The Fall of Lloyd George

Summary of the key points which led to Lloyd George's downfall in 1922 :-)

Please comment if I've missed anything important!

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  • Created by: jenna
  • Created on: 10-05-12 19:18

Conservative's Abandonment

  • Conservative MPs voted to remove their support of Lloyd George
    • Feared Conservatives would be associated with Liberal's decline
      • "A dynamic force which has already shattered the Liberal Party and which was well on the way for doing the same for the Conservative Party" - Baldwin on Lloyd George
    • 187 to 87 to abandon Lloyd George and Coalition
  • Conservatives were not interested in assisting Lloyd George
    • Protecting their own interests than defending principles of party politics
      • Did not want Lloyd George's mistakes associated with them
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Lloyd George & Corruption

  • "Lloyd George Fund" - sale of honours and titles on a commission basis
    • Argued it was a "justifiable means of raising political funds"-  Libs didn't have access to donations Conservatives regularly received  from businesses or Labour and Trade Unions
  • Marconi Scandal, 1913
    • Another example of Lloyd George's dishonesty
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Foreign Problems

  • Chanak Affair (September 1922)
    • Lloyd George ordered British reinforcements to be sent to Chanak on the Dardanelles (likely area of confrontation) 
      • Threatened War - eventually Turks withdrew
    • Lloyd George's actions seen as unnecessary and irresponsible by Conservatives - could have led to another major war
  • Anglo-Irish Treaty, 1921
    • The settlement can be seen as a remarkable historical achievement and a contemporary political failure
      • British politician had the skill and luck to undertake the problem successfully
      • Political failure = treaty was a compromise - Unionists were left feeling betrayed by Lloyd George's willingness to give in to what they regarded as republican terrorism
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