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History Quiz - Britain: British Society 1931-1951 - Foreign Policy Under Labour 1945-1951 (Questions)

As a part of their study of British society at different times in the past GCSE History students will look at the period of 1931-1951. One aspect that they will explore is the 1945-1951 Labour Government's foreign and domestic policy. This is one of two quizzes on the subject and it concentrates on the 1945-1951 Labour Government's Foreign Policy only.

Attlee's Labour government soon found that it was becoming more friendly to the United States than to its former ally the Soviet Union. Accordingly Bevin and Attlee committed Britain to an atlanticist foreign policy.

This quiz will shed more light on Britain's international dealings at the time.

1. Who succeeded Ernest Bevin as foreign secretary in March 1951?
[ ] Herbert Morrison
[ ] Hugh Dalton
[ ] Sir Stafford Cripps
[ ] Aneurin Bevan
2. Britain joined the UN as a founding member. She also became a member of a smaller constituent body whose permanent members had the right to veto resolutions emanating from it. What was the name of this body?
[ ] The Security Council
[ ] The Council
[ ] The Assembly
[ ] The General Assembly
3. In 1946 a British economist crossed the Atlantic to negotiate a $5 billion loan from the USA. Who was this?
[ ] John Maynard Keynes
[ ] Austin Robinson
[ ] Joan Robinson
[ ] Wynne Godley
4. In 1947 the British government told the US government that they could no longer shoulder the burden of keeping both Greece and Turkey secure from communist infiltration. What was President Truman's reply?
[ ] Britain would be allowed to relinquish its responsibilities in Turkey, but would have to continue to guarantee Greece
[ ] Britain could abandon Greece, but must continue its obligations to Turkey
[ ] The United States (under the so-called Truman Doctrine) would take over lock, stock and barrel Britain's duties throughout this area
[ ] The United States would - in alliance with Britain - ensure the security of "free peoples" against communist aggression throughout the world
5. When the Korean War broke out the British government immediately supported the UN effort to remove the North Korean invaders from the south. The newly appointed British Chancellor of the Exchequer found extra cash for this cause by introducing new NHS charges for false teeth and glasses. What was his name?
[ ] Hugh Dalton
[ ] Hugh Gaitskell
[ ] Harold Wilson
[ ] John Freeman
6. Attlee had to fly suddenly to represent Britain at an international conference in August 1945, as he had won the general election. Where was this conference held?
[ ] Yalta
[ ] Tehran
[ ] Casablanca
[ ] Potsdam
7. In 1948 Britain agreed to relinquish a UN mandate, and to hand the problem back to the UN. Which was the territory concerned?
[ ] Palestine
[ ] Transjordan
[ ] Iraq
[ ] Syria
8. In 1947 India and Pakistan received their independence from Britain. Further Raj territories became independent in 1948. Which one of the following was not involved in this further measure?
[ ] Burma
[ ] Ceylon
[ ] Nepal
[ ] Kashmir
9. In 1948 the Soviet Government attempted to blockade Berlin and to force the three Western allies to leave their sectors of the city. How was this blockade defeated?
[ ] By threatening a Third World War
[ ] By forcing the way through surface corridors to Berlin
[ ] By organising an airlift and calling the bluff of the USSR not to shoot the aeroplanes down
[ ] By setting up a counter-blockade of East Berlin
10. The Labour government of 1945-50 was an enthusiastic adherent of NATO when it was set up in 1949. Where was the new body's headquarters?
[ ] Brussels
[ ] Bonn
[ ] Paris
[ ] London

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Depression, war and recovery, 1930-1955

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History Quiz - Britain: British Society 1931-1951 - Foreign Policy Under Labour 1945-1951 (Answers)
1. Who succeeded Ernest Bevin as foreign secretary in March 1951?
[x] Herbert Morrison
[ ] Hugh Dalton
[ ] Sir Stafford Cripps
[ ] Aneurin Bevan
Bevin's death was a major blow but - in the event - Labour had little time before a further general election would hand power to the Tory opposition
2. Britain joined the UN as a founding member. She also became a member of a smaller constituent body whose permanent members had the right to veto resolutions emanating from it. What was the name of this body?
[x] The Security Council
[ ] The Council
[ ] The Assembly
[ ] The General Assembly
It was important to ensure that both the USA and the USSR were members of the UN
3. In 1946 a British economist crossed the Atlantic to negotiate a $5 billion loan from the USA. Who was this?
[x] John Maynard Keynes
[ ] Austin Robinson
[ ] Joan Robinson
[ ] Wynne Godley
The Americans drove a hard bargain, both in respect of the interest rate charged and the length of the repayment period
4. In 1947 the British government told the US government that they could no longer shoulder the burden of keeping both Greece and Turkey secure from communist infiltration. What was President Truman's reply?
[ ] Britain would be allowed to relinquish its responsibilities in Turkey, but would have to continue to guarantee Greece
[ ] Britain could abandon Greece, but must continue its obligations to Turkey
[x] The United States (under the so-called Truman Doctrine) would take over lock, stock and barrel Britain's duties throughout this area
[ ] The United States would - in alliance with Britain - ensure the security of "free peoples" against communist aggression throughout the world
This was effectively the end of US isolationism. In other words the US was now taking on an open-ended commitment
5. When the Korean War broke out the British government immediately supported the UN effort to remove the North Korean invaders from the south. The newly appointed British Chancellor of the Exchequer found extra cash for this cause by introducing new NHS charges for false teeth and glasses. What was his name?
[ ] Hugh Dalton
[x] Hugh Gaitskell
[ ] Harold Wilson
[ ] John Freeman
The principle of the NHS, set up in 1948, was fundamental: it was to be free at the point of use. Therefore the introduction of charges for certain services seemed to many a denial of the principles of the health service
6. Attlee had to fly suddenly to represent Britain at an international conference in August 1945, as he had won the general election. Where was this conference held?
[ ] Yalta
[ ] Tehran
[ ] Casablanca
[x] Potsdam
Churchill had originally represented Britain here, but he had had to return in order to fight the general election campaign at home
7. In 1948 Britain agreed to relinquish a UN mandate, and to hand the problem back to the UN. Which was the territory concerned?
[x] Palestine
[ ] Transjordan
[ ] Iraq
[ ] Syria
Bevin became fed up by the problems: ethnic and religious. There seemed from the military and strategic point of view no advantage in hanging on
8. In 1947 India and Pakistan received their independence from Britain. Further Raj territories became independent in 1948. Which one of the following was not involved in this further measure?
[ ] Burma
[ ] Ceylon
[x] Nepal
[ ] Kashmir
The dissolution of Britain's South Asian empire encouraged other colonies elsewhere to demand independence
9. In 1948 the Soviet Government attempted to blockade Berlin and to force the three Western allies to leave their sectors of the city. How was this blockade defeated?
[ ] By threatening a Third World War
[ ] By forcing the way through surface corridors to Berlin
[x] By organising an airlift and calling the bluff of the USSR not to shoot the aeroplanes down
[ ] By setting up a counter-blockade of East Berlin
Stalin calculated that any airlift would fail to bring into West Berlin sufficient supplies to sustain the city. But he realised that any attempt to shoot such aeroplanes down could trigger a "full retaliatory response"
10. The Labour government of 1945-50 was an enthusiastic adherent of NATO when it was set up in 1949. Where was the new body's headquarters?
[ ] Brussels
[ ] Bonn
[x] Paris
[ ] London
By 1949 the conciliatory atmosphere of 1945 had long since dissipated - especially since the communist coup in Czechoslovakia the previous year
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