The age of Anxiety (historical background) + Modernism, Appunti di Inglese

Scarica The age of Anxiety (historical background) + Modernism e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! THE AGE OF ANXIETY (1901-1949) Anxiety comes from psychological worries about the present and future. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ● During the reign of Edward VII, son of queen victoria, there is the success of the liberal party (conservatori), which meant reforms such as: ○ pensions for the poorest people (partially satisfied, people are still asking for higher wages (salari); ○ national insurance scheme. He modernized the fleet and army. ● First World War: ○ England entered the conflict to defend Belgium invaded by Germany; ○ were used new military technology such as tanks, machine guns and gas; ○ The number of people dead was the highest in British history, and it was a national shock. ○ This led to economic and industrial decline. There was a general strike, in particular miners, paralyzing the city but they were forced to accept less pay and longer hours. As a consequence, the “Trade Disputes Act” of 1927 made general strikes illegal. ○ members day: wearing a red popping (papavero rosso). ○ REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY in the United Kingdom, is a holiday held on the second Sunday of November, that commemorates British service members who have died in wars and other military conflicts since World War I. By tradition, a two-minute period of silence is observed throughout the country at 11 AM (11 November - end war), and church services and other ceremonial gatherings take place during the day. Everyone wears a red poppy (papavero) and a nationally televised remembrance service (messa), generally attended by politicians, religious leaders, military personnel, and members of the British royal family, has been held for decades at the Cenotaph monument. The holiday has its origins in Armistice Day, which was dedicated in Great Britain on Nov. 11, 1919, in commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the peace agreement that ended World War I. King George V requested that the country pause in silence for two minutes in acknowledgment of the war’s fatalities on demand of some politicians. ○ TRENCHES: ■ Germans had comfortable trenches; ■ The main problem was boredom and monotony because most of the time was spent cleaning tools or being afraid of the battle (psychological stress). ■ typical of long wars; ■ hygienic conditions were bad because they were staying all they long in a cold muddy place, except for the Germans who had electricity. Another very common disease was “Trench foot” (infection that expanded to the leg), niumonia, starvation, lice (pidocchi) and rats. ○ After the First World War: ■ The Russian Tsar was executed and a revolutionary government took over in 1917. ■ the trauma of the war and the great depression led to emergence of fascist or totalitarian political movement in: ● italy: Mussolini; ● germany: Hitler; ● spain: General Francisco Franco rebelled against the democratically elected spanish republic and a bloody civil war led to fascist dictatorship. SOCIAL BACKGROUND: ● working class: high race of unemployment of people who came back from the world and strikes, protest. After the First World War Britain fell into economic and industrial decline, in particular, the mining industry was seriously affected. As a consequence, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), a federation representing most of the trades unions in Britain, announced a general strike to begin at midnight on 3rd May. The government intervened quickly to end the strike calling the army. One week later, the TUC abandoned the struggle and its members went back to work. The mines continued their strike alone until November, when they too returned to the mines, forced to work for less pay and longer hours. In 1927, the Trade Disputes Act made general strikes illegal. ● In this Age, 83% of the electors voted, but no women could vote. Women were destined to marry young, stay at home and have children. The Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) was formed by the group of the “suffragettes”, led by Emmeline Pankhust, and had an aggressive approach, prepared to use any military means (no more peaceful as before) by doing act of self-harm, they chained themselves to the parliament, they did not eat until they died becoming a sort of "martyrs". With the first world war, men were fighting in Europe, and thus women started to work in agriculture, transports and industry. In 1918, women older than 30 and property owners gained the right to vote (The Representation of the People Act). ECONOMIC BACKGROUND: beginning of the decline of the industry because, after the industrialization of usa and germany, the british industry is not as competitive as the past. Britain and the rest of Europe were also hit by the Great depression which followed the Wall Street Crash in October 1929. The United States put up customs barriers to stop imports of foreign goods. This created a depression across the rest of the world. POLITICAL BACKGROUND: ● labor party who represented the working class; ● trade union became increasingly powerful; ● political tension in ireland: Britain had promised the “Home Rule” to Ireland but this was postponed because of the first world war. Thus, the national party staged the “Easter Rising” in Dublin: the rebels took control of some of the central buildings of the city and proclaimed the Irish Republic. British forces were able to quell the rebellion, causing years of bloody conflict. At the end, in 1922, there was the creation of the Irish Free State and caused the partition of the island because the northern remind part of the united kingdom (it was predominantly protestant and full of british land owners). ● process of decolonisation of the british empire: totally or partially (they maintained an english governor) and caused immigration. With the Balfour Declaration, formalized