The period following the death of Victoria was one of relative calm under the reign of her son, Edward VII (1901-1910) [S 1] [S 2]. The Boer War [E 1] [F 1] [I 1] between Britain and the white Afrikaners of South Africa which had started in 1899 ended in 1902 and a period of social reform started in the field of education and welfare.
When George V (1910-36) [E 1] [S 1] ascended the throne, all the sources of turmoil which had been latent in the preceding years came to the surface. The reforms carried out in the preceding years led to an increase in taxation and conflict in Parliament ending with a Parliament Act which deprived the House of Lords of the power of veto over financial matters.
The first half of the twentieth century was characterized by the phenomenon of war, which brought to an abrupt end the illusion that problems could be solved peacefully. The First World War [S 1] [E 1] had a shuttering and psychological impact on the British population.
Britain had to face problems within the Empire too. The colonies claimed their independence and in 1926 the Dominion Imperial Conference in London declared them autonomous but united by a common allegiance to the Crown and freely associated to the British Commonwealth of Nations [S 1] [E 1] [F 1].
The Second World War [I 1] [F 1] was a menace felt long before it was actually declared. The thirties were years of growing uneasiness due to the economic depression in Great Britain and the rise of Fascism in several countries in Europe, with the tragic events, such as the persecution of the Jews. In Great Britain the Second World War was called the “people’s war” because of the sense of national unity and of the ideal of defending democracy against totalitarianism.
