1913: The Year Before

The one hundredth anniversary of the start of the First World war looms on the horizon. 1914 is a date forged into the British consciousness, just as it's carved into monuments the length and breadth of the UK and many places beyond. With that awareness comes an understanding that it was the war to end all wars, shocking the culture, politics, and societies of Europe, but particularly Britain, out of their comfortable progress and reshaping everything. But in this series Michael Portillo challenges that notion. Looking at a series of themes, the suffrage movement, the Irish question, the decline of the liberal party and the arts, he argues that to a large extent Britain was already in a state of flux by 1913 and many of the developments we think of as emanating from or being catalysed by the war, were actually in full flow. Michael starts today's programme at the Railway station in Llanelli, scene of a riot in 1911. It was provoked by industrial unrest on the railways and resulted in the shooting of two men by the armed forces. The familiar high-water mark of Industrial unrest in Britain is usually understood to be the General Strike of 1926. In fact the ten year period leading up to the First World War saw a wave of industrial strife with thousands of days labour lost and a growing feeling, on the part of the workers, that their voice could and would be heard. Ships were built, railways run and the Empire supplied, but not by a quiescent work force. Producer: Tom Alban.

The one hundredth anniversary of the start of the First World war looms on the horizon. 1914 is a date forged into the British consciousness, just as it's carved into monuments the length and breadth of the UK and many places beyond. With that awareness comes an understanding that it was the war to end all wars, shocking the culture, politics, and societies of Europe, but particularly Britain, out of their comfortable progress and reshaping everything. But in this series Michael Portillo challenges that notion. Looking at a series of themes, the suffrage movement, the Irish question, the decline of the liberal party and the arts, he argues that to a large extent Britain was already in a state of flux by 1913 and many of the developments we think of as emanating from or being catalysed by the war, were actually in full flow. In the final programme Michael talks to a number of Historians about the turmoil of the pre-war years, why they've been painted as innocent and untroubled and what it was that created the tensions running in almost every walk of British life. Producer: Tom Alban.

The one hundredth anniversary of the start of the First World war looms on the horizon. 1914 is a date forged into the British consciousness, just as it's carved into monuments the length and breadth of the UK and many places beyond. With that awareness comes an understanding that it was the war to end all wars, shocking the culture, politics, and societies of Europe, but particularly Britain, out of their comfortable progress and reshaping everything. But in this series Michael Portillo challenges that notion. Looking at a series of themes, the suffrage movement, the Irish question, the decline of the liberal party and the arts, he argues that to a large extent Britain was already in a state of flux by 1913 and many of the developments we think of as emanating from or being catalysed by the war, were actually in full flow. In today's programme Michael turns his attention to The Empire. There's now a vivid understanding of the price in war dead, paid by India, Canada, Australia and South Africa amongst others. It clearly put a huge strain on relations with the mother country. But as Michael discovers, the tensions were already well matured by 1913, in spite of the flag waving of Empire Day and the spectacular celebrations of the Delhi Durbar in 1911. Producer: Tom Alban.

The one hundredth anniversary of the start of the First World war looms on the horizon. 1914 is a date forged into the British consciousness, just as it's carved into monuments the length and breadth of the UK and many places beyond. With that awareness comes an understanding that it was the war to end all wars, shocking the culture, politics, and societies of Europe, but particularly Britain, out of their comfortable progress and reshaping everything. But in this series Michael Portillo challenges that notion. Looking at a series of themes, the suffrage movement, the Irish question, the decline of the liberal party and the arts, he argues that to a large extent Britain was already in a state of flux by 1913 and many of the developments we think of as emanating from or being catalysed by the war, were actually in full flow. If pre-war politics is remembered for anything it's the dying days of the Liberal party as a dominant force in British politics. But Michael turns his attention to the Tories of the day, the party that appeared to be dicing with political death as tensions over Home Rule in Ireland turned from potential to reality. The ambitions and manoeuvring of their leader Andrew Bonar Law make sobering reading for a former Tory politician. Producer: Tom Alban.

The one hundredth anniversary of the start of the First World war looms on the horizon. 1914 is a date forged into the British consciousness, just as it's carved into monuments the length and breadth of the UK and many places beyond. With that awareness comes an understanding that it was the war to end all wars, shocking the culture, politics, and societies of Europe, but particularly Britain, out of their comfortable progress and reshaping everything. But in this series Michael Portillo challenges that notion. Looking at a series of themes, the suffrage movement, the Irish question, the decline of the liberal party and the arts, he argues that to a large extent Britain was already in a state of flux by 1913 and many of the developments we think of as emanating from or being catalysed by the war, were actually in full flow. In the seventh programme in the series Michael explores the pre-war attitudes to poverty, both in town and country. On the strength of forensic reporting by the likes of Seebohm Rowntree in York senior figures in the Liberal party were seeking to do something about wage rates, living standards and the damaging gap between rich and poor. Their reforming zeal lead to a series of compromises, not least over Irish Home Rule, but rather than an era content with its Edwardian lot, this was one of the most politically dynamic governments of the century. Michael argues that the passing of a National Insurance Act, which came into effect in January 1913, does not deserve to be lost in the memory of the War that followed. Producer: Tom Alban.