•Economic decline at the beginning of 1970s
•Due to increased in Middle eastern oil, Britain
began to search for oil in the North Sea.
•High inflation & price rises.
•Riotings
•Britain entered the European Common Market
in 1973.
‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland
• Catholic ‘nationalists’ vs. Protestant ‘loyalists’
• Paramilitary groups IRA (Irish Republican Army) and UVF (Ulster
Voluntary Force).
• Started at the end of 1960s and continued for almost 30 years.
• Car bombings, riots, revenge killings
• Catholic communities in Belfast and Londonderry pointing to the
discrimination of Protestant-controlled government (especially in terms
of housing and jobs)
• Catholic nationalists were inspired by the Civil Rights Movement in the
US.
• Due to violent riots and
protests, the Prime
Minister of Northern
Ireland asked for troops
that would be sent by
the British government.
This marked the
beginning of ‘Troubles’
•Bloody Sunday (1972)
British military’s policy of ‘internment
without trial’
In 1972, Catholic nationalists gathered
to protest this policy.
The troops tried to stop the protests and
asked the protestants to leave the place.
When the protesters did not disperse,
the troops opened fire.
13 protesters were killed and more were
wounded. This incident is known as The
‘Bloody Sunday’ and marks one of the
most violent moments of The Troubles.
‘The Iron Lady’: Margaret Thatcher • Thatcherism: belief in free markets, competition and privatisation.
• Government has a limited role in regulating business.
won three elections in a row. (in office
• Such a policy was not used by postwar politicians, who believed in the
between1979-1990, leading the state control over the industry.
Conservative Party) • State-controlled industries such as British Telecom, British Gas, British
Airways were privatized.
A right-wing politician • Thatcherism was also influenced by Thatcher’s own background.
• Recession and unemployment especially at the beginning of these policies.
Britain’s first female Prime Minister
Falklands War (1982)
• Britain and Argentina’s 74-day conflict over the
Falkland islands.
• Officially an ‘undeclared war’.
• Argentina laid a claim on Falkland islands. For
the British, it was an invasion: for the
Argentinians, it was a reclamation of their own
territory.
• The military dictatorship in Argentina used
Falklands as an opportunity to stimulate the
nationalist sentiments and gain support.
The conflict raised the nationalist and patriotic sentiments of
the British and increased Thatcher’s popularity (despite the • Argentina cruiser was sunk by the British.
problems in economy) and led to her success in the next
election. • Following the surrender of Argentina at the
end of the conflicts, British rule over the
For the British, the conflict marked the British role in the world territory was restored.
stage.
1984–1985 United Kingdom miners' strike
Miners protested against Thatcher’s
government’s attempt to close down some of
the collieries.
Hundreds of miners were arrested, fired and
imprisoned.
‘close a pit, kill a community’.
Miners supported by their wives.
Due to financial difficulties experienced by the
miners, strike came to an end.
Towards the end of 1980s, Thatcher began to lose popularity in her government. In 1990, she left the office to John
Major, who became the new prime minister of UK.
End of 1980s, ‘Two Nations’: social divide –The South in prosper vs the North in decline, coping with unemployment.
Gulf War: Britain involved in the Gulf War in 1991 and helped the Americans and the coalition forces to drive Saddam
out of Kuwait, which influenced the British government’s popularity at home.
New Labour
•Rise of Tony Blair as a young, energetic
leader of the Labour Party.
•The understanding of ‘New Labour’ (mid
1990s to 2010)
•A synthesis between capitalism and
socialism.
•Blair appealed to ‘middle England’, which
refers to the Middle class people who
generally voted for the Conservative party.
•Blair kept the policy of Thatcher’s
privatization of industries.
‘Cool Brittania’
• increased pride in the culture of the UK during the second
half of the 90s. Emphasis on the image of ‘Union Jack’.
• Pride in fashion, music and culture
• influence of Tony Blair in the movement
• Rise of Britpop
• Rise of bands such as Spice Girls, Oasis and Blur.
Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement (1998) It refers to a politican agreement that is
designed to end the ‘Troubles’.
A new government for Northern Ireland, which
consists of nationalists and unionists. A new
parliament in Belfast.
Northern Ireland is part of UK. This can only be
changed by a referandum.
People born in Northern Ireland can have Irish
or British nationality or both.
Armed groups were called to dispose of their
weapons.
Devolution: tranfer of power from a central
government to subnational authority.
Handover of Hong Kong (1997)
British crown colony of Hong Kong was transferred to Chinese sovereignty. 156 years of British rule came to an end.
UK’s Intervention in Afghanistan
and Iraq War
Following 9/11 attacks in New York in 2001,
UK took part in the invasion of Afghanistan
together with the US.
Together with the US government, the UK
government led by Blair took part in the invasion of
Iraq and argued that there were weapons of mass
destruction in Iraq. This policy was protested by a
significant number of people in Britain.
7/7 London Bombings of 2005
On July 7, 2005 four young British men detonated bombs in London. While three of them exploded in an underground
railway, one of them exploded within a bus. 56 people were killed. It was revealed that the bombers were British
Muslims born in London. The attacks intensified the suspicions and prejudices about Muslim communities as well as
immigrants.
Brexit
Issues of sovereigny, economy and immigration were
among the reasons that led a majority of the population
to vote for the separation from the European Union.
