2. First four decades- from steam age to nuclear
age!
First few decades- consolidation of industrial
development
Transition towards now familiar modernity-mass-
democratic and mass-consumerist society
Continuous industrialization of 19th century gave
new temper and texture to society of 20th century
3. Edwardian Era
spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to
1910, and is sometimes extended to the start of
the First World War.
The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901
marked the end of the Victorian era.
Her son and successor, Edward VII, was already
the leader of a fashionable elite that set a style
influenced by the art and fashions of continental
Europe.
Samuel Hynes described the Edwardian era as a
"leisurely time when women wore picture hats
and did not vote, when the rich were not
ashamed to live conspicuously, and the sun really
never set on the British flag."
4. Demands of radical reforms, continuous rise
of labour movement, feminism and socialism
Whole raft of technological and scientific
advances- ‘the seething and teeming of the
pre-war period, its immense ferment and its
restless fertility’
Destructive power of new machine age
reflected in Great War
5. Continuities from Victorian Era to
Early Edwardian Times
‘Rebellious insistence on everything new’ from 1890s
continued- New Woman, New Unionism, New Realism,
New Realism etc
A continuing reaction against deeply entrenched
Victorian values and attitudes in religion and morality
Politically and ideologically more pluralistic and
democratic society- importance and influence of lower
middle class and working class
Politically Conservative Party held fort till 1905 and
then Liberal Party took over
6. Basic Political and social issues-
continued from late Victorian era
Despite Labour party and
militant suffragette movement,
basic political premises
reflected from Gladstone and
Disraeli time
Continuing drift of population to
cities
Irish Home Rule, female
suffrage, unemployment, impact
of trade unionism, distribution of
wealth, education etc- remained
key issues in public domain
7. And the Empire kept expanding
and Economy kept plodding
Britain remained as super power
dominating seas and holding sway
over 400 million people and
around one fifth of landmass
buoyant financial and service
sectors- second industrial
revolution gathered pace with
electricity based production
England remained World’s
greatest trading nation, centre of
international banking and finance
and as the mightiest global empire
in politics as well
8. Notes of Discord with Victorian
Era
Boer war was an eye opener- early defeats
hinted chinks in the armor of Empire
It took 4,50,000 British Troop and more than 2
and half years to defeat 50,000 odd Boers
British economy was growing but lesser rate
compared to new engines of Growth like
Germany, France and America
Edwardian period can be termed as when
Britain’s Victorian Economic Development
peaked and began to fall back
A sense of decline was in air- emigration to
other regions started enmasse- America,
Canada and Australia etc
