The sunset is infinitely beautiful, but it’s almost dusk.
The empire that once ruled the world is like a declining old man hobbling forward on crutches.
The U.S. economy surged in the 1920s, and the French economy also recovered rapidly after the war, but the situation in Britain was in chaos.
Today, economists all over the world are unable to analyze and explain the British economy in the 1920s. It recovered and declined, prospered and depressed, and there was no pattern at all.
British economists summarized the 1920s as the "era of ruleslessness."
In the years just after the First World War, the British economy recovered rapidly and showed prosperity. The economy suddenly declined after over-expansion, causing prices to skyrocket, unemployment to soar, and strikes to occur one after another. The British government had to carry out social welfare reforms.
Due to the British economic downturn, the Labor Party's support rate rose rapidly, and it won the 1923 general election and successfully formed the government for the first time.
Just like U.S. President Hoover, he was unlucky. When the Labor Party formed the government for the second time in 1929, the world economic crisis broke out. The lives of the British people worsened, and the Labor Party's support also dropped sharply.
The Labor government did not carry out positive economic reforms, but relied on cutting unemployment benefits and other benefits to cope with the severe economic crisis. This is tantamount to poking a hornet's nest. People's lives are already difficult, and you have to cut social welfare policies to try to get people to work.
Forced to death?
British Prime Minister McDonald was forced to resign and was regarded as a traitor within the Labor Party and was directly expelled from the party.
Why be considered a Labor traitor?
Because the Labor Party represents the interests of the working class, they believe in "Fabianism", that is, "progressive socialism", which is a branch of the socialist trend of thought.
As the name suggests, "gradual socialism" advocates class cooperation and social peace, advocates the use of moderate and gradual means to carry out reforms, and the state gradually controls and distributes public resources, ultimately realizing socialism.
Various social reforms in Britain after World War II were carried out under the leadership of the Labor Party. Their ultimate goal was to build a socialist country.
However, now because of Macdonald's chaos, the Labor Party has split into two factions, the Independent Labor Party and the National Labor Party.
Sir Marley, the "red aristocrat", belongs to the Independent Labor Party. He advocates ensuring people's rights, advocating world peace, etc., and actively seeks cooperation with the British Communist Party. His ideological line veers sharply to the left.
After Zhou Hexuan was invited to the UK by Lord Marley, his first stop was not to give a lecture at a university, but to visit Arthur Henderson, the leader of the British Independent Labor Party, at the dock.
In a small house on the outskirts of London, Zhou Hexuan met this old man. His hair and beard were all gray, his eyes were small, and there was only a slit in his smile, but his behavior was vigorous and resolute, and there was no trace of it at all.
Old age.
"Mr. Zhou, I have admired your name for a long time, and it is a great honor to meet you." Arthur Henderson shook hands with Zhou Hexuan warmly.
Zhou Hexuan smiled and said: "Hello, Mr. Henderson, I have been admiring you for a long time."
This old man was the British Foreign Minister last year. He resigned directly from the government cabinet because of a falling out with Prime Minister McDonald.
One of the reasons why Chang Kaishen initiated the disarmament plan was to respond to the League of Nations' call for disarmament. The main promoter of the international disarmament movement was Arthur Henderson, who would win the Nobel Peace Prize two years later.
Arthur Henderson said: "Mr. Zhou, your "The Rise of the Great Powers" is very exciting, especially the section where you discuss and predict the world economic crisis."
Zhou Hexuan shrugged: "I'm sorry, the prediction happened to be accurate, and now everyone has to live a hard life."
Arthur Henderson said with a smile: "The world economic crisis was not caused by you, so why should you blame yourself? In terms of world peace, I heard Sir Marley say that you think World War II is inevitable."
"Yes, it is true." Zhou Hexuan said.
"I hope your prediction will not be accurate again." Arthur Henderson sighed. This old man is a true pacifist. When he was the British Foreign Minister, he promoted international disarmament. After resigning, he still opposed the war. He would even run away.
Advise Hitler to disarm.
Persuading Hitler to disarm...
Zhou Hexuan said: "Although I also hope for world peace, I am afraid that the pace of war is getting closer and closer."
"I know, so I am very worried. Too many people died in the last war." Arthur Henderson felt helpless. Although he was naive and hoped to achieve peace through international disarmament, he was by no means a fool. After all,
He has successively served as the British Secretary of Education, Secretary of Accounts and Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
It was precisely because when he was in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that he found that war clouds were gathering in Europe and the Far East, Arthur Henderson stood up and called for global disarmament.
Zhou Hexuan took the initiative to invite: "As an ordinary Chinese citizen, I invite Mr. Henderson to go to the Far East, to China and Japan to see on the spot. Japan has become completely militarized, and they are instigating a war in Asia. This behavior must be punished
stop!"
Arthur Henderson thought for a while and said: "I will go to the Far East. I also hope that there will never be another war in Asia."
"I'm very grateful for this." Zhou Hexuan smiled.
Although Arthur Henderson has resigned, the status of the former British Secretary of Education, Accountant Secretary and Foreign Secretary is still very important in Asia. He went to Asia to yell a few words, which can make Japan's diplomatic environment more
Difficulties can also inspire the anti-Japanese morale of the Chinese people.
Zhou Hexuan can only do this, run up and down in Europe, and actively appeal for peace while winning international sympathy.
This kind of thing seems to be a useless effort, but it can lay a good foundation for international public opinion. Anyway, if we improve the relationship first, the alliance between China and Britain and the United States will be smoother in the future, and we can even get more international support through personal relationships.
Chinese diplomats such as Gu Weijun and Yan Huiqing were also doing this kind of thing in Geneva at this time, but they were making friends with governments of various countries. Zhou Hexuan, on the other hand, took a private route, making friends with the British Labor Party, which had just lost its status as the ruling party, and with European and American people.
A great writer and a great thinker, he may be able to get a lot of unexpected support in the future for a comprehensive resistance against Japan.
Zhou Hexuan also talked about the International Anti-War Alliance in detail, and Arthur Henderson expressed strong support. He said: "I will help you publicize it within the British Labor Party and provide certain financial support."
"Thank you so much!" Zhou Hexuan said happily.
The two chatted for a whole afternoon, ranging from anti-war topics to socialism and how to deal with the world economic crisis. Finally, Arthur Henderson personally sent Zhou Hexuan out and said that he would consider going there in July or August.
