Gladstone & Disraeli

Question 0

In what year was William Ewart Gladstone born?

Answer 0

1809

Question 1

In what year was Benjamin Disraeli born?

Answer 1

1804

Question 2

Disraeli’s father converted the family to Christianity when Benjamin was a young boy. What religion had they been up until then?

Answer 2

Jewish

Question 3

Gladstone’s father was a wealthy businessman. What had the family made significant amounts of money from?

Answer 3

The Atlantic Slave Trade

Question 4

Disraeli became an author, partly to try and pay off his debts. Name two of his novels.

Answer 4

Vivian Gray

Sibyl

Question 5

What work did Disraeli first go into, which ended up with him in considerable debt?

Answer 5

Finance

Question 7

At Oxford, Gladstone gave a speech which is said to have changed his audience’s mind. What did he argue?

Answer 7

He argued that the political system should not be reformed; he argued against the Great Reform Act.

Question 8

Gladstone went to Eton and then Oxford University. There he met important figures within the Conservative Party. Which of these helped him become MP?

Answer 8

Lord Lincoln, through his father the Duke of Newcastle

Question 8

In 1832 Gladstone became Member of Parliament for Newark in Nottinghamshire. What is significant about this constituency (seat)?

Answer 8

It was a rotten borough. Gladstone was elected through the patronage of the Duke of Newcastle, whose son, Lord Lincoln, was a friend.

Question 9

When Disraeli first became a Member of Parliament in 1837, how did MPs react to his maiden speech?

Answer 9

They booed and laughed at him as they found him pompous and full of his own importance.

Disraeli learnt from this to make his speeches more direct and straightforward.

Question 10

Why did Disraeli seek revenge on Robert Peel, leader of the Conservatives?

Answer 10

Because he had refused to give him a place in the Conservative government in 1841

Question 11

Gladstone and Peel both wanted to repeal the Corn Laws. What did the Corn Laws do?

Answer 11

They kept the price of wheat and corn high by taxing foreign wheat and corn. This kept landowners’ incomes high but made bread and flour more expensive.

Question 12

What were Disraeli’s views on the working-class?

Answer 12

He believed the aristocracy and those with land and privilege should look after the working-class and ally themselves with them against the growing power of the industrialists.

Question 13

Which political party did both Gladstone and Disraeli join in the 1830s?

Answer 13

Conservative Party

Question 15

Why was Lord Derby left with little choice in 1846 but to make Disraeli Leader of the Conservatives in the Commons?

Answer 15

Because when Peel and the Peelites (including Gladstone) split from the Conservatives over the Repeal of the Corn Laws, the Conservatives had no one else as capable or as good a speaker as Disraeli.

Question 16

How was Disraeli responsible for destroying Peel’s leadership of the Conservatives and splitting the party?

Answer 16

He attacked Peel in a series of speeches and led the pro-Corn Law Conservatives to vote against Peel.

Question 16

When did Disraeli become Chancellor of the Exchequer and under which Conservative Prime Minister?

Answer 16

1852

Lord Derby was Prime Minister

Question 17

What happened to Disraeli’s first budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer?

Answer 17

Gladstone attacked it in the House of Commons and as a result it was voted down and the Conservative government fell.

Question 18

What and when was the Crimea War?

Answer 18

It was a war 1853 to 1856 between Russia and an alliance of Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire. It was fought for control of land in and around the Crimea, on the Black Sea.

Question 19

When the Conservative government fell in 1852 following Disraeli’s budget, which parties took power and what position did Gladstone have?

Answer 19

A combination of Whigs, Peelites and Radicals took power. Gladstone, a Peelite, became Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Question 20

In 1858 Gladstone gave up his parliamentary seat to become Lord High Commissioner of where?

Answer 20

Corfu - technically the Ionian Islands

Question 21

In 1853 a man tried to blackmail Gladstone. Gladstone reported this to the police and the man was tried and imprisoned. What was he blackmailing Gladstone over?

Answer 21

Meeting with prostitutes.

Question 23

Who was able to get Gladstone back into Parliament after his (short) time as Lord High Commissioner of Corfu?

Answer 23

Lord Aberdeen

Question 23

Why did the Second Reform Bill, introduced by Gladstone, fail to pass the House of Commons?

Answer 23

It was voted down by the anti-Reform Liberals (the Adullamites) and the Conservatives, with Disraeli leading the charge in the Commons.

Question 24

Why did Gladstone win working class support and the nick-name “the People’s William”?

Answer 24

Because as Chancellor he reduced taxes on wheat, scrapped the taxes on newspapers and toured the country addressing huge public meetings for the working-class.

Question 25

What did Gladstone change his mind over in 1864?

Answer 25

Political reform: he came to see that the vote should be extended to more people.

Question 26

When Gladstone became Prime Minister for the first time in 1868, what did he say would be the aim of his government?

Answer 26

to pacify (bring peace to) Ireland

Question 27

What did Disraeli famously say when he became Prime Minister in 1868?

Answer 27

“I have climbed to the top of the greasy pole.”

Question 28

What type of Tory ideas is Disraeli usually said to represent?

Answer 28

One Nation Toryism - that the Tory party should look after the interests of all classes not just the rich.

Question 29

What did Disraeli and the Conservatives do when they brought down the Liberal government over the Second Reform Bill?

Answer 29

They formed a minority government and introduced their own Second Reform Act, which was even more radical than the Liberals - and got it through Parliament.

Question 30

When was Gladstone’s first ministry?

Answer 30

1868 to 1874

Question 31

What were some of the reforms which Gladstone’s first ministry/government introduced? i.e. 1868 to 1874

Answer 31

Changes to

• the army - so officers did not buy their commissions (ranks) but were chosen on ability,
• civil service - exams were brought in for choosing people instead of just giving jobs to those who knew the right people,
• Universities - were opened to non-Anglicans,
• education - local councils were given the ability to provide primary education,
• Ireland - those who rented land were given increased protection and security
• elections - secret voting was introduced for general and local elections

Question 32

By the end of Gladstone’s first ministry, how did Disraeli describe Gladstone and his Cabinet?

Answer 32

as a “range of extinct volcanoes” - suggesting they were now out of energy and ideas

Question 33

How and why did Disraeli try to change the direction of the Conservative Party?

Answer 33

He realised that after the Second and, even more so after the Third Reform Act,  the Conservatives had to appeal to the working class if they were ever to get back into power.
He also believed that the wealthy and landed aristocracy had a duty to protect and care for the working class.

Question 34

In 1874 Disraeli gave a speech at Crystal Palace. What did he say the aim of the Conservative Party must be?

Answer 34

To improve the condition of the people

Question 36

What were some of the reforms Disraeli’s second ministry/government introduced? i.e. 1874 to 1880

Answer 36

Changes to

• local councils - they could now buy up areas of slum dwelling and rebuild them
• housing - all new buildings had to have running water and proper drains
• factories - to stop any child under 10 years old working
• education - to provide more primary schools
• Britain seized control of the Suez Canal
• granted Queen Victoria the title of Empress of India

Question 37

When was Disraeli’s second ministry?

Answer 37

1874 to 1880

Question 38

What were the different reactions of Disraeli and Gladstone to the Bulgarian Atrocities? Who judged the popular mood better?

Answer 38

Disraeli thought it more important that Britain protect its own interest by supporting the Ottoman Empire (as they were being threatened by Russia) so he played down the numbers killed.
Gladstone saw it as more important that Britain do what was moral and just; he published a pamphlet calling on the government to withdraw its support of the Ottoman Empire.
Gladstone was closer to the mood of the country.

Question 39

What and when were the Bulgarian Atrocities?

Answer 39

In 1876 Ottoman Turks violently and brutally attacked Bulgarians who were trying to gain independence from the Ottoman Empire. At least 15,000 people are thought to have been killed.

Question 40

Where are the Balkans?

Answer 40

In South-eastern Europe - above Greece - what is modern day Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania

Question 41

When and what was the Congress of Berlin?

Answer 41

In 1878 the first global summit was held at Berlin, between the leading statesmen of the European countries and the Ottoman Empire.

Question 41

How did people in Britain react to Disraeli on his return from the Congress of Berlin in 1878?

Answer 41

Huge crowds met him on his return and cheered him.

Question 42

What did Disraeli achieve at the Congress of Berlin?

Answer 42

Disraeli used his diplomatic skills and brinkmanship to prevent Bulgaria gaining full independence, he stopped the growing influence of Russia in the Balkans and broke up the League of Three Emperors between Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary. His main aim and achievement was to stop Russia becoming more powerful.

Question 43

What and when was the Midlothian campaign?

Answer 43

In 1879 and 1880, Gladstone toured the country in the run up to the general election of 1880. Thousands of people flocked to hear him speak and his speeches were reported across the country. Her attacked Disraeli for his foreign policy and for not doing what was the moral thing. It is often seen as the first modern political campaign. It gets its name as Gladstone was standing in the Midlothian constituency in Scotland.

Question 44

Why did Disraeli and the Conservatives lose the 1880 election?

Answer 44

People were unhappy with his foreign policy: Britain had been defeated by the Zulus in South Africa and by the Afghans in Afghanistan. In addition there was an economic depression, unemployment was high and a poor harvest had pushed prices upwards.

Question 45

What is significant about the memorial to Disraeli in his local church?

Answer 45

It is the only memorial to a commoner set up by a reigning monarch.

Question 46

When did Disraeli die and at what age?

Answer 46

He died in 1881, aged 76.

Question 47

What did Gladstone second ministry of 1880 to achieve?

Answer 47

They passed laws to make Ireland more peaceful.
They extended the franchise to the working class in the Third Reform Act.

Question 48

Who was General Gordon and what happened to him?

Answer 48

He was killed in 1885 in Khartoum, Sudan. He had been sent to Sudan and Egypt to put down a popular uprising against the British.

Question 49

Why did Gladstone resign as Prime Minister in 1885?

Answer 49

He had grown dissatisfied with politics and the Queen’s rebuke to him over the death of General Gordon had become public knowledge.

Question 50

Who were the Irish Nationalists?

Answer 50

A political party with support mainly in Ireland. They wanted independence for Ireland from Britain. They had several MPs from the Irish constituencies; in the later part of the nineteenth century this gave them the balance of power in Parliament.

Question 51

What effect did Gladstone’s proposal for Irish Home Rule have?

Answer 51

It split the Liberal Party. It also brought Gladstone back in as Prime Minister in 1886 with the support of the pro-Home Rule Liberals and the Irish Nationalists?

Question 52

What did Gladstone change his mind over in 1885?

Answer 52

He came to see that Ireland should have some independence from Britain and so he proposed Home Rule.

Question 53

Why did Gladstone’s third ministry only last a year in 1886?

Answer 53

Gladstone introduced an Irish Home Rule Bill but it was defeated in the Commons by the Conservatives and anti-Home Rule Liberals. So Gladstone resigned.

Question 54

When did Gladstone become Prime Minister for the fourth and last time?

Answer 54

1892

Question 55

What happened to Gladstone’s two Irish Home Rule Bills?

Answer 55

1886 - his Irish Home Rule Bill was defeated in the Commons.

1893 - his Irish Home Rule Bill passed the Commons but was overwhelmingly voted down in the Lords.

Question 56

Why did Gladstone resign from his fourth and final ministry in 1894?

Answer 56

Over the issue of naval expansion. Some of his party wanted to increase the size of the navy, but Gladstone refused as he argued it would increase taxes and make Britain look more aggressive. He also disagreed with his Cabinet over increasing death duties.

Question 57

When did Gladstone die and at what age?

Answer 57

He died in 1895 at the age of 85.