Hailey Geritano
Margaret Thatcher was the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Thatcher became Britain's Conservative Party leader in 1975 and in 1979, was elected the first female Prime Minister. Thatcher had a persistent attitude which is what kept her in that position for three terms. Thatcher beat the battle of having prejudice against her for being a woman and an important political figure. She showed her determination and her skills of leadership by successfully leading Britain through several hardships. Margaret Thatcher had a significant impact on history because of her role as the first female Prime Minister, her foreign policy, and her domestic policies. Margaret Thatcher was a very important figure for women all
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Prior to becoming Prime Minister, Great Britain was struggling due to a strained relationship with the United States and various other factors including a weakened military. One of Margaret Thatcher’s primary goals was to rebuild Great Britain’s relationship with the United States, which she did successfully. In April 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands. The Falkland Islands were “a British colony since 1892 and British possession since 1833.” Thatcher sent British troops to the territory to take on the islands. Argentina surrendered in June 1982. Her execution of the Falklands War with Operation Corporate was a big boom in popularity for her and her approval ratings skyrocketed. Thatcher pursued a close relationship with the United States president at the time who was Ronald Reagan. Reagan supported much of Thatcher’s decisions and ideology, also known as Thatcherism. In October of 1984, the Irish Republican Army bombed the hotel in which Thatcher and many of her cabinet members were staying in during the Conservative party conference. In 1985, Thatcher signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement with the Irish Prime Minister, Garret Fitzgerald. “The treaty established the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, which gave the Irish government an advisory role in Northern Ireland’s government and confirmed Northern Ireland’s constitutional position. The agreement did not end violence between the opposing …show more content…
Major achievements she did was the reduction of the influence of trade unions and privatizing certain industries. Thatcher's government promised to turn around Great Britain's economic decline. Between many of her accomplishments, one role that was so successfully done was the transformation of British labor markets and the labor union movement. When Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979, British labor unions were very unaccommodating and unchangeable. By the time Thatcher left in 1990, the labor union was weakened. Low taxation was a key issue during this time. There were high levels of income tax for the wealthier. “Thatcher progressively cut income tax - the basic rate of tax fell to 25%, while the higher rate was slashed from 83% to 40%.”. To many people in the British workforce were devastated by this change. However, trade unions were too powerful and needed to be improved. In the late 1970’s, Great Britain was facing a high inflation problem. “Margaret Thatcher's demolition job on the industrial might of the British trade union movement helped to generate an economic revolution. “ Britain's economic growth rate reached 5 percent. Corporate profits and investing increased, consumer prices were stable with inflation falling to mere 4 percent”. In the late 1970s, millions of days a year were being lost through strike action but at the end of her premiership stoppages were a fraction of what they had once
... all their strikes and protests before she came to power during the 1970s. If it weren’t for Margret Thatcher and her strong ideas, the British economy would have never become flexible, powerful and competitive.
His extreme effectiveness feeds from decision-making ability that turned the country away from the negative and instable foreign policy of Carter and back to support winning the Cold War and promoting the strength of the US. In the 1970s, because Carter allowed Communism to gain military and territorial advantages, and failed to impose American hegemon and his own power as President. Reagan took office in 1981, “he was determined to rebuild that power, regain for the United States the capability to wage war successfully against the Soviets, to act with impunity against Soviet Third World clients, and to regain its status as the world’s dominant military force.” Reagan handled the Iran hostage Crisis within the hour of assuming the Presidency. Simultaneously, doing what was necessary to free Americans, and to use his power as President to go outside the constitution and congress and secure funding for the Contras to overthrown the Sandinistas in Nicaragua and restore the nation to a pro-American government. Unlike Carter Reagan wanted to make it clear he only cared about protecting American security, and that human rights could be an after
To sum briefly, Margret Thatcher did many positive things to the British country, as well as bad things. On the one hand, she fought for her country, regardless of how much it would cost the country, for instance taking back the Falkland Islands. On the other hand, she changed people’s view on women and she was part of making Britain what it is today. However, she was also responsible for high unemployment, poverty and a divide in the social
middle of paper ... ... erhaps more importantly in 1979 the first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, was elected in Great Britain. This seemed to be hugely important for women's status in society. However, feminists as a whole were not satisfied as they felt that she was not advancing female politics whilst she was in power. Evidence of this is shown in that in all her eleven years in office Margaret Thatcher did not appoint a single female cabinet minister.
Margaret thatcher was an influential politician who changed the political landscape of britain over the 11 years that she was in power. Although many of her policies were not popular she held strong to what she believed was best for
In Britain, industrialization changed the lives of workers in many ways. One way workers lives changed is being able to earn higher wages. They could make more money in factories than on farms. Wi...
Thatcher has been favourable to the public. Thatcher has very strong leadership skills what this meant that she was ready to take up new challenges and never backed out if found her self in a mess. She argued with her cabinets and the queen she's isn't scared of anyone.
Margaret Thatcher was Britain's first female Prime Minister. She had served three consecutive terms in office May 4, 1979—28, November 1990. Margaret Thatcher’s economic and social policies have evolved into a political philosophy and is called Thatcherism. Worldwide she is known as an “Iron Lady”-- nickname that she proudly claimed.
Margaret Thatcher became the first woman to serve a Western political party and the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons. From 1979 - 1990, she served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and became a prominent leader for democracy in the Cold War against communism and the Soviet Union. Thatcher had similar ideals as Ronald Reagan expressing a strong anti-communism, supporting capitalism and having an individualistic point of view throughout 1980s. She was an anti-socialist and she believes in reducing the role of government to reduce taxation, promote private bus...
Women's roles in society greatly changed after the growth of industry. Women who once were mere housewives and caring mothers now became an active part of the working class. They no longer stayed at home during the day taking care of their husband and children seeing to it that they acted properly and had high moral values instead. Wealthy women were privileged few who were able to stay at home and devote themselves totally to their families.
Reagan showed his recognition of the eventual self-destruction of the Soviet Union in his speech to the British Parliament: “The decay of the Soviet experiment should come as no surprise to us…The constant shrinkage of economic growth combined with the growth of military production is putting a heavy strain on the Soviet people. What we see here is a political structure that no longer corresponds to its economic base” (D’Souza,
Thatcher worked beside the former president for eight years. She has seen the generous man we all know, but she has also seen the strict, black-hearted man he could be. The thing she has seen the most is his love for our country and how he values its citizens. In paragraph two starting in line five, she states, “He sought to mend America's wounds, to restore the strength of the free world, and to free the slaves of communism.” Not only is he promising to help our nation, but other nations as well. Thatcher emphasizes his love for our world with this parallelism and shows the patriotism he was within himself. Paragraph 1 stating, “Lost a great president, a great American, and a great man” Using this it tells of her respect for Ronald Reagan and how he was “great” within
“To be a king and wear a crown is a thing more glorious to them that see it than it is pleasant to them that bear it.” (Queen Elizabeth). This quote says that it’s not easy being a ruler. Elizabeth’s life as queen was not easy. Queen Elizabeth became queen of England in 1558 at the age of 25.
Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister of Great Britian. Margaret changed many policies and she also defended strongly other government policies.
This essay main topic of discussion is the effects of Conservatism on the welfare state, and the ideological approach of the policies that underpin unemployment. Although, Conservatism has an extensive history associated with British Politics, this essay will give an introduction to its foundations examining Enlightenment thinking and liberalism moderate line of welfare. Subsequently, for the purpose of this paper the emphasis will be pre-war and post- war conservatism and conservative approaches to employment and the welfare state. Although this essay will take a brief look a Margret Thatcher (1925-2013) and her political terms in office.