4. Britain's Position in the World

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this module, we think about the impact of the First World War on Britain's position in the world, focusing in particular on: (i) the position of Britain before the First World War; (ii) the sense in which the First World War was felt to be "the war to end all wars"; (iii) Britain's priorities when drawing up the terms of the Treaty of Versailles; (iv) Britain's lack of willingness and ability to act as global peacemaker following the war; (v) the lofty ambitions but ultimate failure of the League of Nations; and (vi) the popularity of disarmament following the war, and the extent to which this shaped British foreign policy in the 1930s.

Course

In this course, Professor Matthew Cole (University of Birmingham) explores the impact of the First World War on British society between 1918-39. In the first module, we think about the ways in which the First World War was a 'total war', focusing in particular on the extent to which it impacted every aspect of life in Britain. In the second module, we think about the impact of the First World War on the British economy and society, before turning in the third module to consider the impact of the war on the British political system. Finally, in the fourth module, we think about the impact of the war on Britain's position in the world, and the extent to which Britain's unwillingness to prepare for the possibility of another European war allowed for the expansion of Nazi Germany and the outbreak of the Second World War.

Lecturer

Matthew Cole is Teaching Fellow in the Department of History at the University of Birmingham. He is a historian of modern Britain with a particular interest in twentieth century constitutional and party politics, and local history.