Legacy of Empire | Design fitcreative.ltd.uk KS3 RESOURCES Woolwich in 1863 – historical context In 1861 the population of Woolwich was 41,695. St George’s the officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. Between Garrison Chuch was built in 1863, just as Britain was embarking wars, unemployment loomed, both for soldiers and workers in on its greatest period of Empire Expansion and following the the Arsenal, and it could be said that it was in the interests of the suppression of the ‘Indian Mutiny’ (1857) and the end of the people to support this war industry. Crimean War (1856). Army Reforms – creating an Imperial Army In the late 19th The 1850s had been a turbulent time, with the Crimean War and Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust, wikicommons, Tribune India, Julie Ricketts, fitcreative.ltd.uk Century, the British the Indian Rebellion. Trained soldiers in Britain numbered 25,000 Empire had authority but an additional emergency reserve force was needed. The over many countries Royal Commission of 1858 reformed the army to make it a more (or ‘colonies’), appealing job prospect, ending harsh punishments like flogging. including New Zealand, Bounty money for recruits was abolished and 26,000 troops were Australia, Zambia, brought home from the colonies. Known bad characters were Ghana, Jamaica, India, removed from the army and navy. Hong Kong, Borneo, In 1870, the Army Enlistment Act reduced the time that soldiers Nigeria, South Africa, had to serve to a minimum of 6 years and a maximum of 12. Photos: Chris Mansfield, Royal Artillery, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Previously men had to sign up for twenty-one years! This produced Kenya, Canada and Uganda. It covered a quarter of the world’s an army of old soldiers, often suffering from poor health, due to land mass and made Britain one of the richest and most powerful time spent in tropical climates, poor diet and illness. nations in the world. Nearly 20 years after the church was built, the “Scramble for Africa” began, with the European powers Soldiers could now choose to spend time in the reserves rather carving up the continent into separate territories that they could than the regulars. The Regulation of the Forces Act 1871 introduced control and whose resources they could plunder. Many Victorians a system in which soldiers were guaranteed a particular regiment, believed they were bringing civilization (and Christianity) to the often connected with their own county, and friends. Commissions Empire countries. Others exploited these reasons to justify their (like buying a promotion) could no longer be bought. pursuit of riches and glory. Units were placed on the same establishment whether serving at The Victoria Cross home or overseas. Canada, Australia and New Zealand were given The Victoria Cross Memorial at St George’s lists the major responsibility for organising their own armies. conflicts of Queen Victoria’s reign, as Britain sought to expand Cardwell (after whom Cardwell Primary School is named), the Empire by military means. Established in 1856, the VC is the Secretary of State for War, also ended the disputes between highest award for actions in combat. It followed the example of departments at the War Office and joined together the awards in other European countries, (e.g. the Légion d’Honneur administration of the Reserves and Volunteers. in France), in that it did not discriminate on the lines of a soldier’s class, rank or length of service. It was simple in design, and The Childers Reforms of 1881 restructured the infantry regiments something which all soldiers could strive for. of the British Army and standardized uniforms and colours (previously, the enemy needed to be identified by the colour of the Woolwich and its role in Building uniforms, but gradually khaki battle uniform was adopted). the Empire The economy of Woolwich revolved Artillery weapons & training around war; the Dockyard made Strict discipline and training in working well as a unit enabled warships and ships to import the British regular army and colonial militias to win battles. products from the Empire, the New weapons, such as the Maxim gun, the first recoil-operated Arsenal was where the guns and machine gun, invented in 1883, and the Enfield bolt-action rifle, amunition were made, the Barracks was the home and training were vitally important. ground for soldiers and the Royal Military Academy trained © Heritage of London Trust Operations (HOLTOPs), author Julie Ricketts, learnheritage.co.uk | stgeorgeswoolwich.org 1 Legacy of Empire KS3 RESOURCES Borrowing design ideas from other cultures the Roman Empire in the East, with its capital in Constantinople (Istanbul). It existed for a thousand years until it was taken over by the Ottoman Turks in 1453. It was the most powerful economic, cultural, and military empire in Europe during the Middle Ages. At St George’s you can see Byzantine influences in the golden mosaics and the domed roof over the altar. The phoenix and peacock mosaics were made by the Salviati company in Venice, Italy. Roman Empire St. George is portrayed as a Roman soldier in the mosaic, wearing a helmet with a red crest and leather body armour, a ‘Pteruges’ skirt of leather or fabric strips to protect the upper legs, sandals At the beginning of the 19th century there were about 10,000 and leg protectors (greaves) and a ‘baldric’, a belt worn over one parish churches in England. By 1872, there were 4000 new shoulder that carries a weapon. churches, mostly new, but some rebuilt, mainly for people moving to the cities for work. New garrison churches were built to provide Greek Empire moral guidance for soldiers, and other buildings, such as the Ancient Greece is considered the birthplace of Western Soldiers’ Institute were provided for their education. civilization, culture and democracy. The Victorians admired all things Hellenic (relating to ancient Greece), and men of the ruling classes studied classical literature (Greek and Latin) in public schools and at Oxford University. Greek lettering can be seen on the lamb mosaic naming Jesus the Lamb of God (the Alpha and Omega – the beginning and the end). Ottoman Empire Behind the altar at St George’s are some tiles with Turkish (Iznik) traditional designs, with a cobalt blue background. Items from Victorians brought back design ideas from their travels abroad. Turkey were displayed in museums such as the Victoria and Some materials in St George’s, such as the marble, granite, Albert Museum, founded in 1852, and designers copied the iron and glass for the mosaics were imported from the colonies, designs and colours. Whole rooms of some of the larger houses particularly from India. India was called the ‘Jewel in the Crown’ in England were decorated with tiles. of the British Empire because it had natural resources, minerals, Gurkhas and the North West gold, animals, low cost labour, and culture. India was very large Indian Frontier geographically and Britain was able to expand and control other This mosaic at St George’s shows countries using its naval and military bases. On the Victorian the letters NWIF (North West Indian penny, the Latin inscription VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID Frontier) and the peacock, the DEF IND IMP means VICTORIA, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, QUEEN, national bird of India. DEFENDER OF THE FAITH, EMPRESS OF INDIA. The North-West Frontier Province Italianate Romanesque was a province of British India, Some photos and drawings of the church before it was bombed established in 1901 and dissolved in WWII remain. A similar church by the same architect, Thomas in 1955, after eight years as part of Pakistan. The area became Henry Wyatt, Saint Mary and Saint Nicholas Church, still exists Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in 2010. in Wilton, Wiltshire (built 1841-44). The style of architecture is It was the most difficult area for the British Army to conquer in Italianate Romanesque, which copies buildings from the 10th South Asia, strategically and militarily. century and uses semi-circular arches. The Natural History Museum in London is a Romanesque-style building. After the Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1848-1849, when the Punjab came under the control of British East India Company, this region Byzantine Empire acted as a ‘buffer’ zone with Afghanistan. Many British army The Great Exhibition of 1851 officers who were decorated in both World Wars learnt their at Crystal Palace was visited military skills on the North-West Frontier, which they called by 6million people. Rooms the ‘Grim’. (or courts) were built in older architectural styles. The 5th Gurkha Rifles, formed as the Hazara Goorkha Battalion Wyatt’s brother, Matthew in 1858, served here as part of the Punjab Frontier Force Wyatt, designed the (PIF or Piffers), and fought in the Second Afghan War. Byzantine Court. The Byzantine Empire was the continuation of © Heritage of London Trust Operations (HOLTOPs), author Julie Ricketts, learnheritage.co.uk | stgeorgeswoolwich.org 2 Legacy of Empire KS3 RESOURCES Empire Expansion – 1 Indian Mutiny 1857-59 Also known today as the First War of Indian Independence or the First Nationalist Uprising, it was the first major rebellion against the rule of the British East India Company. Indian people were angry about: t5IF%PDUSJOFPG-BQTF UIJTBMMPXFEUIF$PNQBOZUPUBLFPWFS the lands of Princes who were already supplying them with soldiers, if they did not have a blood relative to inherit – local tradition allowed a Prince to adopt heirs, but the British refused to allow this) t1BQFSDBSUSJEHFTPGSJnFTHJWFOUP*OEJBO 4FQPZ TPMEJFSTo gunpowder was released by biting the cartridge, but they were greased with animal fat, which offended Muslims if it was pork Here are some examples of Royal Artillery VC’s fat and Hindus if beef fat awarded during Empire Expansion.