The Fall of Lloyd George

1
The Fall of Lloyd George
2
1918 - 1922

• 55 years old
• Height of his power
• No politician had ever had such prestige
• Coupon Election 229 seats majority over all his
  opponents combined.
• Andrew Bonar Law he can be Prime Minister for
  Life.
• 1922 ejected from office, never to return.

3
Why?
4
Character

• Vanity he thought he was cleverer than other
  politicians
• Unpredictable - didnt command trust shed
  friends like as ermine sheds its winter coat
  Beaverbrook
• Unorthodox Not the man to produce stability
  after the excitement of war.

5
Political backing

• Support in the 1918 Coalition government 374
  Conservatives and only 133 Coalition Liberals
  plus 10 Coalition Labour.
• His most senior colleagues in the Cabinet were
  Conservative. Liberals Addison, Fisher and
  Montagu.
• Did not have the support of the Conservative
  Party workers in the country or many backbench
  Conservatives.

6
Political backing (continued)

• Lloyd George felt frustrated at being in the
  power of his old enemies.
• Believed that many Conservatives owed their seats
  to his name.
• Lloyd George Fund 90 peerages and 20,000 OBEs

7
Foreign Affairs

• Devoted a disproportionate share of his attention
  to foreign affairs.
• Negotiated the Treaty of Versailles on behalf of
  Great Britain.
• Took part in 24 international conferences in four
  years.
• Reforms in India and Egypt caused resentment
  amongst Conservatives

8
Ireland

• 1918 Sinn Fein won 73 of the 81 Irish seats.
  Set up their own assembly in Dublin
• Break down of law and order civil war. Black
  and Tans
• LG showed considerable skill in getting through
  the Government of Ireland Act through parliament
• Eventually accepted by by sides in 1921
  Anglo-Irish Treaty North (Ulster) and South
  (Eire)
• Many Conservatives believed that he had sold out
  to nationalist terrorists

9
Economic Policy

• Homes for heroes housing programme
  wasextravagant in money and produced too few
  houses
• Nationalisation of railways and mines were turned
  down
• Rising prices
• Rising unemployment One million by 1922 -
  Uncovenanted benefits (dole)

10
Economic Policy (continued)

• Industrial conflicts 1919 35 million days
  lost to strikes 1920 27 million 1921 86
  million. Lloyd George had some success, notably
  with the railwaymen in 1919, but antagonised the
  miners
• Geddes Axe 1922 Slump 1921 need for spending
  cuts. Abolished 5 government departments, cut
  spending on the army and public health as well as
  education.

11
Chanak Incident 1922

• Treaty of Sevres land round Smyrna to Greece
• Nationalist revolution had brought Mustapha Kemal
  (Ataturk) to power
• Turkish advance. Naval commander, Harrington
  told by LG to turn back the Turks
• Harrington disregarded the order and negotiated
  with the Turks
• LG had not consulted colleagues and the public
  opinion was against war.

12
Fall

• LG suggested to Chamberlain that they call an
  election to win five more years
• Chamberlain agreed but backbenchers against the
  idea

13

• Chamberlain called a special meeting of the Party
  at the Carlton Club 187 to 87 against
  continuing the coalition.
• LG resigned.

14

• June 2004
• How far was Lloyd Georges fall from grace in
  1922 the result of his own mistakes after 1918,
  rather than Conservative disillusionment with
  him? (20)