THE SOUL OF A NATION [Main Title]
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- Title: THE SOUL OF A NATION [Main Title]
- Film Number: IWM 485
- Other titles:
- Summary: A Conservative Party assessment of British social and political history from 1901 to 1933.
- Description: The film emphasises the pre-war uniqueness of Britain, rich, insular, with a strong trading position and a free democracy united under the constitutional monarchy. The only pre-war violence comes in the Sidney Street siege, and perhaps from the suffragettes. Empire building creates some resentment, but is nevertheless beneficial. Only Ireland is unstable. The war is unexpected, but the decision to enter it receives great popular support. Politicians of all parties, labour leaders, and even the leaders of the Irish revolt unite to encourage men to enlist. The Empire too unites behind Britain. It is "an unsatisfactory war", principally of endurance, with determination and industrial strength counting for more than generalship. The mass participation of women leads to their achieving the franchise. Despite the loss of "over a million dead" on the Western Front, and the air raids, the nation remains united under the monarchy. After the Armistice Britain resumes its pastimes and even Ireland finds peace. But the new Labour government, despite its successful foreign policy, cannot cope with growing unemployment. In the General Strike the TUC insists that it has no revolutionary intent and the whole affair passes off amicably enough. Britain begins to show progress again in industry, particularly in the air, a major legacy of the war. But the slump of 1930, a consequence of the war, produces massed unemployment and a major political crisis, resulting in the forming of the National Government. British politicians and people, however, solve their differences with "doggedness, good humour and common sense" in contrast to the violence of other nations, and it is these qualities, rather than any political action, which will help the next generation to grow up in peace under "a monarchy which manifests the value of tradition as an element in progress".
- Alternative Title:
- Colour: B&W
- Digitised: Yes
- Object_Number: IWM 485
- Sound: Sound
- Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM (IWM 485)
- Featured Period: 1919-1938
- Production Date: 1933
- Production Country: GB
- Production Details: Conservative Party (Production sponsor) Associated British Film Distributors (Production company) Williams, J B (Production individual) Beck, R E (Production individual) Sheridan, Harry L (Production individual) Aylmer, Felix (Production cast)
- Personalities, Units and Organisations: Chamberlain, Joseph (person) Edward VII, King (person) Wilhelm II, Kaiser of Germany (person) Asquith, Herbert Henry (person) George V, King (person) Connaught [George] (HRH Duke of) (person) George VI, King (person) Edward, Prince (Duke of Windsor) (person) Alexandra, Queen (person) Pankhurst, Emmeline (person) Croute, Edward (person) Grey, Edward (person) Churchill, Winston Leonard Spencer (person) Jellicoe, John Rushworth (person) Beatty, David Richard (person) French, John Denton Pinkstone (person) Kitchener, Horatio Herbert (person) Robey, George (person) Law, Andrew Bonar (person) Crooks, Will (person) Carson, Edward Henry (person) Redmond, John Edward (person) Lloyd, Marie (person) Lloyd George, David (person) Henderson, Arthur (person) Runciman, Walter (Viscount) (person) Haig, Douglas (person) Wilson, Woodrow (person) Alcock, John William (person) Brown, Arthur Whitten (person) Ross-Smith (Captain) (person) Byng, Julian Hedworth George (person) Horne, Henry Sinclair (person) Wilson, Henry Hughes (person) Plumer, Herbert Charles Onslow (person) De Valera, Eamon (person) Griffith, Arthur (person) Cosgrave, William T (person) Chamberlain, Joseph Austen (person) Stresemann, Gustav (person) Briand, Aristide (person) MacDonald, James Ramsay (person) Clynes, J R (person) Cook, A J (person) Baldwin, Stanley (person) Snowden, Philip (person) Sankey, John (Viscount) (person) Thomas, J H (person) Samuel, Herbert Louis (person) Swinton, Philip (Viscount) (person) Isaacs, Rufus Daniel (person) Hoare, Samuel John Gurney (person) Chamberlain, Neville (person) Dollfuss, Engelbert (person) British Army (regiment/service) Royal Navy (regiment/service) British Army, Scots Guards (regiment/service) Ulster Defence Force (regiment/service) Irish Republican Army (regiment/service) German Army (regiment/service) Canadian Army, Canadian Expeditionary Force (regiment/service) South African Army, South African Bde (regiment/service) Australian Army, Australian Imperial Force (regiment/service) New Zealand Military Forces, New Zealand Div (regiment/service) British Army, Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (regiment/service) British Army, Irish Guards (regiment/service) Labour Party (regiment/service) Conservative Party (regiment/service) Liberal Party (regiment/service) Trades Union Congress (regiment/service) Suffragettes (regiment/service) Women's Social and Political Union (regiment/service) Police Force (regiment/service) League of Nations, India (regiment/service) Oxford University (regiment/service) Cambridge University (regiment/service)
- Keywords: society, British - domestic: [+] (object name) society, British - history (object name) recreation, British civilian - sport: cricket (object name) recreation, Australian civilian - sport: cricket (object name) recreation, British civilian - sport: boat race (object name) recreation, British civilian - casual (object name) industry, British - primary (object name) industry, British - clothing (object name) industry, British - ships (object name) buildings, British - institutional: Houses of Parliament (object name) ceremonies, British - state: opening of Parliament (object name) ceremonies, British - state: coronation (object name) engineering, civil, British (object name) politics, British - institutional (object name) politics, British - alternative (object name) ships, German naval - battleship: Bremen Class (object name) ships, German naval - battleship: Blucher (object name) ships, German naval - battleship: Wittelbach Class (object name) ceremonies, British - state: funeral (object name) law and order, British - use of troops (object name) law and order, British - enforcement (object name) transport, British civilian - rail (object name) operations, British military - movement: ship (object name) aircraft, British - combat: Royal Aircraft Establishment RE7 (object name) aircraft, British - combat: Royal Aircraft Establishment FE2d (object name) aircraft, French - early: Bleriot IX & [British] (object name) recruitment, British military (object name) buildings, British - commercial: bank (object name) industry, British - munitions (object name) industry, British - general (object name) aircraft, German - airship: Zeppelin LZ10 (Schwaben) (object name) destruction, British military - area: air raid (object name) combat [simulated], German naval - submarine (object name) equipment, British naval - surveillance: hydrophone (object name) weapons, British naval - depth charge (object name) defences, British - emplacement (object name) combat [simulated], British (object name) casualties, British wounded - battlefield (object name) casualties, British wounded - long term (object name) casualties, British graves - formal (object name) aircraft, British - combat: Handley Page 0/1500 (object name) aircraft, British naval - airship: R34 (object name) ceremonies, British - event-related: funeral (the Unknown Warrior) (object name) recreation, British civilian - sport: horse race (object name) recreation, British civilian - sport: football (object name) politics, international - establishment (object name) transport, British civilian - bus (object name) aircraft, British - seaplane: Supermarine S6B (object name) transport, British civilian - sporting: Bluebird (car) (object name) transport, British civilian - sporting: Bluebird (boat) (object name) ships, British civilian - passenger: Mauritania (object name) economics, British general - commerce (object name) economics, British general - industrial relations (object name) aircraft, British - light civilian: De Havilland Tiger Moth (object name) law and order, German - use of troops (object name) law and order, United States - enforcement (object name) law and order, French - enforcement (object name) law and order, Italian - enforcement (object name) agriculture, British - arable (object name) agriculture, British - animal (object name) animals, mammals: horse (object name) animals, mammals: pig (object name) animals, mammals: cow (object name) buildings, British - residential (object name) buildings, British - institutional: law courts (object name) buildings, British - commercial: railway station (object name) 01/2(68).0 (event) 31/3(41) (event) 01/3(4-15) (event) 12/3(261) (event) First World War, Armistice & 11/1918 (event) Treaty of Versailles, Signing of & 1919 (event) 08/3(415) (event) 08/4(415) (event) 31/4(415) [1926 General Strike] (event) Locarno Pact, Signing of & 1925 (event) 31/4(415) [1931 General Election] (event) GB, England (geography) GB, England & Dover, Kent <cliffs> (geography) Lancashire, England, UK (geography) Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, UK (geography) GB, England & London, E <docks> (geography) GB, England & London, E <Sidney Street> (geography) GB, England & London, E <Tower Bridge> (geography) GB, England & London, EC <Old Bailey> (geography) GB, England & London, SW <Buckingham Palace> (geography) GB, England & London, SW <Cenotaph> (geography) GB, England & London, SW <Downing Street> (geography) GB, England & London, SW <Houses of Parliament> (geography) GB, England & London, SW <Transport House> (geography) GB, England & London, W <Hyde Park> (geography) GB, England & London, W <Piccadilly Circus> (geography) GB, England & London, WC <Trafalgar Square> (geography) France (geography) Paris, Département de Ville de Paris, France (geography) Germany & Kiel Canal (geography) GB, England & Windsor, Berks <station> (geography) GB, Ireland & Belfast, Co Antrim (geography) GB, Ireland & Dublin, Co Dublin <Phoenix Park> (geography) GB, Ireland & Dublin, Co Dublin <law courts> (geography) Ireland (geography) Henley, Oxfordshire, England, UK (geography) Montreal, Quebec, Canada (geography) GB, England & London, N <Tottenham> (geography) GB, Scotland & Glasgow, Lanark <Cathcart> (geography) Epsom, Surrey, England, UK (geography) class & [+] (concept) (concept) Age (concept) Children (concept) Deprivation (concept) Calm (concept) propaganda, British (concept)
- Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English Title language: English Subtitle language: English
- Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 6 Footage: 5451 ft; Running time: 60 mins
- HD Media:Yes
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