Lloyd George and Liberal Division

Question 1

What did Lloyd George have an understanding and support for?

Answer 1

total war

Question 2

When did Lloyd George take over as Secretary of War?

Answer 2

After Kitchener’s death in 1916

Question 3

How many cabinet ministers were there in the coalition cabinet?

Answer 3

23

Question 4

Why was there tension within the coalition? (3)

Answer 4

• All of the key positions were held by Liberals
• The Conservatives distrusted Asquith
• There were disagreements among members of the government

Question 5

What was the government facing in 1916 for it to be called a crisis? (4)

Answer 5

• Easter Rising
• The failure to defeat the German battle fleet in the battle of Jutland
• Terrible casualties suffered due to the battle of the Somme
• Trying to relieve the pressure on their French allies on the Western Front

Question 6

By when had the Conservatives completely withdrawn their support for Asquith?

Answer 6

1916

Question 7

Who did the Conservatives want to replace Asquith with?

Answer 7

Lloyd George

Question 8

Lloyd George proposed the creation of a smaller war cabinet. Who would it consist of? (3)

Answer 8

Lloyd George, Bonar Law, Edward Carson

Question 9

What happened on 3 December 1916?

Answer 9

Asquith agreed to resign so that the war cabinet could be formed.

Question 10

What happened on 4 December 1916? (3)

Answer 10

• The Times published an article revealing the war cabinet plan and saying bad things about Asquith.
• Asquith then argued that he must chair the war committee.
• Lloyd George resigns

Question 11

What happened on 5 December 1916? (2)

Answer 11

• Conservative members of the coalition government also resigned
• Asquith handed in his resignation to the king

Question 12

What happened on 6 December 1916? (3)

Answer 12

• The king invited Bonar Law to form a government, but Bonar Law said he would only do it if Asquith served under him
• Asquith refused
• The king offered Lloyd George the role and he accepted

Question 13

What happened on 7 December 1916? (2)

Answer 13

• Lloyd George succeeded in persuading the Conservatives to form a government
• Asquith and all the Liberal ministers resigned

Question 14

How did Lloyd George’s new coalition change the way Britain was governed in 1916? (5)

Answer 14

• Small war cabinet of 5 instead of a cabinet of 20
• Most of the top jobs were held by Conservatives
• A cabinet secretariat made the cabinet more efficient
• PM developed his own PM secretariat to help him with advice and ideas
• More government ministries were now set up for wartime needs (e.g. labour, shipping etc)