and the TUC.
Winston Churchill, in his capacity as editor of the British Gazette, contended that the TUC possessed an equivalent right to disseminate its perspective during the strike.
Answer: False
Explanation: Winston Churchill, as editor of the British Gazette, stated that the TUC did not have the same right as the government to publish their side, arguing it was harder to feed the nation than to wreck it.
The Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies (OMS) represented a union-initiated endeavor to guarantee the continuity of basic services during the strike.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies (OMS) was a government-established 'militia' of special constables and volunteers, not a union-led initiative.
A special constable involved in the strike articulated heightened empathy for the employers subsequent to observing the strikers' living conditions.
Answer: False
Explanation: A special constable found more sympathy with the strikers than with the employers after realizing the 'appalling poverty which existed' among the strikers.
The government allowed fascists to enroll in the OMS unconditionally, accepting all anti-strike volunteers.
Answer: False
Explanation: The government decided that fascists would not be permitted to enlist in the OMS unless they first renounced their political beliefs, due to fears of a right-wing backlash.
By May 6, 1926, the British Gazette precisely reported 200 London General Omnibus Company buses operational on the streets, indicating substantial transport recovery.
Answer: False
Explanation: The British Gazette reported 200 buses, but only 86 were actually operating, indicating an inaccurate report.
The Miners' Federation promptly endorsed the proposals formulated by the TUC and Sir Herbert Samuel on May 7, 1926.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Miners' Federation subsequently rejected the proposals developed by the TUC and Sir Herbert Samuel on May 7, 1926.
Winston Churchill curtailed the operations of the TUC's newspaper, the British Worker, by commandeering the majority of its newsprint supply.
Answer: True
Explanation: Winston Churchill, acting for the government, requisitioned the bulk of the British Worker's newsprint supply, forcing it to reduce its size.
On May 8, 1926, Army-protected lorries successfully conveyed food through picket lines at the London Docks.
Answer: True
Explanation: On May 8, 1926, lorries protected by the Army successfully broke through picket lines at the London Docks to transport food to Hyde Park.
Prime Minister Baldwin endorsed arming soldiers during the strike, whereas Churchill favored a less confrontational strategy.
Answer: False
Explanation: Prime Minister Baldwin insisted against arming soldiers, preferring a less confrontational approach, while Churchill had advocated for arming them.
A football match involving policemen and strikers, witnessed by thousands, transpired in Plymouth during the strike.
Answer: True
Explanation: An unusual football match between a team of policemen and strikers, attended by thousands, occurred in Plymouth on May 8, 1926.
On May 11, 1926, striking miners perpetrated an act of sabotage by derailing the Flying Scotsman train near Newcastle upon Tyne.
Answer: True
Explanation: On May 11, 1926, striking miners derailed the Flying Scotsman train at Cramlington, north of Newcastle upon Tyne.
How long did the 1926 general strike in the United Kingdom last?
Answer: Nine days
Explanation: The 1926 general strike in the United Kingdom lasted for nine days, from May 4 to May 12, 1926.
Approximately how many workers participated in the 1926 general strike?
Answer: 1.5 to 1.75 million
Explanation: Approximately 1.5 to 1.75 million workers participated in the 1926 general strike.
In which sectors were the strikers primarily concentrated during the 1926 general strike?
Answer: Transport and heavy industry
Explanation: Strikers were especially concentrated in the transport and heavy industry sectors during the 1926 general strike.
Which of the following was NOT one of the specific industries to which the TUC limited participation in the general strike?
Answer: Agricultural workers
Explanation: The TUC limited participation to railwaymen, transport workers, printers, dockers, ironworkers, and steelworkers, but not agricultural workers.
How did Archbishop Francis Cardinal Bourne respond to the general strike?
Answer: He condemned the strike as a challenge to lawfully constituted authority.
Explanation: Archbishop Francis Cardinal Bourne condemned the strike as 'a direct challenge to lawfully constituted authority' and urged support for the government.
What was the Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies (OMS) established by the government for?
Answer: To maintain order and ensure basic services continued during the strike.
Explanation: The Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies (OMS) was established by the government to maintain order and ensure basic services continued during the strike.
What was the initial impact of the general strike on the nation's transport system on May 4, 1926?
Answer: It came to a complete standstill.
Explanation: On the first day of the strike, May 4, 1926, the nation's transport system came to a complete standstill.
What was Winston Churchill's stance as editor of the British Gazette regarding the TUC's right to publish their side of the story?
Answer: He argued the TUC did not have the same right as the government to publish their side.
Explanation: Winston Churchill, as editor of the British Gazette, stated that the TUC did not have the same right as the government to publish their side, arguing it was harder to feed the nation than to wreck it.
What significant event occurred at the London Docks on May 8, 1926?
Answer: Lorries protected by the Army successfully broke through picket lines to transport food.
Explanation: On May 8, 1926, lorries protected by the Army successfully broke through picket lines at the London Docks to transport food to Hyde Park.
What was Prime Minister Baldwin's approach to the use of force during the strike, in contrast to Churchill's?
Answer: Baldwin insisted against arming soldiers, preferring a less confrontational approach than Churchill.
Explanation: Prime Minister Baldwin insisted against arming soldiers, demonstrating caution, while Churchill had advocated for arming them.
What unusual event took place in Plymouth on May 8, 1926, during the strike?
Answer: A football match was played between a team of policemen and strikers.
Explanation: On May 8, 1926, an unusual football match was played in Plymouth between a team of policemen and strikers, attended by thousands.
What act of sabotage occurred on May 11, 1926, involving the Flying Scotsman train?
Answer: Striking miners derailed it near Newcastle upon Tyne.
Explanation: On May 11, 1926, striking miners derailed the Flying Scotsman train at Cramlington, near Newcastle upon Tyne.
The 1926 United Kingdom general strike successfully attained its principal objectives for the miners, resulting in enhanced wages and working conditions.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 1926 general strike was called off in defeat and did not achieve its primary goals for the miners.
Justice Astbury's judicial determination on May 11, 1926, affirmed the general strike's full protection under the Trade Disputes Act 1906.
Answer: False
Explanation: Justice Astbury ruled that the general strike was *not* protected by the Trade Disputes Act 1906, making unions liable for incitement to breach of contract.
The TUC General Council terminated the strike on May 12, 1926, subsequent to a governmental assurance of rehiring all strikers without punitive measures.
Answer: False
Explanation: The TUC called off the strike on May 12, 1926, seeking a guarantee against victimization, but the government stated it had no power to compel employers to rehire every striker.
Subsequent to the general strike, miners promptly reverted to their former wages and working conditions owing to union advocacy.
Answer: False
Explanation: After the general strike, miners were forced to accept longer hours, lower wages, and district wage agreements, and many remained unemployed for years.
What was the ultimate outcome of the 1926 United Kingdom general strike for the miners' primary goals?
Answer: It was called off in defeat without achieving its primary goals for the miners.
Explanation: The 1926 United Kingdom general strike was ultimately called off by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in defeat, failing to achieve its primary goals for the miners.
What was the significant impact of Justice Astbury's legal ruling on May 11, 1926, on the general strike?
Answer: It ruled that the general strike was not protected by the Trade Disputes Act 1906, making unions liable.
Explanation: Justice Astbury ruled that the general strike was not protected by the Trade Disputes Act 1906, making unions liable for incitement to breach of contract and exposing their assets.
When did the TUC General Council decide to call off the general strike?
Answer: May 12, 1926
Explanation: The TUC General Council announced its decision to call off the general strike on May 12, 1926.
What were the immediate consequences for the miners after the general strike was called off?
Answer: They were forced to return to work with longer hours, lower wages, and district agreements.
Explanation: After the general strike, miners were forced by economic necessity to return to work, accepting longer hours, lower wages, and district wage agreements, with many remaining unemployed.
The 1926 general strike resulted in a substantial long-term increase in employment within British coal mines by the late 1930s.
Answer: False
Explanation: By the late 1930s, employment in British coal mining had fallen by over a third from its pre-strike peak, not increased.
'Spencerism' and the conduct of Nottinghamshire miners contributed to the unification of coal miners, thereby fortifying their national bargaining capacity.
Answer: False
Explanation: 'Spencerism' and the Nottinghamshire miners' return to work caused a significant split among miners, weakening their national bargaining power.
The Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act 1927 prohibited sympathy strikes and instituted an 'opt-in' mechanism for the political levy directed to the Labour Party.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act 1927 banned sympathy strikes, general strikes, and mass picketing, and introduced an 'opt-in' system for the political levy.
Historians generally concur that the 1926 general strike represented a pivotal juncture that fundamentally reshaped the TUC's core policies.
Answer: False
Explanation: Historians generally agree that the 1926 general strike had little significant long-term impact on trade union activity or industrial relations, and the TUC's basic policies remained largely unchanged.
Since 1926, Britain has undergone multiple full-scale general strikes, notably one in 1972.
Answer: False
Explanation: There have been no further general strikes in Britain since 1926, though a one-day general strike was narrowly avoided in 1972, and a loyalist general strike occurred in Northern Ireland in 1974.
How did the 1926 general strike impact employment in British coal mines by the late 1930s?
Answer: Employment fell by over a third from its pre-strike peak.
Explanation: By the late 1930s, employment in British coal mining had fallen by over a third from its pre-strike peak of 1.2 million miners.
What was the effect of 'Spencerism' and the Nottinghamshire miners' actions on the unity of coal miners?
Answer: It caused a significant split among the miners, weakening their national bargaining power.
Explanation: 'Spencerism' and the Nottinghamshire miners' return to work caused a significant split among miners, weakening their national bargaining power.
Which legislative change was introduced by the Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act 1927 following the general strike?
Answer: It banned sympathy strikes, general strikes, and mass picketing.
Explanation: The Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act 1927 banned sympathy strikes, general strikes, and mass picketing, and introduced an 'opt-in' system for the political levy.
According to historians, what was the long-term impact of the 1926 general strike on trade union activity in Britain?
Answer: It had little significant impact, with the TUC remaining intact and policies largely unchanged.
Explanation: Historians generally agree that the 1926 general strike had little significant long-term impact on trade union activity or industrial relations, with the TUC remaining intact and its basic policies largely unchanged.
Philip Gibbs's novel 'Young Anarchy' is acknowledged as the inaugural literary work to reference the 1926 general strike.
Answer: True
Explanation: Philip Gibbs's novel 'Young Anarchy' is noted as the first to mention the 1926 general strike.
Which novel is noted as the first to mention the 1926 general strike?
Answer: 'Young Anarchy' by Philip Gibbs
Explanation: Philip Gibbs's novel 'Young Anarchy' is noted as the first to mention the 1926 general strike.
How does James Hilton's character Mr. Chipping view the general strike in 'Goodbye, Mr. Chips'?
Answer: As a very fine advertisement because 'not a life lost' and 'not a shot fired'.
Explanation: In James Hilton's 'Goodbye, Mr. Chips,' Mr. Chipping refers to the general strike as 'a very fine advertisement' because 'not a life lost' and 'not a shot fired,' highlighting its relatively peaceful nature.
What song, later made famous by Pete Seeger, was inspired by the failure of the 1926 general strike?
Answer: 'Bells of Rhymney'
Explanation: The failure of the 1926 general strike inspired Idris Davies to write 'Bells of Rhymney,' later popularized by Pete Seeger.
In Evelyn Waugh's 'Brideshead Revisited', what action does the main character Charles Ryder take during the general strike?
Answer: He returns from France to London to fight against the workers on strike.
Explanation: In Evelyn Waugh's 'Brideshead Revisited,' Charles Ryder returns from France to London specifically to fight against the striking workers.
Which BBC Two television show's fourth series is set during the period of the general strike and emphasizes revolutionary communist elements?
Answer: 'Peaky Blinders'
Explanation: The fourth series of the BBC Two television show 'Peaky Blinders' is set during the period of the general strike and emphasizes revolutionary communist elements, including Jessie Eden.