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No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

This thesis re-examines the policing of political activism in 1930s London. It was a period of struggle between political extremes that provoked some of the most violent disorder on London's streets in the history of the Metropolitan Police. This thesis explores the emergence of the National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL) and its role in the context of the policing of political disorder in the period. The early chapters consider current historiography and the background to policing policies and operational techniques that led to a view of policing as partisan and tolerant of right wing (fascist) violence. The political events and chance involvement of the press that led to the formation of the NCCL are examined together with the prominent and influential support that emerged for a civil liberties movement. It is argued that the authorities regarded the NCCL as a product of the radical left but, at the same time, the organisation attracted wide popular support for its aims and the backing of the liberal press and in parliament. Chapters five and six show that the Home Secretary became progressively more concerned about the public order policing operation in the capital as police powers and political activism increasingly became the focus of the NCCL's campaign J through 1935 and 1936. In chapter seven the discussion of the implementation of the Public Order Act 1936 illustrates the resultant tensions between the Commissioner and the Home Secretary. Finally it is argued that the NCCL achieved wide recognition as an important pressure group with established influence in parliament despite the finely balanced position it occupied in the political spectrum. It is concluded that the NCCL played a much more active and influential role in the policing of political disorder in the 1930s than has previously been acknowledged and thus an important aspect of the debate has been neglected.

This thesis provides an analysis of liberal internationalism at a critical point in its development, as manifested by the single-issue extra-parliamentary groups: the South Africa Conciliation Committee, the LeagueofLiberalsAgainstAggression and Militarism, the Balkan Committee, the British Armenia Committee, the League of Nations Society and the League of Nations Union. They operated in a period ofheightened international tension, beginning as it did with the capitalist inspired war in Southern Africa and culminating with the hopes for a new international order to supersede the 'international anarchy' of the pre-1914 years. They advocated an ethical foreign policy where the individual could play an important part in its advancement. Consequently, the 'scratch crowd' or 'stage army of the good' attracted to such groups serve as an important indicator of public attitudes to British foreign policy and international relations. Enthused with a belief in a world united in peace and co-operation they were primarily a combination of radical parliamentarians, journalists, academics and lawyers such as Lord Bryce, Noel Buxton, Aneurin Williams, 1. A. Hobson, H. N. Brailsford, and Arnold Toynbee. In studying these groups collectively, the development of liberal internationalism from a post-Gladstonian moralist attitude derived from an evangelical religious sentiment, to an institutionalism of an entirely secular character becomes apparent, as does the centrality of the Eastern Question to their understanding of the international system and the policies they advocated for the rights of oppressed peoples to self-determination and the league of Nations. The effective use of insider/outsider strategies enabled the liberal internationalists to manage the interaction ofBritish public opinion, international affairs and foreign policy at a significant juncture in the development of domestic and international politics.

This thesis explores the history of community care for people with learning difficulties in Norfolk between 1930 and 1980 through case studies of two hostels. It also examines ways in which people with learning difficulties can make a contribution to a construction of the past. Historical evidence is drawn from biographical and oral history interviews, group discussions and written and photographic archival sources. These methods make it possible to examine the relationship of the hostels to community and institutional care: make comparisons concerning gender, geographical location and culture; and elicit the views of those who had experienced hostel care either as residents or staff. The research showed that though there are many conflicting definitions of community carc, the hostels played a significant role in the development of care in the community in the inter-war period and in the post-war period. The. case studies suggest that community care has a longer history than is usually acknowledged. It was not necessarily the benign alternative to institutional care, but existed as an adjunct to it while retaining a distinctive character. In some respects, hostel developments foreshadowed later policies. The research makes a contribution to the literature on the social history of learning disability; and the methodological literature concerning participatory research.

This thesis examines, in three parts, the British naval blockade of Gennany during the First World War. In the ftrst part, it analyses the development of international law in the years leading up to the war and uncovers British planning for a campaign of economic warfare against Gennany. In the second part, there is an investigation into Germany's use ofunrestrlcted U-boat warfare as a response to the British blockade of Germany. There is also a review of the effect of the wartime blockades on both Britain and Germany. The [mal part of the thesis studies issues of international law by separating the rules 'and regulations from the humanitarian aspects; it concludes by reviewing the changing role of the United States throughout the war and the state of law in the immediate post-war era. Challenging existing literature, the conclusions of the research have been enhanced through the employment of both case studies and counterfactual history. The conclusions challenge Bobbitt's ideas on an epochal war and show that Britain adapted well to the rigours of the German U-boat campaign, although the changing role of the United States made a vital contribution to the war. This method of warfare both revolutionised the method of employment for submarines, but also doomed Germany to failure. The First World War at sea demonstrated that international law was unable to cope with the use of the U-boat. : ~.-- . : This thesis makes an original contribution to the body of academic literature on the First World War by investigating new areas of research and improving academic understanding of the emergent role played by intemational law.

This thesis re-examines the characterisation of the East End of London as an area associated with poverty and urban degradation. It uses a wide range of sources to show that there was more open space and a greater interest in horticulture within the population than has hitherto been recognised. Local newspapers, gardening journals and maps have been used to demonstrate that among East Enders were both amateur and professional gardeners. Amateurs gardened in backyards and window boxes, but horticultural expert Shirley Hibberd compared their flower shows favourably with those of the Royal Horticultural Society. There was a wide range of nurserymen and market gardeners supplying local individuals and the London markets. These industries have not featured in any discussion of East End employment. There were also open spaces which served many functions for the district. Victoria Park, the largest landscaped open space in the East End, provided both an example of horticultural excellence and also a site for recreation; cemeteries, in their early days, had ambitions to provide pleasantly landscaped surroundings in which mourners could find peace, though these ambitions did not survive the pressure of numerous burials; the small parks and gardens provided by the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association were an example of what could be achieved by the efforts of philanthropists who were anxious to help the poor at the end of the century. This thesis argues that gardening should be recognised in historical debate as a pastime that was popular with all classes, not just the elite. It also suggests that most studies of the East End have underestimated the presence and importance of open space even in such an overcrowded and poverty-stricken area.