The years following the First World War were a time of many struggles for the British people. Not only were there physical and psychological scars among the men who returned, but women had supplied the means for victory and demanded equality. The government promised a land fit for heroes to live in, but the debts were enormous and public spending cuts beckoned. This was a dangerous situation. In the wake of war, revolutions became widespread with kings and emperors toppled all over Europe. The government feared the rise of Marxism and perceived it spreading among the working class. With the Triple Alliance, the General Strike and the rise of the Labour Party, the establishment perceived a threat to everything it cherished. But how real was this 'Red Scare'? Why did the strikes fail? How did the British system of government survive?This volume studies the administrations of David Lloyd George, Andrew Bonar Law, Stanley Baldwin and Ramsay MacDonald.

In particular, it examines the political and economic difficulties of the decade. It also explores trade unionism, women's rights, Irish nationalism, the British Empire and foreign affairs throughout the period.