The decline of the Liberals 1918-22 Flashcards
What is the Asquith coalition?
It was formed by Asquith as a response to pressure by the Conservatives that the war wasn’t being run well.
The Shell Crisis 1915 and Gallipoli scandal both highlighted this.
How did the war impact Liberal ideology?
The principles of personal freedom, peace and retrenchment were impossible to preserve uncompromised in wartime.
The economic free-trade, non-interventionist notions which Liberals held now seemed largely irrelevant.
What is Lloyd George and the Ministry of Munitions?
He was able to make the ministry a model of what could be achieved when a government department was inspiringly led.
He faced outstanding success in increasing the production of ammunitions.
What is an example of war splitting Liberal ideology?
Conscription - Asquith eventually supported the Military Service Act, which imposed compulsory enlistment.
50 Liberals voted against this.
Lloyd George had threatened to resign if it had not been introduced.
What is the Lloyd George coalition?
His exasperation with the military tactics meant he proposed a 3 man war council with himself as chairman.
He felt his achievments meant he understood and represented the expectations of a nation.
He also felt Asquith could not dedicate himself solely to the war.
What were the disagreements over the DLG coalition?
Asquith sensed this was too great an infringment on his authority as prime minister, insisted he must be the head.
DLG offered his resignation, and the Conservatives said they were not willing to be in a coalition without DLG.
What is the importance of this leadership crisis?
It showed that Asquith had no natural allies.
130 of 272 Liberal mps declared their readiness to follow Lloyd George - creating a split that would never be healed.
Asquith ceased to be prime minister but lead parlimentary opposition to DLG’s Liberals.
How could the Conservatives be blamed for the division in 1916?
The refusal of the Conservatives to remain devoted to Asquith.
DLG however dissatisfied, could not have removed Asquith by his own efforts.
How can Asquith be blamed for the division?
Throughout the political crisis, he seemed blind to the larger issues involved.
He tended to regard the behaviour of those who declined to support him as betrayal rather than a genuine attempt to improve Britain’s war effort.
How did DLG’s methods as prime minister impact the Liberals?
Immediately, he increased the number of Conservatives in the government.
He chose to run the war by an inner war cabinet, of which he was the only Liberal.
So, DLG had made his government into a predominantly Conservative affair.
What is the Garden Suburb?
This private secretariat was a group of advisers and experts in constant touch with the prime minister.
DLG rarely attended parliament 1916-18.
Some accused him of adopting the methods of a dictator.
What is the Maurice Debate?
Asquith attempted to challenge Lloyd George by supporting Maurice in saying DLG had distorted military figures to make Britain seem better than it was.
He introduced a vote of no confidence, but DLG bluffed his way out, and made Asquith appear unconvincing.
It was voted 293 to 106 in favour of DLG, and left Asquith and supporters looking like troublemakers.
What is the impact of the Maurice debate?
It destroyed the chance of Liberal reunification.
It deepened the divide between the two factions of Liberals.
Those who opposed Lloyd George were those who stood as official Liberal party candidates in election 1918.
What is the coupon election?
After the war ended, DLG and Bonar Law agreed to continue their coalition into peacetime.
They sent out coupons to endorse those willing to support them.
This decision permanently destroyed any chance the Liberal party had of reuniting and recovering.
How is the war responsible for Liberal decline?
If the war had not happened, Asquith might not have resigned, the Liberal social reform programme might have continued, and the challenge to values might not have been as important.
