What happened during the General Strike of 1926?

It began at midnight on 3 May 1926 but the TUC called it off after nine days (12 May) without winning the miners' demands; the government was well-prepared with volunteers, the OMS and the BBC, and the miners were left to fight on and were defeated.

What did the Trades Disputes Act 1927 do?

It made general and sympathetic strikes illegal, restricted picketing and changed the union political levy to 'contracting in', weakening the unions and Labour's funding.

What was A. J. Cook's slogan in the coal dispute of 1926?

As secretary of the Miners' Federation he rallied miners with 'Not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day', rejecting both wage cuts and longer hours.

The government's decision in July 1925 to subsidise miners' wages for nine months, which the unions took as victory but which the government used to prepare.

How did the government prepare for the strike?

Through the Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies, stockpiles of coal, plans for volunteer transport, and the machinery of DORA-style emergency powers.

Edexcel A-Level History 9HI0

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Topic overview The Tudor monarchs The changing role of parliament The principal servants of the crown Tudor monarchs and religious change Catholicism and its survival Protestantism and puritanism Tudor control of the country The state and the poor Resistance to Tudor rule Patterns of domestic and foreign trade The changing structure of society Cultural change Threats to national security from Spain and Ireland Faction at court and the succession issue Conflicts with parliament and the session of 1601 Harvest failures and social distress in the 1590s

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Britain, c1785–c1870: Democracy, Protest and ReformPaper 1

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Germany and West Germany, 1918–89Paper 1

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Britain Transformed, 1918–97Paper 1

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England and the Angevin Empire in the Reign of Henry II, 1154–89Paper 2

Topic overview England and the Angevin Empire in 1154 Henry II and the nobility Wales, Scotland and Ireland The Angevin lands in France Central institutions Financial reforms Legal reforms The changing nature of kingship Henry’s problems with the church Becket and the king, 1162–64 The failure to compromise, 1169–70 The settlements between king and church, 1172–74 Power and family rivalries Causes of the Great Rebellion of 1173–74 The defeat of the Great Rebellion Philip Augustus and the collapse of Henry's power, 1180-89

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France in Revolution, 1774–99Paper 2

Topic overview The ancien régime and its challenges in 1774 Problems facing France in the 1780s The failings of Louis XVI and his ministers The onset of revolution 1789 Attempts to create a constitution, 1789–91 The political environment, 1789–93 Breakdown of relations with the king, 1791–92 The revolution radicalised, 1792–93 Preconditions for ‘terror’Organising the Terror The Great Terror 1794 The coup of Thermidor Problems facing the Directory The work of the Directory Dealing with internal and external threats The coup de Brumaire 1799

Russia in Revolution, 1894–1924Paper 2

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The Unification of Italy, c1830–70Paper 2

Topic overview Challenges to the restored order, 1830–1847 Nationalist influences, 1830–47 Revolutions of 1848–49 Reasons for the failure of the revolutions Legacy of the 1848–49 revolutions Political developments in Piedmont Economic developments in Piedmont Developments in diplomacy Causes of the Second Italian War of Independence Impact of war with Austria, 1859–60 Garibaldi’s takeover of the south in 1860 The north and south unite, 1860–61 Obstacles to unity after 1861 Solving the ‘Venetian question’, 1861–66 Solving the problem of Rome, 1861–70 Unity in 1870

The Unification of Germany, c1840–71Paper 2

Topic overview The political situation in the 1840s Economic and social developments in the 1840s Short-term causes of revolution, 1846–48 Outbreak of revolution in 1848 The Frankfurt Parliament, 1848–49 Revolution in Prussia, 1848–49 Reasons for the failure of the revolutions The political impact of the German revolutions Austrian strengths and weaknesses Economic developments in Prussia Political developments in Prussia Prussia’s victory over Austria, 1862–1866 Prussia’s role in Germany, 1866–67 Prussia’s relations with France, 1866–70 The Franco-Prussian War and the German Empire Reasons for Prussia's success

Mao’s China, 1949–76Paper 2

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The German Democratic Republic, 1949–90Paper 2

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India, c1914–48: The Road to IndependencePaper 2

Topic overview India in 1914 India and the First World War Effects of war on British rule The growth of nationalism Gandhi and civil disobedience, 1920–22 Congress reorganised, 1922–30 The Muslim League British response Failure of the Round Table Conferences, 1930–32 Political developments, 1932–35 Government of India Act and its impact, 1935–39 Reaction to outbreak of the Second World War Impact of the Second World War on Indian politics Britain and India, 1942-45 Attempts at political settlement, 1945–46 Withdrawal, partition and independence, 1947–48

South Africa, 1948–94: From Apartheid State to ‘Rainbow Nation’Paper 2

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The Rise and Fall of Fascism in Italy, c1911–46Paper 2

Topic overview Italy in the early twentieth century Giolitti’s government in 1911 Growing instability, 1912–14 Impact of the First World War Challenges to the Liberal State Mussolini and the development of fascism, 1919–22 Mussolini gains power, 1920–22 The creation of a fascist dictatorship, 1922–26 Consent and control Relationship with political and economic interests Economic policies Relationship with the Catholic Church Italy’s international standing in 1935 Foreign policy, 1935–40 Impact of the Second World War, 1940–43 Democracy restored, 1943–46

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Topic overview Spain, 1930–31 Years of reform, 1931–33 Years of reaction, 1933–36 The failure of the Popular Front 1936 Spain at the outbreak of war July–August 1936 The course of the war Life during the war Reasons for Nationalist victory Creation of the ‘new state’Controlling society under Franco Economic development under Franco The dictatorship and foreign relations, 1939–56 Economic and social change, 1956–75 Political developments, 1956–75 Planning and managing succession Transition to democracy

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The USA, 1955–92: Conformity and ChallengePaper 2

Topic overview Urbanisation and affluence Cultural conformity and challenge The civil rights movement Kennedy’s New Frontier Civil rights: Malcolm X and Black Power Protest and personal freedom Johnson’s Great Society, 1964–68 Reactions to the counter-culture, 1968–72 The crisis of political leadership The impact of economic change on society Changing popular culture Progress in individual and civil rights New directions in economic policy The Religious Right and its critics Cultural challenge Social change in the USA, 1955-92

Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII, 1399–1509Paper 3

Rebellion and Disorder Under the Tudors, 1485–1603Paper 3

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The Witch Craze in Britain, Europe and North America, c1580–c1750Paper 3

Industrialisation and Social Change in Britain, 1759–1928: Forging a New SocietyPaper 3

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Protest, Agitation and Parliamentary Reform in Britain, c1780–1928Paper 3

Ireland and the Union, c1774–1923Paper 3

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The Making of Modern Russia, 1855–1991Paper 3

The Making of Modern China, 1860–1997Paper 3

Topic overview Improved communications and the application of western technologies, 1860–1997 The growth of mining and manufacturing, 1860–1997 Ideas and ideologies promoting change, 1860-1997 The roles of individuals in promoting economic growth, 1860–1997 The Treaty of Tianjin, 1860 Treaty ports and the significance of growing foreign trade Foreign language schools and missionaries The Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95 The Triple Intervention and new concessions The Boxer Rebellion, 1898-1900 The Manchurian Crisis of 1931-33 Reasons for all-out war in 1937 The impact of war, 1937-39, and the role of the USA Russian demands and the Khrushchev-Mao clash Mao's growing fears of the Soviet Union Military confrontation in 1969 China's growing importance in world organisations Closer cooperation with Japan and the USA The peaceful return of Hong Kong, 1997

Civil Rights and Race Relations in the USA, 1850–2009Paper 3

Mass Media and Social Change in Britain, 1882–2004Paper 3

Protest, Agitation and Parliamentary Reform in Britain, c1780–1928

The General Strike, 1926

3 things to know
Paper 3

Overview

Recall questions on what caused it, Red Friday and the government's preparations, how solid it was, the role of the media, why the TUC called it off, and the 1927 Act.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

What caused the General Strike of 1926?

Numbers

What was Red Friday?

Who and when

What role did the media play?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What caused the General Strike of 1926?
Model answer
A crisis in coal – owners demanded longer hours and lower wages, the government subsidy was withdrawn and the Samuel Commission offered no relief, so the TUC called a general strike in support of the miners.
2
What happened during the General Strike of 1926?
Model answer
It began at midnight on 3 May 1926 but the TUC called it off after nine days (12 May) without winning the miners' demands; the government was well-prepared with volunteers, the OMS and the BBC, and the miners were left to fight on and were defeated.
3
What did the Trades Disputes Act 1927 do?
Model answer
It made general and sympathetic strikes illegal, restricted picketing and changed the union political levy to 'contracting in', weakening the unions and Labour's funding.
4
What was A. J. Cook's slogan in the coal dispute of 1926?
Model answer
As secretary of the Miners' Federation he rallied miners with 'Not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day', rejecting both wage cuts and longer hours.
5
What was Red Friday?
Model answer
The government's decision in July 1925 to subsidise miners' wages for nine months, which the unions took as victory but which the government used to prepare.
6
How did the government prepare for the strike?
Model answer
Through the Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies, stockpiles of coal, plans for volunteer transport, and the machinery of DORA-style emergency powers.

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