Commonwealth

What is the Commonwealth?

The Commonwealth is an international organisation, which comprises countries that were formerly parts of the British Empire. The Queen remains the head of state of some Commonwealth countries.

When was the Commonwealth founded?

The 'Commonwealth of Nations' was originally set up in the 1930s.

Who are the members of the Commonwealth?

The Commonwealth currently has 53 members. All members are independent countries that were formerly ruled by the British Empire.

Why was the Commonwealth founded?

The 3 reasons for creating the Commonwealth were mainly economic.

• ❖ Even in the 1930s, Britain knew that it would have to grant independence to its subject nations. Already, some countries had been allowed to rule themselves, while still being part of the empire - this was known as 'Dominion status'.
• ❖ Britain wanted to create a trading block, with preferential trading privileges between its members.
• ❖ In this way, Britain hoped to maintain its economic power in the world.

What were the problems with the Commonwealth?

Britain ran into 5 important problems with the Commonwealth after the Second World War.

• ❖ After the Second World War, Britain lost much of its authority. World 'leadership' was taken up by the USA, which was economically and militarily more powerful than Britain.
• ❖ The USA wanted Britain to become more involved in Europe, in order to defend Europe from the spread of communism in the late 1940s.
• ❖ As a result, Britain became focused on Europe, and was diverted from its role as leader of the Commonwealth.
• ❖ When Britain joined the EEC in 1973, Commonwealth countries felt betrayed, as they would no longer receive special trade deals with the 'mother country'.
• ❖ However, Britain's ties with the Commonwealth remain strong. Ten out of the top 25 countries that supply migrants to Britain today are Commonwealth countries.