Victoria became Queen of England in 1837, and died Jan. 22, 1901, her reign being the longest in the country's his tory. Her sway covered the period which embraces the revolutions of 1848 throughout Europe, the wars of Prussia against Austria and France, the Crim ean war, the Civil War in the United States, the struggle for Egypt and the control of Afghanistan, the problem of China and the conflict with the Boers which ended with the absorption of the Transvaal and the South African Re public into the British Empire. The matters of purely domestic concern were the corn-law agitation, the condition of the working classes, trade-union regula tion, free trade and popular education. During these years, the naval supremacy of England was maintained, the colonial empire of Great Britain was cemented and strengthened, and home rule, in the face of persistent agitation, was refused to Ireland. There was a very democratic extension of the suffrage during one of the Gladstone administrations. The In dian Empire did not, on the whole, pros per during the period from 1890 to 1900, but the occupation of Egypt, dat ing from 1882, was successful. The British North American Act of 1867 and the Commonwealth of Australia Act of 1900 indicated the tendency to im perial federation, of which England's commanding position makes her the cen ter. The royal power meanwhile waned to an extent which, with the extension of suffrage, left the country practically a democracy at the end of the 19th cen tury. Edward VII. became king in 1901.
In 1902 the New Education Bill was enacted and in the following year a Land Act for Ireland was passed, which provided for the distribution of £100, 000,000 to tenants for the purpose of enabling them to acquire ownership of land. The distribution was made in the form of long-term loans. In the same year Joseph Chamberlain introduced a proposal for the modification of the fiscal arangements of the country which was equivalent to the abandonment of free trade. He proposed that the United Kingdom should enforce a duty on food imports from foreign countries and ad mit products from the colonies free. This question was agitated both within and without Parliament for several years, but with no political results. The Bal four cabinet resigned in 1905. A Liberal Ministry was organized by Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman. In foreign politics British prestige following the South African War was greatly increased. An alliance was made with Japan in 1902 and 1905. Trade relations were estab lished with Tibet in 1904. In the same year the position of England in Egypt improved by an agreement with France by which the latter gave her approval to the British acquisition of that country.
In 1907 relations which had been growing increasingly strained between the House of Commons and the House of Lords brought about a desire for a modification of the powers of the latter body. This was accomplished in 1911
when a bill was passed depriving the House of Lords of practically all power over money bills and providing other curbs on the power of the Upper House. An old-age pension bill was passed in 1908. In the year following, David Lloyd George became Chancellor of the Ex chequer, and he at once began prepara tions of measures to produce increased revenues. These included a tax on land which met with wide opposition, espe cially in the House of Lords, which de feated it. The government went twice to the country in 1910 on this issue and was each time sustained. Edward VIL died in 1910 and was succeeded 14 George V. In 1914 the Home Rule Bill for Ireland was passed, as well as a bill disestablishing the Anglican Church in Wales. The Home Rule Bill was de ferred on account of the outbreak of the World War.
When the war began in August, 1914, political conditions were most unfavor able. Ireland was on the verge of Civil War. The army was in poor condition and there were disagreements with the col onies in regard to the naval policy, and other matters. In spite of these condi tions, however, England went into the war with great enthusiasm. War mea sures were passed providing for the authorization of war credits, and other legislation aiming at a successful prose cution of the war was put into effect. For an account of the part taken by England and Great Britain in the World War, see that title. See also articles on the separate battles, CANADA, AIM TRALIA, MESOPOTAMIA, EGYPT, PALES TINE, TURKEY, etc.
Although by April, 1915, 750,000 men had been sent to the front it was evi dent that more man power must be sup plied. Conscription was proposed by many prominent men but did not at first meet with favor. A great campaign of recruiting was carried on in 1915 which resulted in the enlistment of about 830, 000 men. In January, 1916, a military service bill was introduced in Parlia ment. This provided that all bachelors and widowers between the ages of 18 and 41 were liable for military service. Ireland was excluded from the operation of the bill. The bill was finally passed in May, 1916.
One of the chief problems to be met by the government was the question of munitions, which during the first period of the war was entirely inadequate to meet the demands of the rapidly form ing new army. The Munitions Act was passed which provided for government supervision of all manufacturing, which made strikes and lockouts illegal.
In May, 1915, as a result of the cabinet crisis, a coalition cabinet was formed consisting of 12 Liberals, 8 Unionists, and one Labor member. In December, 1915, Parliament introduced a bill prolonging its life for 12 months. By a later compromise this was reduced to 8 months.