8.2. The period between the world wars.

8.2.1. The situation in Ireland exploded during the world war. In 1916 the Easter Rebellion caused a profound change in Britain’s relations with the Irish. While thousands of Irish participated in the British war effort, pro-independence activists saw the war as an opportunity to win total freedom. On Easter Sunday in 1916 an armed uprising took place in Dublin. The British brutally suppressed the Easter Rebellion. In 1918 Irish representatives to Parliament refused to take their seats and instead declared an independent Irish Free State. They formed their own Parliament. The British refused to recognize the rebel government, but the Irish republicans had the support of the people, especially during the following years of guerrilla warfare. In 1921, the Irish Republic was proclaimed.

8.2.2. Finally, both sides accepted a bill establishing the independent Irish Free State. It became an independent nation, but it remained part of the British Empire. Under this arrangement the six northern Irish counties, which were predominantly Protestant, continued to be part of Britain. Some members of the Irish Republican Army never recognized this provision and conflict continued into the early XXI century.

8.2.3. The worldwide economic depression of 1929 struck Britain hard. Unemployment rose to 2, 5 million within a year and to 3 million by the beginning of 1933. The government put emergency measures into effect to raise income taxes on the wealthy, to reduce salaries of government workers, and to reduce unemployment benefits. Despite the effects of the Great Depression, Britain was still one of the great world powers. It was a leader in the League of Nations. Later the colonies of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa became independent countries, although they remained part of the British Commonwealth of Nations, a loose confederation of nations and political entities with historic ties to Britain.

8.2.4. The period saw many outstanding achievements. In 1928, Alexander Fleming made his crucial discovery that came about accidentally in the course of research on influenza. His chance observation laid the basis for the development of penicillin therapy.

At about the same time Scottish engineer John L. Baird succeeded in transmitting a recognizable moving image. He made the first ever publci demonstration of television in January 1926. Three years later, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) began transmitting its news and variety shows using his invention. It was the first commercial use of television.

8.3. World War II

8.3.1. Yet the political situation in Europe resulted in another war. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, and the use of the atom bomb. The conflict began on September 1, 1939 due to the German invasion of Poland, and lasted until summer of 1945, involving many of the world's countries. About 50 million people died as a result of the war. This figure includes acts of genocide, incredibly bloody battles in Europe and the Pacific Ocean, and the atomic bombings of two cities in Japan.

8.3.2. Britain joined the war several days later. Britain's new Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, played a great role in keeping up the fighting spirit of the British people. But at the beginning of the war, in June 1940, Britain stood alone against the Na­zis. The period of constant bombing raids against Brit­ish cities, railways and factories was called the Blitz. The pilots of the British air force tried to fight off the German planes. After June 1941 the British situation changed. Germany had attacked the Soviet Union and Japan had attacked the United States of America. Germany now had to fight on two fronts: in the east and in the west. By 1943 the Soviet army was pushing the Ger­mans out of the USSR, and Britain had driven Ger­man and Italian troops out of North Africa. In July 1943 the Allied troops landed in Italy.

8.3.3. Meanwhile a huge invasion of France was being prepared. A large army and thousands of ships and boats were gathered on the southern shore of Great Britain. The day of the invasion went down into history as D-Day. On the night of June 5, 1944, the Allied Army boarded ships in Great Britain. A giant fleet of 600 warships and 4,000 smaller boats carried 176,000 Allied soldiers towards France. The soldiers were from the United States, Britain, Cana­da, France, Poland and many other nations. In the sky 11,000 Allied planes bombed the German posi­tions in France. Early in the morning of June 6, the Allies landed on the French beaches. By nightfall, the Allied army was in France. The invasion of France by Allied forces was the beginning of the end for Germany. Four months later France and Belgium were freed. Then the bat­tle for Germany began. In May 1945 Germany sur­rendered.

8.3.4. An important feature of post-war politics is the creation of the United Nations Organization in order to protect peace and democracy in the world and prevent new wars. Britain became member of its Security Council. But from the very start this new world organiza­tion faced great difficulties. The idea of the four Al­lies (the Soviet Union, the United States, France and Britain) working together for the recovery of Central Europe did not work. Europe became divided into the eastern part under Soviet control, and the western part under the control of Britain, France and the United States.