Business, politics and the transition from war to peace: The Federation of British Industries, 1916-25

Abstract

The economic and political stresses of the First World War and its immediate aftermath strengthened the associational culture in British business. This article focuses on the Federation of British Industries, established in 1916 and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1923, which quickly became one of the largest trade associations in the world, with global connections. For British business, workers and government, the years following the end of the First World War presented some of the most difficult challenges of the twentieth century. The article discusses a number of areas such as the influence of corporatism; fear of renewed German economic competition; British participation at overseas trade fairs; business and reparations; the relations between business, Members of Parliament and government; and the uniquely wide range of services the Federation provided to help its members regain lost markets and compete in the post-war world.