Austen Chamberlain - First World War

First World War

Pressure from the Conservative opposition, in part led by Chamberlain, eventually resulted in the formation of the wartime coalition government, in 1915. Chamberlain joined the cabinet as Secretary of State for India. Like other politicians, including Balfour and Curzon, Chamberlain supported the invasion of Mesopotamia to increase British prestige in the region, thus discouraging a German-inspired Muslim revolt in India.

Chamberlain remained at the India Office after Lloyd George succeeded Asquith as Prime Minister in late 1916, but following inquiries into the failure of various British campaigns in Mesopotamia (undertaken by the separately-administered Indian Army) in 1915, including the loss of the British garrison at Kut, Chamberlain resigned his post in 1917, because as the minister ultimately responsible, the fault lay with him. He was widely acclaimed for such a principled act.

After Lloyd George’s Paris speech (12 November 1917) at which he said that “when he saw the appalling casualty lists he wish(ed) it had not been necessary to win so many (“victories”)” there was talk of Chamberlain withdrawing support from the government. Lloyd George survived by claiming that the aim of the new inter-Allied Supreme War Council was purely to “coordinate” policy, not to overrule the British generals who still enjoyed a good deal of support from Conservatives. Later he returned to government and became a member of the War Cabinet in April 1918 as Minister without Portfolio.

Following the victory of the Lloyd George coalition in the elections of 1918, Chamberlain was again appointed to the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer in January 1919 and immediately faced the huge task of restoring Britain’s finances after four years of wartime expenditure.