Originally published as part of "The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain", this brief history of 20th-century Britain examines the forces of consensus and of conflict in this period of British history. The account covers the trauma of World War I and the social divisions of the 1920s; fierce domestic and foreign policy debates in the 1930s; the impact of World War II for domestic transformation, popular culture and the loss of empire; and the transition from the turmoil of the 1970s to the aftermath of Thatcherism and the advent of New Labour. Throughout, cultural and artistic themes are woven into the analysis, along with the distinct national experiences of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The profound tensions that shook the United Kingdom are juxtaposed against equally deep forces for stability, cohesion and a sense of historic identity.The text is intended for the reader or student interested in 20th-century British history.