Exploring the Past: Post War Britain

Postwar: 1: The Rejection | Politically

David Runciman tells the story of the 1945 election and the dawn of a new age. Why did Winston Churchill find himself so decisively r...

Modern British History | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Exam revision programme focusing on the Liberal reforms, women's suffrage, the Home Front, the General Strike, the Depression...

Postwar: E3: The Beveridge Report | Politically

William Beveridge's plan was an answer to the question of what we were fighting for.

The NHS: A Difficult Beginning

The story of the birth of the NHS, revealing how close its opponents came to defeating it and why the some of the fiercest opposition came fro...

Post-war Britain - the development of the National Health Service (NHS) | Exploring the Past: Post War Britain

Kirsty investigates how the newly formed NHS saved the life of...

Postwar: E5: The Soldiers' Election | Politically

During the 1945 election, there were still almost five million servicemen and women.

Postwar: E6: Appealing to Women | Politically

How did the election reflect the dramatically changed working lives of women?

Welfare State In Action | Panorama

A look at Britain's social services, including interviews with Professor Peter Townsend and Anthony Crosland.

Episode 1 | Benefits Britain 1949

Benefits claimants volunteer to live by the rules of the first year of the welfare state. This first episode asks how the state should supp...

Postwar: E11: Homes for Heroes | Politically

In the end, the election was fought and decided over two main issues: demobilisation and housing.

Postwar: E2: Mr Churchill and Mr Attlee | Politically

With the war in Europe at an end, Churchill and Attlee became fierce election rivals.

Postwar: E4: Public Opinion | Politically

How could politicians know what voters were thinking in 1945?

Postwar: E7: The Labour Manifesto | Politically

Uniquely in modern British history, the 1945 Labour Manifesto was a genuine bestseller.

Postwar: E8: Healthcare for All | Politically

The war changed many things, and access to healthcare was one of them.

Postwar: E9: Churchill's 'Gestapo' Broadcast | Politically

Winston Churchill's first election broadcast in 1945 might be remembered as his greatest gaffe.

S2E4: Endgame | The Battle for Britain's Soul

Angels over battlefields, the birth of the welfare state, US evangelism and a revolution in sexual freedom are all factors in t...