Fall Of DLG

Question 1

Summarise the factors which led to his downfall

Answer 1

• Anglo-Irish war and the division of Ireland
• industrial unrest
• high levels of unemployment
• geddes axe and the reduction of government spending
• honours scandal
• chanak affair

Question 2

Describe the economic difficulties under DLG

Answer 2

• unemployment rose rapidly following post-war boom
• by the end of 1920, 700,000 men were unemployed
• by June 1921, this had risen to over 2 million
• old problems still existed, e.g. competition from USA, decline of trade unions etc
• falling trade and government income coupled with the very high debts from WW1 meant expenditure had to be cut.

Question 3

Describe the geddes axe

Answer 3

• Eric geddes- wartime advisor
• august 1921
• three reports published in feb 1922
• recommended drastic cuts to help with the post WW1 budget deficit.
• recommended £87 million in cuts
• government aimed to cut £52 million- which was about 10% of total gov spending.

Question 4

Impact of the geddes axe

Answer 4

• These cuts reversed many of Lloyd George’s earlier social reforms (e.g. Addison’s Housing Act, parts of the Fisher Education Act)
• undermining his “land fit for heroes” rhetoric.
• damaged Lloyd George’s credibility as a social reformer
• alienated his working class support base
• cuts exposed a lack of consistency- he had once championed welfare with his housing acts, extension of national insurance, pensions and education reforms, now he had abandoned welfare intervention
• contributed to waning support to him
• shows political vulnerability- mainly under the conservative influence, so had abandoned liberal ideals- man without a party.

Question 5

Describe how the Anglo-Irish war led to his downfall

Answer 5

• criticised for the use of Black and Tans soldiers- seen as too extreme

Question 6

Describe the honours scandal

Answer 6

• Lloyd George lacked political backing and so was forced to accept money in return for this
• would charge £10,000 for a knighthood
• would charge £30,000 for a baronetcy
• would charge £50,000 upwards for a peerage
• his sales were denounced in the House of Lords
• seen as an abuse of the prime ministers power of patronage
• example includes a South African diamond magnate Robinson, paid £30,000 to DLG political fund to accept a baronetcy, he was notorious for fraud and tax evasion among other crimes such as war profiteering.

Question 7

Describe the impact of the honours scandal

Answer 7

• tarnished his reputation and provided his opponents with a moral pretext to justify their break from the coalition
• alienated many
• could argue, that this would not have had to have happened if he had liberal suppport or a party behind him, but because of the liberal decline, it forced the tarnishing of his reputation and tendency for corruption.

Question 8

Describe the chanak affairs impact

Answer 8

• alienated the conservatives which he was dependent upon
• public became disillusioned towards his autocratic leadership style
• emblematic of wider deterioration with his leadership and misjudgements in foreign policy.

Question 9

Describe the Carlton club meeting

Answer 9

• by 1922, the majority of conservatives believed that the coalition was not working
• disillusioned with leadership and the honours scandal provided a moral pretext to justify the break away from the coalition
• coupon election working in reverse- it was political suicide to be associated with DLG
• 1921- bonar law retired due to ill health, replaced by Austen chamberlain
• chamberlain agreed with DLG to an immediate election in October 1922, but decision was taken without consultation of the party and led to backbench demand for a party meeting
• meeting of Carlton club was held in October 1922, and backbench conservatives said they wanted to stand without DLG at the next election.
• bonar law returned to politics to speak out against the continuation of the coalition and returned as leader of the conservatives
• DLG therefore became a scapegoat for the failure of the policies the tories had forced him to accept.

Question 10

Overall summation of factors

Answer 10

• broader social economic challenges- geddes axe undermined his credibility and politics rhetoric
• foreign policy failures- emblematic of his autocratic, one man style rule
• liberal decline- precipitated failure as it left him politically vulnerable
• scandal and personal corruption alienated many
• Ireland
• conservative dominance meant he was used as a scapegoat for their failings in things such as the geddes axe etc